Recently there have been many reports of water shortages in various parts of India; particularly places such as Chennai. The international press is now reporting about the acute water crisis in much of India. It is a problem that is only likely to get worse; and has caught the attention of celebrities such as Leonardo Di Caprio.
The actor's Instagram post spoke about the acute water shortage in Chennai, the drying up of reservoirs and communities where accessing water is a daily struggle.
The monsoon is late, it is weak and the situation is not likely to improve. The problem isn’t just in the short term; it is set to worsen in years to come as groundwater levels fall, more and more water sources deplete and dry up.
The old fable about the thirsty but industrious crow may not have a happy ending if things continue the way they have been.
Experts predict that the situation Chennai finds itself in right now is going to get progressively worse until most of India runs out of drinking water.
Various government agencies are appealing to citizens to save water in any way possible; calling attention to wastage of this precious resource.
Watering plants with a can, using a bucket instead of a pipe and shutting the tap while brushing can help save significant amounts of water every day.
The precious drops that fall to the earth are often swept away; literally down the drain. Harnessing and harvesting rainwater by citizens, communities and companies has the potential to significantly improve the situation.
Most manufacturing processes need water, use up resources and create pollution. Reducing, reusing and recycling can help alleviate all these problems and save water.
Taps that use aeration (air to power the water) and tap adapters can help to save water significantly – while washing, cleaning, and bathing and so on.
If you go for a walk and see a tap was left on somewhere, walk over and shut it. Don’t ignore leaks; have them fixed ASAP.
Don’t wash verandahs; it is really unnecessary. Don’t wash vehicles every day. It is both unnecessary and bad for the metal work. One bucket once a week is more than enough.
Rather than a shower, have a bucket bath. Use the half flush or keep this one in mind: if it's yellow, let it mellow/ If it's brown, flush it down.
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