Water woes

I stay in an area that is not a BDA layout. Result : No Cauvery water. For someone used to Cauvery water in Mysore, it came as a surprise initially. Am actually thankful to the apartment owner who gets the sump filled from a tanker so that we have uninterrupted water supply. But the water has a weird taste. And we end up buying big cans of packaged water for drinking and cooking.

But what about the scores of people who cannot afford packaged water for consumption? Let alone potable water, there are people waking up at ungodly hours to simply fill up water for their daily requirements. This is because they get water supply for a measly one hour a day. Furthermore, there are areas that do not get any water at all. Bangalore apparently needs 2000 million liters of water per day( MLD) but is supplied with only 900 MLD. Of which 40% is stolen or lost or goes waste! End result: there are taps running dry everywhere, there are people who do not get enough water or end up with water that is unsafe!


When I travel towards Bangalore it is painful to see mounds of plastic in the outskirts of the town and little kids playing in the filth, and animals feeding on it. This kind of plastic ultimately clogs our rivers and drains. Just imagine, the water polluted from this kind of waste is what ends up in our taps!
The least we can all do is reduce the usage of plastic, carry our own bags everywhere while shopping. And more importantly, realize the value of water that we get. BWSSB gives a set of directives for water conservation. They are simple steps which if followed can help in saving a lot of water. Rainwater Harvesting has been made mandatory for all the houses with area more than 2400 square feet. And in case you see water wastage while travelling in the city, make that call and lodge a complaint. They apparently have a 24 hour hotline at 22238888 which can be contacted or simpler still, an email can be sent to chairman@bwssb.org.
We pride ourselves in being the current generation and have big dreams that we chase. But besides all that, we also have some social responsibilities. Water is among the most basic of our requirements- it is the elixir of life. Being a part of the lot that has access to phones and the internet and are constantly traveling around the city, we can do our bit in reporting leakage or wastage of water. We ourselves can make a conscious effort in closing a leaking tap or reducing the usage of water or recycling it. The water that you save might just help quench someone else's thirst!