Umm al-Hiran lies in a wadi, or small valley, not far from the large town of Beersheba at the top end of the Negev desert.

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"With our product, we are hoping to target nonusers and those who couldn't afford water purifiers due to affordability reasons and lack of awareness, " said Mr. Hiran.

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"It's not as aggressive a procedure" as traditional surgery but it isn't as effective based on patient satisfaction and elimination of acid in the esophagus, says Hiran C.

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"There is no awareness about the need for filtration among most Indians, with a mere 6% of urban households and 1% of rural households using water purifiers, " said Ashvini Hiran, chief operating officer at Tata Chemicals.

WSJ: Tata Markets Inexpensive Water Filter