Air-to-water in Sri Lanka: Clean and healthy drinking water made possible

Feroz Omar (right) with his technical team before handing over the air-to-water machine to the Sri Lankan Government last week in Trincomalee

Life would not function without air and water. Access to clean drinking water is a basic need of all human beings. Just think about it for a minute: How many people have gotten kidney disease from drinking contaminated water, in Sri Lanka and actually all over the world? What if there actually is an easy solution that is available right here and now? 

On 11 June, the M. H. Omar Foundation generously donated a 1000 litres per day atmospheric water generator (AWG). Commissioned by Feroz Omar and his team, the so-called air-to-water machine provides an easy and innovative solution for a widespread problem. State Ministry of Water and Supply Facilities Secretary S. H. Harischandra welcomed the premiere installation in the Divisional Secretariat of Gomaran Kandawella, Trincomalee District.

Water, water everywhere? There is plenty of water in the sea, and we have certainly seen too much of it during floods all over the world. However, what we really need is clean and healthy drinking water for everyone. This basic need should be a basic right that is granted to everyone.

Tissa Weeraratna, long-standing caretaker of the famous Berlin Buddhist Vihara, known as Das Buddhistische Haus in Berlin-Frohnau, Germany, has been continuously working on getting sustainable projects widely recognised: “Clean and healthy water should be available for everyone! It is very simple: We just have to milk the atmosphere, and there you have it!”

The originator of this innovative air-to-water project remembers how the original idea actually goes back many years: “It was generated together with Feroz Omar when searching for a solution in neutralising the sludge in their textile manufacturing industry in 2001. Thanks to Feroz, my idea could be implemented because their foundation has bought many machines in the meantime.”

Dhamma, bhavana, and sati (Buddha’s teachings, meditation, and mindfulness) are a vital part of Weeraratna’s daily life. It may sound rather unconventional, but that is exactly how he finds inspiration for his numerous ideas related to sustainable energies. He encourages anyone to get to a zero mind consciousness in order to recharge from stress and disease and experience a happy and healthy life.

Thanks to continuous Dhamma discussions and meditation sessions at Das Buddhistische Haus in Berlin, particularly the subject of water kept coming up repeatedly: “When I heard that people die in Sri Lanka because of kidney problems, I asked myself: What is the cause? The cause is contaminated water. Through air-to-water, there is no contamination.” 

Tissa Weeraratna emphasises that the air-to-water project will have a huge impact on both people’s health as well as the environment. He even proposes a solution to the large number of elephants leaving the jungle in search of water, not in search of food. Even more so, he says: “No company, whether it is Nestle or anyone else, will be able to monopolise our supply of water. All you need is 30% humidity. That’s why air-to-water is so important for all of us.”

How can we afford it? That is probably the question most people will ask at this point. How can we not afford it? According to the information provided by Tissa Weeraratna, the actual cost is 0.04 US cents per litre. 10-20 kidney patients will justify the price of a 1000 litre air-to-water machine, such as the one just installed in the Eastern Province. 

So this is only the beginning. There actually is a good solution for our acute water problem. Who would have ever thought that high humidity could be of great help to all of us?