Lubrizol’s FlowGuard® Plus Delivers Safe Drinking Water to the Villagers of Umberwadi

Mumbai: Lubrizol India, the parent company of  FlowGuard® Plus, recently completed the first of its Share A Litre Initiative, with the support of BC Web Wise, their digital agency. Through engagement of the digital audiences and a microsite, they converted online action to on-ground impact for the villagers of Umberwadi, in Maharashtra. 

Maharashtra is experiencing a water crisis of unprecedented proportions. Following years of drought, river currents have ebbed, water levels in dams and reservoirs have dropped, and over-exploitation of groundwater has raised concerns about long-term water availability. The villagers were not only walking long distances for a basic necessity like water, despite their best efforts, water-borne illnesses were still rampant. Young children were also forced to walk with their mothers instead of enjoying their childhoods, due to this crisis.

The #ShareALitre campaign microsite was launched on World Water Day, supported by social media content that highlighted the plight of the villagers. Digital natives were encouraged to share a virtual litre with the villagers of Umberwadi, which Lubrizol would then convert to potable, accessible water. The campaign surpassed expectations and the digital audience donated hundreds of litres of clean and safe water which villagers got access to for the first time, with the distribution of Water Wheels and Water Filters. Now they don’t have to walk for miles to fetch water from the river and the children can also continue their education, instead of wasting hours every day accompanying their mothers  to the river.

To take the message of the campaign further, Lubrizol India released a digital film, conceptualised  and produced by BC Web Wise, featuring the villagers of Umberwadi, which captures the criticality of the issue that impacted the health and well being of the villagers.

Commenting on the initiative, Pooja Shetty, Marketing and Communication Manager - TempRite South Asia said, “FlowGuard®  Plus has been on a mission to provide reliable access to clean and safe drinking water globally through our reliable CPVC Plumbing systems for more than 60 years. Water Scarcity is a pressing global issue, and close to 50% of India’s population has no access to clean and safely managed drinking water. On the occasion of World Water Day 2022 as leaders, it was imperative to create awareness about this issue on a larger scale through our digital initiative #ShareALitre campaign and give back to the community at large.”

Speaking about the thought and intention behind this national initiative, Chaaya Baradhwaaj, Founder & MD, BC Web Wise said, “Safe and clean drinking water is still out of reach for millions of people living in rural areas of the country. With Lubrizol’s mission to address this issue we designed the Share A Litre initiative to involve the audience at large, as awareness of the trials and tribulations of villagers across Bharat for basic human needs is very much needed.’’

Speaking about this digital campaign, Mubeen Farooqi, ECD, BC Web Wise said, “It was great working on this path breaking digital initiative which impacted hundreds of lives with its motivating pitch and gave users an opportunity to contribute their bit towards an empowering cause. Scripting the digital film and closely working with the film team in the execution, was an emotionally moving experience and brought me closer to the critical issue of clean drinking water faced by the villagers. This activity helped the brand make a difference in the lives of people living in areas where access to potable water is still a dream.”