The United Nation warns that by 2040 nearly 600 million children might have to live in areas with little or no water resources.
- Over 2.1 billion people don’t have safe water at home.
- More than 700 children under five years of age die every day from diarrhoea due to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
- Globally, population of rural areas make up 80% of the people who don’t have access to safe water.
- In eight out of 10 households, women and girls are responsible for water collection.
- Nearly two-thirds of the world’s population experiences severe water scarcity at least for 31 days per year.
- 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.
This year, Water Water Day (March 22) was observed in the city by some organisations that are working towards water conservation. This year’s theme is ‘Leaving No One Behind.’
Ken Foundation Society
One bowl of water, is all it takes to save hundreds of lives, says P Santosh, president of city-based organisation Ken Foundation Society. The foundation runs initiatives for protecting the environment and spearheads an initiative called water bowl which encourages people to keep bowls of clean drinking water for animals and birds.
Ken Foundation Society’s office in Seethammadhara is buzzing with people who have come to collect free bowls . “Rapid and widespread urbanisation of the city has left few water bodies in the city. Animals and birds depend on these water bodies to quench their thirst. In summers, there are several creatures that die due to dehydration,” says Santosh.
The initiative was started seven years ago. They began by giving away 10 water bowls and today they distribute 150 water bowls a year.
A sparrow quenching its thirst
“ We had to struggle in the initial days as people were not aware of the initiative. For the first two years, we visited several colleges and educated the student fraternity about the need to conserve water and protect animals and birds, ” says Santosh. Social media has helped spread the good word and now almost every household in the city is aware of the initiative, he adds.
Over 15 volunteers colour the bowls a bright green so that they can be easily spotted from a distance. The organisation will start distributing the bowls from the first week of April this year.
For more details contact
98856 74949
Paryavarana Margadarsi Vaisakhi
“The kitchen is a good start to be water-wise,” says Aditya Madhav, a volunteer at Paryavarana Margadarsi Vaisakhi (PMV) which works for the environment. PMV has long been vocal about reducing, reuseing and recycling water, especially in kitchens. “Water used for cleaning rice can be reused for various other chores. It can be used to water plants or wipe floors,” he says.
Through frequent workshops and seminars, the organisation has made inroads in schools and colleges with this message as Aditya believes, “It is easier to mend minds at a younger age. Children learn new habits much faster than adults.”
Use soap nuts, urge PMV volunteers. Not only does this prevent the harmful chemicals in detergents from contaminating our vessels and clothes but soap nuts are also natural cleansers that are gentle on the skin and clothes and most importantly the environment. These nuts can be used as an alternative to laundry detergent, liquid soap, shampoos, hand wash and dish wash.
PMV also advocates the use of clay idols during Ganesh Chaturthi to eliminate the usage of Plaster of Paris that contaminates the water bodies. It now champions the seed Ganesha. The clay for making the idols are mixed with organic fertilisers and seeds of 21 different plants. The idol can simply be buried in a pot rather than being drowned in water. and of course PMV is passionate about the use of eco-friendly cloth and jute bags instead of the harmful plastic ones.
“PMV’s motto is a sustainable lifestyle. The organisation functions in seven areas that include solid waste management, plantation and protection of trees, awareness against pollution along withwater conservation,” Aditya adds.
For more details contact
99488 33010
India Youth For Society
“People like to save money at every step. If only they had the same concern for saving water, more people would have access to safe drinking water,” rues Appala Reddy, a member of India Youth For Society (IYFS), a city-based environmental organisation.
After organising awareness walks for World Water Day last year, this time IYFS tried a more hands-on approach. They partnered with the Residential Welfare Association of MVP Colony Sector 11 and conducted an open-for-all workshop to encourage people not to overlook minor water leakages and make harvest pits at home.
IYFS asked residents if they had leaky taps at home. “Most of the residents have at least one leaky tap because it is hard to find plumbers to carry out small tasks,” says 40-year old Appala.
- The water used for rinsing vegetables/rice can be reused to water plants
- Have a bucket bath; showering uses up a lot more water
- Check taps regularly. Even one leaky tap repaired means gallons of water saved
- Try to use natural shampoos/cleansers. This way the runaway water will not harm the groundwater and the soil
- Swab your floors every alternate day instead of every day
The workshop also cautioned people about depleting ground water. Bonam Prasad, a city-based civil urged them to build water-harvesting pits.
As per the State government, all homes that are 300 square metres or more should harvest rainwater. The deadline was set for June 2001, however it hasn’t been implemented. “If every resident invested ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 for rainwater harvesting we could change the fate of our future generations,” says Bonam.
For setting up harvest pit 9347207607 and plumbing solutions 9494370989
