Water – the resource that we have taken for granted. Only 2.5% of water in this world is consumable while the remaining 68.5% of water is saline (or) salt water. The 7.7 billion people who live in this world depend on this meager amount of water for survival. Apart from nations, we have to share this water with myriad animals, birds and plants. Of all the species, only we (humans) possess the knowledge and power to manage this precious resource and it is our responsibility to do so. If we fail, the outcome would be chaotic.
But the world seems to run on its track without paying heed to the upcoming catastrophe. Recently a study made in America revealed its water tax will rise up very high in 4 years as the resource is getting consumed (exploited) rapidly. According to US Government Accountability Office, 40 out 50 states in the USA will have one region where there will be grave water scarcity.
While this is the case in America, if we look at India, we have a similar crisis here as well. The NITI AAYOG Water Composite Management Index released on June 2018 reported that India is undergoing the worst water crisis in its history and millions of lives are under threat. It mentioned that about two lakh people die every year because of very poor access to clean and safe water. Data collected from 24 out of the 29 states in India has warned that the crisis will only get worse and 21 cities will run out of ground water by 2020.
So what is the solution to this? This is where one nation dominates USA, Russia, UK, and China. That nation is Israel. The country has become a water superpower in 2013 itself. In that very same year, it stopped depending on the weather or neighboring countries for its water needs. Through desalination of sea water, reusing treated sewage water for agriculture, using propriety software to check water leakage, making account of every drop of water that circulates in the nation, periodically, using drip irrigation technique and spending money earned through water taxes completely for the development of water management and the infrastructure that is required for it. Now this country has erased the word ‘Water Scarcity’ from its dictionary.
What a humble state in India is doing is also laudable. Recently the Civic Authorities in Pune reduced the water supply in the city as its resources began depleting. Pune Restaurant and Hoteliers Association, after coming across this hardship, decide to serve only half glasses of water to its patrons. Nearly 400 hotels follow this decision. Of course the customers are given additional water when asked but even that too as half glass.
But things in Tamil Nadu are not so worse at the moment when compared with other states. Tamil Nadu stands 7th in India when it comes to managing water. We are doing good but we need to do even a lot.Our parents and forefathers gave us fresh air, cultivable land and clean water. What are we going to give to our children and children’s children?