‘Water is life’. We all say it a million times, but do we really mean it? Water is a resource due to which we are alive and breathing.
You can live about a month without food, but only over a week without water.
Water plays an important, integral, and intrinsic part of our lives. We are fortunate enough to get water through natural resources such as surface water, ground water reserve, frozen water in our ice caps, and water through desalination.
But do we really give water as much importance as required? Do we really bother about future? Global water scarcity is anticipated to become a primary cause of political conflict in the near future.
Take 5
- Out of the total water present on Earth’s surface, only 1 percent of it is drinkable. And water wastage is an issue in every household. Why go far and discuss about political issues? Let’s start with our homes. While we brush our teeth, the tap is left open without even thinking if we really need the water.
- In this modern era, we don’t bathe, but take a shower. It may sound cool, but do we realize the litres of water that gets wasted when we take a shower? We could have done the same job with just a bucket of water. Try and avoid Jacuzzis or usage of bath tubs, simply because they consume gallons of water.
- The ‘flush’ in our toilets uses 20 litres of water during a single flush. Add to this the fact that we use gallons of water just to wash our car or bike. A single bucket of water would serve the same purpose. Individuals, who have gardening as their hobby, should buy faucets with a narrow opening rather than a wide opening. This will instead save water and also serve the purpose of watering the plants. Just think about people in drought-affected areas who do not get a single drop of water for their basic daily activities.
- ‘By 2030, we could face 40 percent shortfall between water supply and demand’. Over the years, we have polluted the environment to a very large extent. In small towns, women wash vessels and wash clothes at the banks of the river, thereby contaminating the river. Various industries release their harmful chemical wastes, without treating it, in the water bodies nearby. These water bodies such as lakes, rivers meet bigger water bodies such as the sea and ocean, thereby leading to widespread water pollution.
- Global warming is one of the most pressing global issues facing humanity. We are already seeing and feeling its repercussions. Due to the sudden temperature rise, and fluctuations, rainfall patterns across the country have become erratic. Each year, as a result we are receiving less rainfall.
In 15 years, the demand for water will surpass its supply by 40 percent. We will need water and should hence try our best to preserve it. There are many government water conservation projects that are attempting to prevent or reverse water pollution. Get involved!