With the arrival of summer and the temperature reaching its peak point, the water crisis in Shimla is also increasing.
The acute water shortage has already taken a much more serious turn, affecting the day-to-day life of its residents and even the tourism of the state, on which its economy mainly depends.
With hotels and schools being shut, the residents seem to be the worst hit with no alternatives available. Although the administration is trying to cater to the basic needs of people it by providing tankers and periodic supplies, it does not seem to be sufficient.
With such an acute shortage, many people have taken to the roads questioning the working of the government and its water management strategies.
All this is coming from a state which is considered to have one of the highest literacy rates. This reflects the human nature of never owing to any mistakes and dumping them on to others. But again, is this a civilised way to deal with the crisis? Is just the government the culprit behind the acute shortage?
Being a native of the city, the first thing I would like to remind everyone is that water shortage has been a part of the city life for a long time so just blaming the government for it will not do.
And about the protest – how many people out there on the streets protesting have ever done something for water conservation or have ever planted a tree? How many of them protested against the infinite trees that were cut to create the new ISBT?
Perhaps everyone liked the idea of new ‘facilities’ without realising how it would affect the environment and would be a leading cause of the problems we face today.
Even the international organisations like the UN have declared that the world is headed towards acute water shortage due to the increasing pollution levels and global warming.
A humble request from my end and from environmentalists all over the world for some elementary measures:
- Keep the taps off.
- Plant more and trees.
- Vehicle pooling.
- Water recycling.
- Rainwater harvesting.
Apparently, they all turn out to be steps that we can take at the individual level without any government intervention.
The strength of any democracy lies in the hands of its citizens. So, it is now up to all the citizens to accept global warming as a real problem before it’s too late.
And lastly, just as a reminder – it’s not just about two states, it is a wake-up call from mother nature. According to the UN, more than 70% of the world is in danger of facing the same fate. So, wake up today before your homeland stands on the verge of becoming dry and prone to droughts and famines.