SAVE WATER or MEET WATERLOO

-  By Milan K Sinha

       Its not a TRP enhancing news anymore for national media that even Delhi, Chennai or Mumbai is facing water shortage during the months of February  till the down pour of monsoon rain in June every year. Yes, people in many parts & ever enlarging parts of India do pray to Rain God to despatch monsoon a bit soon this time. Before discussing the issue further, it would be fair enough  to go through some frightening facts:

·         Only 0.08% of earth water is drinkable, which too is getting contaminated with each passing day.

·    Every year about 5 million people die due to consumption of undrinkable water all over the world.

·       Only 5.58 lac Sq.km of area is irrigated  out of total land area of 29.3 sq.km. in India.

·       17% of world population reside in India with 4% of water sources of the world.

·    Indian Agriculture uses 69% of water, Industries 23% and rest 8% by Indian households & others.

·         21% of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water.

·    The annual turnover of MNCs selling bottled water in India is Rs.28,000 crore which would touch Rs.5.6 million crore by 2025.

·    Only 15% of rain water, if harvested & conserved, would be sufficient to take care of India’s annual water requirements .

·    Out of 6.38 lac revenue villages in India, more than 30% are water problem villages.

·      73% of respondents of a question as to what truly make them proud of being an Indian said, “It is availability of safe drinking water to every Indian.”

    We all know, Water is Life. जल  नहीं  तो  कल  नहीं . Man can’t survive more than 3 days without water. But many of us use water thoughtlessly. Fresh portable water is already a precious commodity in many drier parts of  India. Nevertheless, the true value of H2O is yet to be fully understood even by the educated segments of society. That’s why Vandana Shiva, the environmental activist says,” I think the most pressing issue is really to bring back the culture for respecting water, for recognising its value.”

Pl. think for a while on this subject. Discussion would continue in my next post. All the Best.