The welcome news of the India Meteorological Department predicting better rains this year should make us prepared and improve facilities for better storage (“Water levels in 91 major reservoirs alarmingly low”, April 15). The first priority should be to put in place or improve water harvesting structures. State governments must involve their functionaries and also encourage citizens and voluntary organisations to participate in this task. Precipitation no doubt will eventually end up in waterbodies, which will enhance flows, but the emphasis on groundwater recharge is what will substantially reduce losses by evaporation.
R. Agastya,
Hyderabad
A two-year study by the National Institute of Engineering about the quality of water at various locations including borewells indicates alarming levels of chemical contamination. Phthalates, in plastics, are found to range from 44 to 213 micrograms per litre against the permissible limit. The implication is that the inflow of industrial waste and sewage into our rivers and reservoirs has to be checked. We need to pay attention to this in a time of great water scarcity.
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H.R. Bapu Satyanarayana
Mysuru