Clean water for all: Blockchain makes it transparent

Access to clean, safe drinking water is a fundamental human need, yet billions around the world lack this basic resource. One company, Jana JAL, is tackling this global challenge with innovative technology—and blockchain is playing a key role.

Dr. Parag Agrawal, founder and CEO of Jana JAL, joined us in the The Crypto Radio studio for an exclusive interview to share insights into his organization, which he founded over 11 years ago with the mission of "water for people". 

“Jana means people, and JAL means water. So, what Jana JAL stands for is water for people, or people's water.”

Through a decentralized model of water treatment and delivery, Jana JAL has provided more than 200 million liters of safe drinking water to underserved communities. It is also empowering women, who often bear the burden of fetching water for their households in underdeveloped and developing countries.

"Imagine a world where every woman is able to receive water at her doorstep without having access to a pipeline that delivers that water.

"So, water being delivered to her and to the household in a decentralized manner, using mobility, using a clean, fuel-powered vehicle, which is completely iotized, and delivering it to her at her doorstep probably saves her six to eight hours, and above that, it protects her health," said Dr. Agrawal.

Blockchain: Making every drop accountable

But their approach goes beyond just water distribution—they are harnessing the power of blockchain technology to bring much-needed transparency to the water industry. "Water cannot be made available just virtually, because it needs to be made available physically. It's life. It's something that we all need to consume."

By combining physical and digital, or phygital, approaches, Dr. Agrawal explained, Jana JAL is addressing a critical need in water distribution. They’ve gathered over 1 billion data points over the past decade, using blockchain to turn this into a secure, transparent record of water quality, delivery, and community impact.

Tokenizing these data points adds another layer of transparency: each token represens at specific action, like the reduction of single-use plastic, jobs created, or health benefits from fewer water-borne diseases. By tokenizing this data, Jana JAL creates a transparent system that enables anyone to see the tangible impact their contributions have on communities, directly linking support to real-world outcomes.

Jana JAL's model has been in operation for over a decade, demonstrating its proven track record and readiness for further expansion. "If we can prove something in India, it is relevant to all of Asia, it is relevant to Middle East and it is relevant to Africa." 

With blockchain and the BigWater token, Jana JAL isn’t just delivering water; they’re setting a new standard for transparency and sustainability in global water distribution.

 

Listen to the whole interview on The Crypto Radio's live player or in our Bigger Picture podcast.