Extra: Collecting the 'sweet water' 01:51
CNN: How do cultural traditions play a role in your work?
Agrawal: For the system to last, it needs to be embraced by the community. They need to be part of it. So we integrated their cultural traditions. For example, Jalwa Puja is a ceremony where mothers worship at the well when a child is born. We invite them to worship at the community reservoir, give them Indian sweets and ask them to help protect the water from contamination. They practice this in their neighborhood, and it becomes like marketing by word of mouth.
We also use social bonds. The reservoirs are made of concrete, so you need a mason to build them. We etch the name of the mason or his grandfather on every reservoir, dedicating it to them; in return, they reduce their fees. Our aim was to recognize, as much as possible, the local people. It creates a feeling of ownership and then everyone takes pride in it.
CNN: You grew up in Rajasthan. How did that experience influence you to address this issue?
Agrawal: Growing up, every morning I accompanied my mother to fetch water—a daily ritual. One day an elderly woman asked me to pull some buckets of water for her. I pretended as if I did not hear her. My mother noticed and asked me, "Do you know the difference between a stray animal and a human being? Every stray animal fills his or her tummy. It's a human being that fills someone else's tummy."
That story stayed dormant in my mind till 2003. At that point, my company had (gone) bankrupt. I was thinking of starting a new venture and had a few friends over. We were talking about the water scarcity in India and the money we had donated. One of my friends banged the table pretty hard (saying), "What difference will it make even if you were to give $100 million to India?" And there was total silence. We realized that it may not make any difference. And that's when the seed that my mom planted 60 years back sprouted all of a sudden, and I decided, "I'm going to find a sustainable solution for the drinking water."
CNN: What do you imagine your mother would think of what you've achieved?
Agrawal: When I think of my mom, I become quite emotional. Here was a woman who was not educated, living in a small village, and so many times I simply marvel at her wisdom, her concern for fellow human beings. And believe me, that's imprinted on my mind forever.
In the villages, when women come to me to say "thank you," I feel proud that I kept my mother's wishes.
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