The cold case of our “Elixir”
Do we not know the importance of that liquid which we have consumed almost every couple of hours for all the years that we have spent on this planet? Do we not know that we would need this liquid all the same for the remainder of our lives as well? It would be naïve of me to assume that you still haven’t understood what I am talking about…and yet, it would be equally naïve of me to not write about it knowing the value that you have assigned to such a precious resource! We all know very well that we need it as we live and breathe on this planet. But even after knowing the consequences of its depletion, we still haven’t amended our ways!
Water, Water everywhere and not a drop to drink!
We have been hearing this since childhood only to ignore the slogan and handle the invaluable resource callously. In the backdrop of development, we have been setting up water intensive industries amid global scarcity. This could be fatal for generations to come! I understand that it would be unwise to ask for things to change instantly as some industries like agriculture are water intensive and we need them for survival. However, we could definitely control and eventually do away with the likes of soft drink industries that consume water almost the three times their manufacturing quantity! Furthermore, researchers and scientists could work on the development of technologies and alternatives for future use so as to decrease water consumption in essential water intensive industries as well.
Due to lack of realization and preventive measures, many regions have newly emerged as water scarce regions across the globe in the recent decades. How do we expect water to be in abundance for drinking when we have built large swimming pools and water parks just for our entertainment purposes? Wasting hundreds and thousands of liters every day for enjoyment and recreation is just unacceptable when there are people dying off the lack of it! Under the pretense of “Save Water” slogan, the privileged regions with abundant water supply have been wasting significant amounts every day! Water wasted in swimming pools and water parks could at the very least be controlled if not completely stopped, by recycling and reusing it a number of times. Though this is being done at many places, there are still lapses in most regions. Due to this carelessness, people living in the regions where water is scarce are facing problems. There are places where people fight for water each day! They travel several miles to fetch no more than a bucket of drinking water!
On top of all this, we have water pollution! Industries are knowingly releasing contaminated waste into river streams. Though governments around the world have tried to create awareness and take steps in this regard, it is still a major concern around the globe. If not acted upon at the earliest, the situation could turn out to be dreadful in the near future. Media houses should bring this concern to limelight and governments should act on priority to ensure that industries near water bodies take steps to control and eventually stop the release of pollutants in water streams. Even in the remotest places, stringent laws should be enforced against water pollution. By taking actions to control water pollution, we will not only be saving water for ourselves, but will also be saving it for the aquatic life!
Apart from acting on the macro level, we need to conserve water on a personal level as well. The steps could be as simple as ensuring that the tap is closed while we brush our teeth, less water is wasted while we take a bath, there are no dripping taps at our home, appropriate setup for rainwater harvesting is in place, wastewater is reused to water plants, and many more! We have to understand that to bring out a change, we need to act now! Even the smallest contribution at personal level could prove to be significant if we contribute every day.
Apart from impacting human lives, water directly impacts the lives of animals that live underwater, animals that drink water from rivers, and plants that need water to grow. Water is not just ours to waste! It is our Elixir and we need to use it wisely! We need to reopen the cold case of our Elixir with a fresh set of facts and evidences…and this time, we can not take this case for granted! Save Water, Save Life!
