It's impossible to be truly eco-friendly without going vegan," said the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India campaign co-ordinator Radhika Suryavanshi here on Thursday.

"Just by changing the eating habits, people can save the eco-system. It is impossible to be truly eco-friendly without going vegan," Suryavanshi said while explaining about the PETA's India campaign which focuses on environment and animals.

As the World Water Day is slated to be celebrated on Friday, themed on "No one is left behind," Suryavanshi said: "Around 15,000 litres of water is wasted to procure one kilogram of meat. From watering the crops, feeding animals every year to cleaning away the filth from farms and dairy industries, these are putting a serious strain on the world's water supply."

Drawing a connection between the use of water and meat consumption by quoting Water Footprint Network, PETA said: "It takes 322 litres of water to produce one kilogram of vegetables. Contrastingly, the production of animal-derived foods uses much more water."

"While one litre of cows' milk requires 1,020 litres water, 3,265 litres of water is required for one kilogram of eggs. Likewise, one kilogram of poultry meat requires 4,325 litres water whereas 5,988 litres is required for one kilogram of pork."

"One kilogram of mutton requires 8,763 litre water and one kilogram of beef requires a staggering 15,415 litres of water," she said.

Stressing the need for saving water for future generations, Suryavanshi said that currently around 77 million people in the country lack access to safe water.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)