WATER SCARCITY IN INDIA – A WARNING BELL RINGS FOR ALL

💧IS WATER SCARCITY IN INDIA A SEVERE PROBLEM?

Water is the most important element on earth, and it is essential to human beings, but also, we have got to admit that it is a highly overused commodity.

In human minds, the availability of water seems to be a never-ending idea. Most of us use water with the notion that it is forever there and that we will never run out of it.

But that is no more the case. We are running out of it already, and water scarcity in India has to be taken seriously now.
So, yes, it is a significant problem. It needs attention both in the sense of awareness and action.

There has to be an action plan which will help the engaged bodies in taking necessary steps towards this and also create awareness among people so that they can take care of water scarcity in India.

From histories, we have seen that water has played an essential role in the settling of the human race. Indus valley civilization also settled around the river. We, as modern people, must even understand the importance and think twice before leaving the tap on while we brush our teeth.

💧WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO SAVE MORE WATER?

• Leaving the tap running while washing face or brushing teeth is a small but persistent cause of water scarcity in India. Boil a limited amount of water.
• If possible, you may choose to steam rather than boiling and use the steaming water to make tea. That looks like a fun saving trick!
• Next, you can also use a bucket to have a shower rather than using the jet shower or overhead shower. It will save the right amount of water.

💧WHY ARE WE FACING WATER SCARCITY IN INDIA?

Let us see what the reasons are for this:

• Inefficient equipment for irrigation has caused a significant problem. It leads to a waste of water more than utilization. Some of the advanced farming methods is indeed beneficial, but as a whole, there are many loopholes in water handling that needs to fixed by educating the farmers.
• Drip and sprinkle irrigation need attention and more implementation. These methods will drive our farmers towards water sufficiency. At the same time, it may not be possible for all the farmers to afford this. Government and NGOs could play an active role together to battle water scarcity in India and provide this technique.
• The release of chemicals in the river and other water bodies has damaged the quality of water, which in turn makes the water not fit for consumption and irrigational use. Thus, it is leading to water scarcity in India. Proper channeling of the waste from these factories will help in better utilization of water through water treatment, and water recycle.
• Although we talk about fighting water scarcity, we forget that plants that help in water treatment and water recycling are quite expensive to install. Even if they get established, the problem will not be solved because it can only recycle a minimal amount of water. It will not address the higher scarcity that India as a whole is facing.
• The same is the story with sewage drainage. The large amount of sewage water being discharged in water bodies has deteriorated the quality of freshwater. It has got to stop as soon as possible to push the bars of water scarcity in India.
• Water management is a large area of research and action that brings in a lot of changes in the way water is managed in different cities.
• Extreme urbanization has put a lot of pressure on groundwater. Because of this, the level of groundwater is falling low, and safe drinking water is not available to the people. Replenishing the water takes a lot of time.
• When we talk about the replenishing of the groundwater, we also have to remember that the world is facing global warming. It means that the water cycle is severely interrupted and that rain is not as abundant as it used to be.
It was all about Water Scarcity Causes. Let us move on and see how the problem can be solved.
These were some of the reasons why we are facing water scarcity in India. No problem in the world comes without a solution. Let us check out all the possible solutions:
• Washing dishes at home wastes a lot of water. Often the taps are kept running because no one wants to keep turning the tap on and off. So why not keep the tap on! This mindset has resulted in a waste of water more than we imagine.
• We think that such trivial things are not going to affect water scarcity in India, but it does, and we have got to take care of these small areas. Drop by drop will make the difference. Each of us can contribute.
• If every flat and house start to have their rainwater harvesting system, then a lot of water will be saved. It is a traditional method to collect rainwater through rainwater harvesting. This conventional method, used in urban and semi-urban areas, will go a long way in making fighting water scarcity in India.
• There are the many Water Scarcity States in India, especially Rajasthan and Gujarat. In these states, extra care in the form of funding and management can be taken. In large cities also, the restaurant may start to charge for water instead of serving it is complimentary.
These, combined with many other steps, can be taken to prevent water loss and water scarcity in India.

More great strides must be made in creating awareness. Awareness is the cheapest weapon against the water issues that India is facing, and it is most effective.