News18, Harpic Mission Paani Host 8-hour Live Event Waterthon to Raise Awareness about Saving Water

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Industry Watch | January 28, 2021 | News

News18 Harpic Mission Paani Waterthon Akshay Kumar Reckitt Benckiser Group

On the occasion of India’s 72nd Republic Day, News18 and Harpic Mission Paani hosted its first ‘Waterthon’ live event to celebrate the country’s water heroes. The eight-hour Waterthon witnessed a series of sessions deliberating on efficient solutions and the need to prioritize efforts towards water conservation. At the event, Harpic Mission Paani also launched a special ‘water’ curriculum for school children.

Akshay Kumar, actor and Mission Paani ambassador, said, “Water is a wealth we have to conserve. The demand for water will rise by 40% in the next nine years, which is something we will not be able to fulfill. Add to that, chances of a water crisis taking place in 28% of the country, for which we all will be responsible. In the next 100 years, we will finish all the water available. Water can be sold at the rate of gold; it can even be costlier. We might even see a war on it. There might come a time where there won't be rivers, lakes. We will struggle to even find a drop. It is the need of the hour for us to take a pledge to save water so that we can live a better tomorrow.”

The event was broadcast live on Network18’s TV news channels and digital platforms and brought together global policy-makers, celebrities, the Armed Forces and corporates to address the criticality of water for hygiene and conservation.

The host of notable personalities at the event included Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, RD & GR; Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Science & Tech, Earth Sciences, Govt. of India; Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Minister, Human Resource Development, Government of India; Smriti Irani, Union Cabinet Minister for Textiles and Women & Child Development; Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises along with celebrities like AR Rahman, Mallika Sarabhai, Prasoon Joshi, HH Chidanand Swami, Rajkumar Rao, Mandira Bedi, Neha Dhupia, Dia Mirza, Gul Panag, Bhumi Pednekar, Vishwanathan Anand amongst others as they celebrated the journey and impact of the News18 and Harpic Mission Paani campaign.

The live event also featured song and dance performances by Esha Deol in the opening dance act followed by Malini Awasthi, Shaan and Indian Ocean.

Reckitt Benckiser sends a message

Laxman Narasimhan, Global CEO, Reckitt Benckiser Group (makers of Harpic) stated, “Hosting India’s largest Waterthon on Republic Day is highly symbolic and a matter of pride for us at RB. People from all walks of life have come together on the Harpic Mission Paani platform united towards a common goal of saving water. This day has celebrated India’s water heroes who have selflessly led and addressed the criticality of water for hygiene. We are hopeful that Harpic with its key initiatives will successfully drive behaviour change towards water conservation and hygiene with Mission Paani.”

“Harpic Mission Paani is a defining people’s movement aimed at creating a more direct impact on water shortage and hygiene and sanitation. Our aim with Harpic Mission Paani’s ‘Swachhta aur Paani’ campaign is to increase awareness and encourage citizens on the urgency for efficient usage and conservation of water as well as hygienic sanitation,” Narasimhan Eswar, Senior Vice President, South Asia, RB Hygiene added.

Sukhleen Aneja, CMO & Marketing Director, RB Hygiene, South Asia said, “Children today have a voice that cannot just simply be ignored and even in the Paani anthem, they were key to driving the message and drawing people’s attention. Harpic Mission Paani has partnered with Swarovski Water School to introduce a dedicated curriculum highlighting the importance of water and hygiene for school children.”

Mission Paani for positive change

Smriti Mehra, CEO, Business News, Network18 added, “As a media platform, the onus lies on us to curate programming that provides actionable information and raises awareness about issues that matter to people. Water conservation is one of the most critical issues that our network has adopted to influence positive change. From artistes to ministers to youth influencers, sports personalities and activists, Mission Paani reached out to different stakeholders and brought them together to raise a common voice."