Water wastage in Dadar, citizens unhappy.

In an age where the value of every drop of water is being increasingly , where the pressure upon the Government and the common people alike to implement water conserving tactics is constantly increasing, I was witness to an incident today at Dadar (Mumbai) where perfectly good water was wasted as though it was polluted, contaminated water.

It was a really disappointing scene.

It all started when a tanker full of water was called by the residents Dadar to help them overcome their water shortage. However, due to negligence of the tanker driver and his assistant (the ever present teen aged boy who is always a faithful side kick in Indian Trucks), nearly all the water was wasted, and the needs of only two citizens were fulfilled as opposed to the thousands of people residing in the area. The tap to the main water point was left leaking, and lot of the water had already been wasted. Once the Tanker did finally arrive at its destination, a crack in the pipe transporting the water from the tanker to the people was also found to be the culprit. The scenario at one point looked like it would get violent with everyone insisting for their right to what little water was left, but thankfully, things were soon brought under control, and order was restored.

I was at this point reminded of a statement made in 1995, by the then World Bank Vice President, Ismail Serageldin – " If the wars of this century were fought over oil, the wars of the next century will be fought over water." And rightly, Serageldin has been proved correct much faster than he or anyone else would have thought. Just two years into the 21st century and the world is already facing a water crisis. According to a report released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), thirty-five countries will face serious or severe water shortages by 2020. When we have all these warning signs in front of us, why won't we, as responsible citizens, take an active role in water conservation,
when ultimately, It's for own survival.

As I conclude this article, I am left pondering over the words of the Late John. F. Kennedy,

"Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes - One for Peace and the other for science"