A DRY RUN

When most 10-year-olds are attending school, Siddharth Dhage, along with his two friends, travels 14 km by train daily to fetch two cans of water. He boards the train plying between Aurangabad and Hyderabad to fetch water from the taps of the railway station in Aurangabad, which is a good 14 km away from his village. 

From waiting under a tree for the train, to hopping on to it within minutes of its arrival with the heavy cans, Siddharth carries out  this dangerous task everyday. The train stops for less than two minutes at the station and boarding and getting off in haste can be risky.   But he has no choice. 

The heart-wrenching video of this second grader from Mukundwadi village —  one of the drought-affected villages in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, has been doing the rounds on the internet, drawing our attention to the acute water shortage in our country. 

Even as several Indian cities, including slum neighbourhoods and upmarket residential apartments, grapple with the water situation, tankers are a common sight because taps are running dry. We can feel the effects of climate change, and the problems will only worsen. As Barack Obama, former President of the USA, rightly pointed out, “Climate change is no longer some far-off problem; it is happening here, it is happening now.”   

In our country, Chennai is parched for water, and Mumbai’s deluge not only brought the metro to a standstill but also killed people. Environmentalists and water conservationists have been warning that action needs to be taken right away, but how many of us are paying attention? 

Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, India’s Council on Energy, Environment and Water, says, “India is going to be perhaps the most hit by a changing climate because of its geography (near the equator and tropics), its poverty, high population and relative lack of energy resources.” 

CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL
Ranganath NK, co-chair of the CII National Committee on Water, says that India is experiencing its worst-ever water crisis, with over 50 per cent of the population facing the threat of no access to water. 

“Twenty-one cities are likely to run out of groundwater by 2020. A drought advisory has been issued by the Centre to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, asking them to use water judiciously as the water level in reservoirs is 20 per cent less than the average of live water storage figures of the past 10 years. The newly-formed Ministry of Jal Shakti, along with its soon-to-be launched special programme (Nal Se Jal), will focus on using surface and groundwater, depending on the region, and pushing for conservation and sustainability to balance supply,” he says.   

Pi-Lo Sudh Pani Seva Foundation, a non-profit organisation, has been serving RO water through their free RO Smart Water ATMs, under their Pi-Lo Shudh initiative. Jatin Ahlawat, director, Pi-Lo Shudh Pani Seva Foundation, says that the current water crisis, primarily in Chennai, is a major cause for concern. 

“In India, water consumption is distributed as — agriculture: 70 per cent, industry: 22 per cent and domestic use: 8 per cent. However, a major portion of industrial and domestic use can be effectively met through secondary water (treated water) but currently, India uses primary (potable) water in industries and domestic activities like gardening and toilet cleaning which wastes a major portion of our water resources. To conserve precious water resources, we can work on a national level to develop secondary water lines for every household which can take care of needs other than drinking or cooking where primary (potable) water is a must,” says Ahlawat.  

India’s water crisis has caught the attention of Hollywood celebrities too. Recently, Leonardo Dicaprio shared a post on his Instagram account drawing attention to the Chennai water shortage. Four-and-a-half years ago, Bollywood celebrity Aamir Khan launched his Paani Foundation — a people’s movement to fight drought.  He is also the Jal Shakti Abhiyan ambassador. 

Devir Singh Bhandari, a filmmaker, social activist and Chairman, DSB Group, asserts that while the concept of water crisis is not relatively new, the practice of water conservation has seen only recent adaptation. “The capricious groundwater has resulted in so much exploitation and overuse that we now have a very visible and consistent crisis. As unnoticed as it goes, a leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 11,000 litres per year, that’s the amount of water needed to take more than 180 showers! A basic understanding, that minimal measures can make a conspicuous difference is needed,” he says. 

Small adaptations like using recycled water for purposes other than consumption, and installing low-flow toilets or faucets and aerators will make a difference big enough to escape the calamity of water crisis. “If we also reduce the usage of sprinklers, and water the gardens only when needed, it will make a difference  As a filmmaker, I have focused on creating awareness about measures that can be taken to conserve our environment,” says Bhandari. 

TOGETHER, WE CAN
This year, Modi Government was elected to power for the second term. A lot of changes to policies regarding economic growth have been proposed, but not much emphasis is given to solve the water shortage. 

Ahlawat, however, feels that the government has woken up from its deep slumber, which is why National Water Mission was launched to conserve water resources. However, such changes require public participation at the national level. “One of the effective ways to deal with this situation would be to replicate the model of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan where the government can work on the infrastructure like supplying treated water for secondary water uses and involving individual participation in water conservation. Moreover, water conservation programmes should be incorporated in the education curriculum of schools and colleges which prepare the younger generation for effective water conservation methods,” he suggests. 

Ahlawat’s Pi-Lo Shudh Pani Seva Foundation is trying to do its bit by serving free RO water at various public places across India such as ASI monuments, metro stations and temples in Delhi, and hospitals in UP. The water is dispensed through their custom-engineered free RO water ATM machines whose technology has been approved by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation. “The machine treats 90 per cent of water, unlike home RO machines which waste 50 per cent of water. A single water ATM project treats 500 litres of water on an hourly basis. As of now, 141 water ATMs have been installed across India in Delhi-NCR, Ayodhya, Agra, Vrindavan, Barsana, Fatehpur Sikri, Prayagraj, and other places,” informs Ahlawat. 

No matter how many policy changes the government makes, citizens have to take the lead in saving and conserving water at individual and household levels. Ahlawat says, “One shouldn’t use drinking water for secondary uses like flushing toilets or cleaning floors. Individuals can also start with simple habits like turning the water tap off while brushing or washing hands which can save 12 litres of water per day. Additionally,  fixing a leaky faucet; switching to bucket-bathing instead of bathtub/ showers and using the washing machine/ dishwasher until we have a full-load can help conserve 10,000 litres of water per year.” 

He further mentions that efficient and environmentally-conscious watering of gardens at our home can save a lot of water too. “The installation of a drip system for watering the plants instead of using a hose or a sprinkler can help save water, time and money,” he suggests.  

DROP BY DROP
Deepak Menon, who works at Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), has been working on water and sanitation issues in India for a decade now. He says that water conservation policies are usually well prepared, however, execution and implementation have always been a challenge. “One of the main reasons for this is because the systems of governance are broken. For example, there are several ministries that are responsible for different aspects of water management with very little coordination among them. This slows down and many a time, kills the effectiveness of policies and plans that could have made a huge difference,” he points out. 

Menon, who has worked in the hinterland where water shortage is at its worst, says that traditional ways of conserving water have given way to citizens expecting government departments to manage and supply water. “The knowledge and practices of managing and conserving water, forests, soil, etc coupled with scientific research and accurate data would go a long way in resolving the water problem faced by rural India. Still, there is a lot that needs to be done before we can see a considerable improvement,” he adds. 

Bhandari feels that individually we should save every drop. “While brushing, don’t keep the tap running. While taking a bath, use tap water and not a shower. Use a bucket to water the plants. We all need to work to stop global warming. Polar ice caps are melting, rivers are drying — the youth needs to take charge of such issues and honestly, it’s all in our hands. To save water, we need to work towards afforestation, and plant more trees. We should not put toxic waste into the rivers, protect ecological and biological history, protect river ecosystem because a change in climate leads to a delay in monsoon, thus leading to drying up of rivers that need to be saved,” he points out.  

LEONARDO DICAPRIO’S INSTAGRAM POST
“Only rain can save Chennai from this situation. A well completely empty, and a city without water. The southern Indian city of Chennai is in crisis, after the four main water reservoirs ran completely dry. The acute water shortage has forced the city to scramble for urgent solutions and residents have to stand in line for hours to get water from government tanks. As the water levels depleted, hotels and restaurants started to shut down temporarily, and the air con was turned off in the city’s metro. Officials in the city continue to try and find alternative sources of water — but the community continues to pray for rain.” 

ACT NOW
If you want to do your own bit for the environment, now is the time. “Monsoon is a great opportunity for fighting the water shortage we are facing. People can actively undertake rainwater harvesting by storing rainwater in existing tanks or recharge groundwater. Rainwater harvesting structures should be built before the monsoons, so that maximum rainfall can be harvested.  Every individual and family can and should play a major role in changing the current water situation. Conduct a water audit in your house/ community, measure water consumption regularly, harvest rainwater, reuse wastewater or grey water — water which is not fit for drinking but can be easily put to other uses, recharge bore wells, fix leaky pipes and taps, install tap aerators, move to dual-flush toilets etc. It may sound like a big task but it really is not. Once you start being attentive towards the water usage at your home or community you will realise how easily we can get on with our daily lives with much less water,” concludes Menon.