We are country overflowing with an abundance of rivers and blessed with the monsoon season. Yet the picture is grim. Rivers are tilting the balance, either in floods or in a draught. The changing weather conditions, the seasonal shifts, have created havoc on our agriculture.
Common man’s need for drinking water is not met. Some states fight for rivers to flow into them with acute water shortages, some states have perennial rivers flowing. And some have dried river beds without a drop of rain.
Our majestic country that stood tall in the wealth of nature from east to west and north to south is sadly shrinking in shame The culprits are no one but us all. Land grabbing and construction is happening without care or consideration of the ecosystem.
Today where rivers were there are buildings With rampant construction without ethical practices. We may have turned the face of India in digitization and globalization but our natural resources are being drained. With rising population, it is creating a giant depletion of resources without developing adequate measures to restore and regenerate the ecosystem.
Here is the truth as we stand today. India is among the 17 countries facing “extremely high” water stress, according to the World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct Atlas. The country, ranked 13th on the list, has more than three times the population (1.4 billion) of the other 16 countries combined. And the crisis isn’t limited to the southern states anymore: Northern India also faces severe groundwater depletion. Earlier, a WWF study showed that Chennai and Kolkata were the world’s most water-vulnerable metros due to mismanagement of river systems and shrinking of wetlands.
What can we as citizens of this glorious generous land do to help? There are many ways to help conserve water and make a difference.
Here are a few easy checks
Close taps when you are brushing/ shaving. Fix leaking pipes and taps. Stop throwing garbage in nature and contaminating water resources. Check your water usage in bathrooms. Fix water-saving showers. Stop wasting water. Every drop counts!
Being human is about caring for the world. So do remember if we save water today, we are ensuring there is water left for the future. Let us all make a difference from where ever we are. Save water.
