So, Coleridge's ""Ancient Mariner" rightly said "Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink"! We live in the "blue planet", the unique one, with its most congenial atmosphere and the abundant water resources. But, in reality, we are left with only 0.01% fresh water resources, which is usable for us, the "obnoxious" human beings; the remaining portions are available as either the saline oceanic waters or trapped in those polar ice caps and glaciers.
This makes, water a very scarce resource for the ever increasing human population across the world; more so because, there is disparity in water availability. These disparities are either geographical, climatic or anthropogenic. The last one is quite sad because, while on one side, we see people dying because of lack of safe drinking water, on the other hand, there are people who are blessed enough to waste water for anything or everything.
A statistics available from WHO says, about 663 million people of this blue planet lack access to safe drinking water. Also, around 1000 children die every day in the world due to inadequate availability of water, before they reach an age of 5 years. In India, the number is 1.2 lakh children, who due to diarrhea, which is a water borne disease.
The contradiction lies in the fact that, India is also an water rich nation, with all its 7 major rivers and the complex network of their tributaries, wetlands, lakes, glaciers, ponds and so on. But, the major problem is related to lack of water management and unequal distribution of this precious resource. excessive and indiscriminate exploitation of the available water resources have resulted in gradual depletion of the same, apart from severe contamination. These disparities are quite disturbing, because that not only violates the basic principle of equal access to natural resources, but also put a question mark on humanity. While some die out of thirst, there are people, who can afford entertainment that causes severe wastage of water!
We use the rivers for anything and everything. We worship them as our god or goddess. We call them holy, we assign so many significance to each and every river. But, sadly, we also through garbage, industrial effluents, agricultural chemical, all idols packed with harmful chemicals to these rivers. We don't think twice before littering the river sides with plastics, degradable or non-degradable items. We celebrate the holiness of the river systems; but while doing so, we use those intricate and delicate rivers as our washrooms!
So, at this time, may be, all celebrations of World Water Day have been over. Tomorrow onward, most of us will forget the basic premise of this day i.e. to save and conserve every drop of water available. Because, we have the privilege, the privilege of access to safe water, that too in abundance. So, it will not bother us much to keep all the water taps open, even if they are not in use. We will not think twice to threw our waste materials in to open area, we will never think while releasing the earthen lamp in to the water as a mark of our gratitude to the river. Because, we will never see those lives, which are counting their days in thirst and dirt due to those wasted drops, drops that are being polluted and unused by us.
This makes, water a very scarce resource for the ever increasing human population across the world; more so because, there is disparity in water availability. These disparities are either geographical, climatic or anthropogenic. The last one is quite sad because, while on one side, we see people dying because of lack of safe drinking water, on the other hand, there are people who are blessed enough to waste water for anything or everything.
A statistics available from WHO says, about 663 million people of this blue planet lack access to safe drinking water. Also, around 1000 children die every day in the world due to inadequate availability of water, before they reach an age of 5 years. In India, the number is 1.2 lakh children, who due to diarrhea, which is a water borne disease.
The contradiction lies in the fact that, India is also an water rich nation, with all its 7 major rivers and the complex network of their tributaries, wetlands, lakes, glaciers, ponds and so on. But, the major problem is related to lack of water management and unequal distribution of this precious resource. excessive and indiscriminate exploitation of the available water resources have resulted in gradual depletion of the same, apart from severe contamination. These disparities are quite disturbing, because that not only violates the basic principle of equal access to natural resources, but also put a question mark on humanity. While some die out of thirst, there are people, who can afford entertainment that causes severe wastage of water!
We use the rivers for anything and everything. We worship them as our god or goddess. We call them holy, we assign so many significance to each and every river. But, sadly, we also through garbage, industrial effluents, agricultural chemical, all idols packed with harmful chemicals to these rivers. We don't think twice before littering the river sides with plastics, degradable or non-degradable items. We celebrate the holiness of the river systems; but while doing so, we use those intricate and delicate rivers as our washrooms!
So, at this time, may be, all celebrations of World Water Day have been over. Tomorrow onward, most of us will forget the basic premise of this day i.e. to save and conserve every drop of water available. Because, we have the privilege, the privilege of access to safe water, that too in abundance. So, it will not bother us much to keep all the water taps open, even if they are not in use. We will not think twice to threw our waste materials in to open area, we will never think while releasing the earthen lamp in to the water as a mark of our gratitude to the river. Because, we will never see those lives, which are counting their days in thirst and dirt due to those wasted drops, drops that are being polluted and unused by us.
