748 Million ~ Jal Shakti Abhiyan
The title of the blog is not the number of wells in the world. Neither is it the count of springs which emerge from the bosom of earth. Sadly, it is an indication of the lack of these fountain heads of Life. That is the magnitude of our water woes! It is the number of people around the world who do not have access to drinking water.
Whenever you get an opportunity, talk to a person who takes care of the administration of an organization which has more than a few 100 people. Concern about providing water will top his/her priority. This is true for an academic institution, a business organization and even for a health care centre. The mayor of a city and a head of state will be equally worried about our fast disappearing water bodies.
Imagine coming home from a long tiring day and not having a handful of water to bring your face back from the dead. On a hot summer afternoon, how will you feel when you open the tap and all you get is an erratic symphony of the left behind wind? Can you fathom how much of a frustration it will be when we will need to ration and account for the last drop of water we use on a daily basis? What should make all of us scared is that all these things can happen in more near a future than when we expect it to happen.
If you look at this issue from a broader perspective, it has the potential to disrupt whatever little peace is left in the world. I am sure all of us are at a loss of words when states fight among themselves for want of water – which side to take, who is right and more importantly, what the solution is. Now imagine these conflicts on a world scale. Nations being at war and unleashing destruction over each other, all for a mouthful of water for its people.
I have always wondered since when did we start being so insensitive towards our own kind. We come across a number like this, feel sad till the next ping on our phone and we move on. I think Darwin is partially to blame for this. His ‘Survival of the fittest’ is the best branding ‘Selfishness’ could have ever asked for. A person, exhausted and worn out sitting underneath a tap waiting for a drop of water should prick our conscience. A picture of a child sitting under blazing sun with not even a blade of grass in the vicinity for whom tears are the only drops of water available should grow a lump in our throat.
We shouldn’t stop at just that. Each time we let a tap run, a tank over flow, a bottle spill those pictures should come haunting back to our minds. We all should in our small ways try and fill up earth’s eyes. A rain water harvesting plan for each household can be a good beginning. Of the umpteen things being banned around us, a house construction plan without a water harvesting provision can be a welcome one.
Signs of severe water shortage is all around us. Many cities in India are realing under water scarcity. Globally, it is Capetown that went down first. In our own country, the latest being Chennai. Next will be Bangalore and then the others. We must take the Jal Shakti Abhiyan seriously and give it all that we have got.
Signs of severe water shortage is all around us. Many cities in India are realing under water scarcity. Globally, it is Capetown that went down first. In our own country, the latest being Chennai. Next will be Bangalore and then the others. We must take the Jal Shakti Abhiyan seriously and give it all that we have got.
Keywords : 748 Million,water scarcity, water, water woes. water issues , charity water, Jal Shakti Abhiyan
Arun Babu
If we do not use water , a precious resource, judiciously, wars will be fought between nations.
ReplyDeleteIf we do not use water , a precious resource, judiciously, wars will be fought between nations.
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