Rekha Sharma

Indian environmental engineer who created biodegradable water filtration systems for rural areas

Rekha Sharma (b. 1978) is the visionary behind Purify India, a nonprofit delivering low-cost water purification systems to 2.3 million people in India's rural regions. Her breakthrough came in 2001 with the invention of NeemBio Filters - clay pots lined with neem tree charcoal, reducing waterborne diseases by 78% in pilot villages. This innovation won the UNESCO Water Prize in 2007.

Sharma's 2010 initiative Women as Water Guardians trained 15,000 rural women as system maintainers, creating sustainable local economies. Her partnership with IIT Delhi produced the Solar AquaPur system (2015), using solar energy to power filtration in 850 villages. She established the Green Engineering Academy in 2018, which has graduated 300+ engineers specializing in eco-friendly infrastructure. Her TED Talk "Clean Water as a Human Right" (2020) has 4.2 million views. Sharma's "Thirst for Justice" chronicles her 20-year journey addressing India's water crisis through community-driven solutions.