Nearly 10 crore families in rural India do not have tap water connections in their homes. According to NSS data, only 35.8% households in India wash hands with soap before a meal. Hygiene assumes greater significance in the context of the current global Covid pandemic given that the practice of handwashing with soap is one of the most effective, simplest and cheapest measures to prevent the spread of not only Covid but several other infectious diseases.
The pandemic pushed to light the practice of handwashing with soap as the most cost-effective and one of the simplest measures to prevent the spread of infectious disease. To help bridge the gap, SATO, a well-known name in accessible sanitation has brought to the Indian market the SATO Tap, which is now available commercially throughout the country for individual and institutional consumers.
The portable and refillable, SATO Tap is the key to solve waterand hygiene problems in water-starved regions. The system is not only affordable but is the most easy-to-install hand-washing systems around the world.
SATO Tap is “easy to use for adults and children” and “has low water usage” as noted by majority of households who tested and used the SATO Tap during its trial period. The trial was done in partnership with UNICEF, who worked with SATO in the development of the product.
Versatile, the SATO Tap is ideal for residential use and can be placed in different areas of the house, without any water connection. It can be used on the go by street vendors, farmers, construction sites or any labor-intensive work area that are not connected to water systems.
Commenting on the launch of SATO Tap, Amit Konlade – Global SCM Operations – Leader, SATO, said, “We are extremely thrilled to have the SATO Tap now available in India. SATO’s world-class design capabilities and social impact expertise was brought into play to make handwashing simple and easy for all. With this revolutionary product, we are confident that we will improve the lives of people in the country. India is an important market for us as we target to improve 100 million lives by 2025.”
The Made in India SATO Tap’s design is a perfect example of form meets function. This innovation is disruptive enough to help propel a positive behavior change towards adoption of hygiene habits across the nation. The SATO Tap consists of a plastic base with a nozzle that can accommodate a variety of easily available PET bottles, helping reducing waste.
The Tap allows minimal contact thereby reducing the risks of surface contamination or disease spread. The trickle action of the tap minimizes water use, meaning fewer refills while maintaining constant flow. Keeping mass adoption in mind SATO has launched this product at an affordable price of Rs. 225 and are currently manufactured in six facilities across India which ensures cost-effectiveness and a wider distribution net. The SATO team is working with NGOs and other key stakeholders in India to address the challenges associated with handwashing. SATO has been instrumental in collecting commercial and behavioral insights to strengthen behavior change; joint advocacy to promote hygiene programming; and maximizing existing public and private sector networks and supply chains to expand access to handwashing.
