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HomeOpinionDiaryTaking care of water woes during summer

Taking care of water woes during summer

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Water Crisis In India
Image Courtesy: SANDRP

Even though we have sufficient monsoon rains and there is sufficient stock in all the water resources, we feel the shortage only because of regular leakage from the water pipe and other wastage by misusing water by the public. Thus, a huge quantity of fresh water is flowing into the sea from the leaking pipes causing shortage during the summer season. April was very hot and the month of May continued to be very hot. Leakage from the water mains is the major reason for the shortage. It is time to curb criminal wastage of water from the water outlets in the satellite city. Penalize the people responsible for pipe leakages and have regular check-ups to prevent water pipe leakage on an ongoing basis and proper maintenance work is to be undertaken periodically.  A disaster management cell must work 24 hours to solve leaking problems regularly.

The water problem is a cause of concern for the people in general and Civic officials in particular. The major reason for the shortage is the failure of the monsoon last 10 years. To add salt to the wound a lot of water is being wasted in the different nodes due to leakage from supply pipes. The increase in a number of sky-scrappers in the vicinity is also a cause for concern. In flats, the residents keep Syntax type tanks to store water for their individual usage and people who have not resorted to such an arrangement are made to suffer. Civic Authorities are just struggling to solve the problems from the grassroots level.  They try their best to plug the holes and prevent water seepage from major pipelines supplying water to the city.

Government machinery has failed to give the people the basic necessity that is water. Multi-storied buildings suffer the most. By issuing permits recklessly, we see flats coming up in every nook and corner. Where is the water for these fresh projects coming up? Optimum usage, avoiding wastage and exploring new ways to stem the rot are needed to bring water shortage problem under control. Water Meter must be installed individually to have control over water consumption, so as to have a check of water wastage from each flat. Flat owners are just reckless in keeping the tap open when they go out. Thus, the water tank gets emptied early creating problems. Erring members in the flat are to be punished and a severe penalty is to be imposed on them. After all, water is precious.

According to International norms, an individual needs 135 liters of water every day, but people use water carelessly. Steps should be taken to make people aware about proper water usage. Big wall posters are to be pasted at the entrance of each building and block to remind people about the severe water shortage. Even a picture of the TAP with water tricking away showing an X at the drop of water from the pipe to keep people aware of the impending shortage.  As worries on water continue, citizens need to look at different ways to conserve water in residential spaces. Simple steps such as bucket baths instead of showers could make a lot of difference. Using water for cleaning cars and water gardens should be dispensed with, immediate effect. Instead of going for wasteful expenses, societies should plan for Borewell and rainwater harvesting as an alternative source of supply. It should be imposed on Building owners to go in for rainwater harvesting as a pre-requisite for allotting plot or for building multi-storied flats. The corporation should plug the water wastage from the pipes and see that the water problem is solved sooner or later. Save Water for the summer season is the campaign going on the city now.

There are so many available sites in building and other parts of the city to plan for rain water storage tanks. Unless we take proper steps to implement the project in right spirits nothing could be achieved. The wastage of rainwater is to be stored and preserved for future use. Not all the rain that falls can actually be collected. Efficiency is usually presumed to be more than 80 per cent depending on system design and capacity. Therefore, a 1,200 square foot roof will collect 1,100 gallons of water on a day with two inches of rainfall. Using this formula and region’s average rainfall numbers combined with an estimated water need, you should be able to calculate the approximate size of your tank or the so-called Barrel System. This takes care of the requirement of a few. Harvesting rainwater in bulk quantities, which can cater to the needs of the larger community, though out the year requires large space in the location. Big Housing complexes can go for such a scheme to cater to the needs of a huge population residing in prestigious complexes.


(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

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