Shiban Khaibri
In a Hindi movie of yester years, among other plots and scenes woven therein, one of the significant scenes depicted the horrors of water scarcity as also stressing its unique importance in sustenance of life. The starring couple intrinsically loving each other, while travelling felt severe thirst, to quench which, they had only a few sips of water with them which either of them could drink sufficient to survive but both insisted to each other for taking it entire and in the burst of extreme love inter-se, neither drank it reciting, “Tu Pee”, “Tu Pee” and in the process, both died with their hands clasped and did not reach their destination. Classical movies had a unique characteristics in that, they left behind a moral, a lesson and an attempt to highlight very important aspects of nature and its impact on humanity in contrast to the trend in latest and so called modern movies, most of which are found wanting in depicting lessons which could be imbibed with overall individual and collective benefits, with exceptions of the like of “Lagaan” which hovered around draught, no rains and resultant farmers’ penury leading to nonpayment of revenue to the then government.
Another incident , a recent one, however, worth condemnation , again over water is that of an entirely different bizarre nature where for just two sips of water an ageing father drank from the bottle of a fellow railways passenger in Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh, his son Summit was tied to the window of a moving train running at a high speed and kept hanging in his underpants for four hours during which he was “flogged” with leather belts by three men as a “punishment “ for the “loss” of two sips of water his father dared to drink without the “owners’ “ permission. A young woman collapsed in Latur, Maharashtra standing in the queue for hours and still not getting any water to drink and seeing it, her mother too collapsed. Have we, so far, even heard that water was rationed and distributed under strict Police watch and after imposition of section 144 of the IPC in the areas where water was “distributed” ( read supplied). Have we ever heard that water hand pumps remain under lock and key in many villages in 16 Districts hit by draughts in Maharashtra? Have we underlined the deep importance of classical Indian saying, “Jal hai to jeevan hai” or life is subservient to water? Have we sensed the lurking catastrophe and horrifying trail of miseries on account of imminent grave water crisis that is virtually knocking at our doors? Have we visualized a future sans water, not to speak of quality of water? Have we underlined the importance of the Prime Minister’s message of realizing the importance of and conserving water especially in agricultural sector where in many parts of the country, back to back draughts are not only hitting agricultural outputs and farmers’ incomes but are posing grave dangers even for availability of drinking water both for human beings and the cattle?
Latur is in Maharashtra which used to be a paradise for better life just like any city of India but presently water has made hostage the people living there and people with crores of Rupees as well as the poor are “equally treated and treated harshly “ by the acute scarcity of water , where the children have forgotten their games and naughty pranks , where the young are not dipped in romance and pleasures of youthful life and where the old lament, what – if they could have the strength to climb atop water tank trucks and insert a rubber pipe like hundreds of others to siphon off some water for a bucket or two of theirs. , where “Nindia Rani” or the sweet sleep is unwelcome as women, children, young and old have to keep guard and remain alert since none knows when during the night, a water tank could visit their place never again to come for a day or two. This is a place where parents wish their children studying or jobbing outside Latur, not to return home on leave or permanently, at least, till water crisis and draught conditions improved. It is a place which otherwise is known as educational hub and hundreds of students from other states are studying there who, because of water crisis, have been told to leave Latur as their hostels find it difficult to manage water. It is a place where a small bucket of water costs Rs. 10 to Rs. 15 and an ordinary household must have minimum 10 buckets to drink and meal, leave aside bathing and washing, per day, and as such a minimum of Rs. 150 is spent by many families just on “managing” water on daily basis.
Water is always in high demand and each year it becomes more sought after and more pressure on it has arisen on account of rapid increase in population, urbanization, rapid industrialization, expanding agriculture and spurt in the standard of living. Water is more or less limited and there is a limit in “finding” more water, ground water becomes causality and its water table is decreasing at an alarming rate at an All India Average of 2 to 3 meters per year. Add to it, the rate of leakages and wastages from supply points to destinations.
Prospects of another green revolution to boost agricultural production in conventional states is not far from being ruled out, chiefly because of water scarcity and allied problems and therefore, in our North Eastern states, with good potentiality of water resources and fertile land, both conventional and organic farming, something akin to green revolution is seen with a good promise. Now even finding out alternate means of livelihood than from conventional agriculture is mooted like from poultry, cattle rearing etc but that also need water if not as much as in farming. What are we doing to conserve water? What is our vision and strategy to fight the ringing warning bells in respect of worst drinking water problems going to be faced by us by the year 2040 in our country? What about our level of realization of the woes of the suffering countrymen in areas where acute water shortage was making the living nothing less than a hell? The entire Marathwada is reeling under acute water crisis, not to speak of draught prone areas in UP, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and what if such a situation visits us too? Have we visualized the callous attitude which some of us are having towards wanton wastage of water not only in our own homes, offices, lawns, farms etc but even in and around our localities and colonies? Nearly 80 lac litres of water is “used” for car “bathing” (read washing) say only in Mumbai city every day, could we calculate it in respect of other cities too like Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangaluru etc or even our own Jammu city ?
The total quantity of water that was available throughout the globe two thousand years back continues to remain the same, only 3% of that is fresh while one third of it is inaccessible. Its consumption does not keep pace with its limited supply. Quality of water is deteriorating day by day. Human nature reacts and responds when usually it is too late in the sense when rivers, wells, reservoirs, ponds and other water bodies run dry, we feel the pinch. By 2040, one thirds of our population shall be without reasonably sufficient water. As per a study conducted by the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) 100 liters a day per capita is the minimum requirement for basic household needs while WHO sets the minimum limit at 200 liters. In making a sheet of paper 12 liters of water is used while making a bread 49.15 liters of water is needed, an apple means 84 liters of water and a pair of shoes needs 6770 liters , a slice of cheese should require 152 liters of water. Most of the basic items of our use unimaginably need lot of water even if used more frugally.
Should we then not have emotional unison with those who are reeling hard under the acute scarcity of water? Should we not respect and conserve every drop of precious water, a boon by the benevolent nature? Should we not harvest rain water and recycle used water? Should we remain a mute spectator when seeing water being misused or wasted and should we not raise our voices whenever wanton wastage is indulged in by keeping water taps open and allow our stored tanks to overflow to get wasted in drains and spilled on roads? Should one fear that – what would happen if we too, unfortunately, had to face similar position in respect of water, like people face in Latur and other water deficient areas of our country? The consciousness about water being a natural limited resource which needed to be very efficiently used and its wastage and misuse prevented can make a lot of difference. The younger generation must lead from the front in conserving water and spreading awareness to save water, yes, every drop of it.
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