Can't you conserve a bucket of water?

June 27, 2010 02:24 am | Updated 02:24 am IST

Water is being used as if it is a never-ending source. Obviously, we cannot decide how much rain we will get, nor can we predict to a good degree of accuracy when would rain occur. Thus, the only thing we can do to save ourselves from the dangerous situation of “lack of water to drink while we are thirsty” is to conserve water.

Let us ask ourselves how much water is wasted when we brush our teeth due to the non-stop flow from the tap? Water is also excessively used, rather wasted, while washing the clothes and cleaning the dishes. Flushing the toilet sometimes excessively when just two mugs of water is sufficient — which is of course the sign of laziness — is another cause of excess water loss. If just one person wastes so much water, we can well imagine the amount of water wasted by a family, a town, a city, nay, an entire nation.

Most of us know about these things. Knowing is one thing but realising it and taking steps to remedy the situation is crucial. We can impart the need for water conservation in our children in our school; the alarming decline in water resources and the ever-increasing need for the precious life giving liquid should be taught to the younger generation today so that they will become responsible citizens tomorrow.

That apart, what can we do? If we are really serious about the situation, we should act now. We can all conserve at least a bucket of water everyday if we are prudent in using the scarce resource. Please remember, a bucket of water saved by every individual everyday in our country of billion-plus means enormous.

We may become richer if we have a lot of gold reserves, but we will die if we don't have water. In olden times, people used to say that a person is spending money like water when he is spending too much. If we continue in that fashion, the situation may get reversed. We need to create a situation where a person will spend water like money. A country with more water reserves will be richer than one which has more money. And in the country like India where agriculture is the primary occupation for many people, water conservation is a must.

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