What would the world do without fresh water? We need it to hydrate our bodies, it’s in the food we eat and the beverages we drink. We use it to clean ourselves, our clothes, our dishes, our cars and everything else around us. You can travel on it or jump in it to cool off on hot summer days. Many of the products that you use everyday, contain it or were manufactured using it. All forms of life need it, and if they don’t get enough of it, they quite simply die. Political disputes have centred around it. In some places, it’s treasured and incredibly difficult to get. In others, it’s incredibly easy to get and then squandered and wasted. So, as our numbers grow, we have to realise that that fresh water is becoming scarce, and there soon will not be enough to go around unless we learn to save it.
With World Water Day coming up on March 22, a few Bangaloreans share their methods of saving this precious commodity in their own small way.
Sonali Menezes -Sequeira who lives on M.G. Road suggests, “Brush your teeth using a mug instead of running the tap — you won’t believe how much water this saves!” Desiree Bern Carter from Leonard Lane suggests re-using water which has been used to clean your dishes, to water the plants in your garden.
Neela, another resident, suggests we recycle water used in the kitchen sink to wash cars, gardens and other outdoor areas. She pushes the concept of rainwater harvesting and feels it would alleviate dependence on Corporation supply and borewell water.” Rainwater can be used especially for the laundry and watering the garden, if you think it’s not totally clean,” she urges. Sumithra Balu from Cox Town says we all can save water. “Not leaving the tap running is the first and foremost way to save fresh water. Plus rainwater harvesting must be made mandatory in all apartment blocks as well as independent houses.”
Steffi Xavier from Marathahalli says, “We must try to reuse and recycle water as much as possible. Do check out online, how the people of Rajasthan have made a huge difference to their lives, by adding rain water harvesting as part of their house plan.”
Vinod Cardoza from Ware Road says, “Use a mug of water instead of running tap water, whilst shaving.”
So make a positive plan to take your own daily affirmative action, to help save that glass of precious fresh water in Bangalore city. World Water Day is celebrated just to bring your focus to the issue, which is reaching crisis proportions. We need to keep that water flowing in our taps and into our homes and what better way than to be a mover and shaker or rather a saver, in your own little way?
