The recent water shortage has everyone up in arms. The very mention of a water cut sends jitters down the spine of most people. I am no different. I love water. I have been swimming, playing holi, watering my garden etc etc. All the activities I enjoy have one major component. Water. What are we without water. approx 70% of the human body is made up of water. SO when there's going to be a shortage, everyone should be worried.
Water is found in abundance in most places where civilizations flourish. Or let me put it the other way round. Civilizations and life flourishes where there is abundance of water.
So most cities have a river or two running through the heart of the city. Now earlier the river was the main life line of the settlement. All the activities would center around the river. The river was the local deity. The "Karta Dharta" of the village. Since there were no dams or storage reservoirs, how good or bad the summer was going to be could be predicted by looking at the water and the health of the river.
Fast forward to today. The rivers have been reduced to a stinking mass of sewage. It is no longer a sight to behold. The chances are that if one is crossing a bridge, most probably the noses would be wrinkled in disdain at the stench emanating out of the waters. The water is now stored in huge reservoirs outside the city where the rivers originate and thankfully they have been maintained clean and pure. Thanks in part to the various crocodiles that supposedly dwell in their waters.
But the problem of water shortage seems to occur over and over. This year the city received 1.5 times more rainfall than the previous year. And still we have a water problem even before the start of the summer. What may be the cause of this? Well, the same thing that seems to be causing the numerous recessions and debt crisis. Mismanagement of resources. Consuming more that we have. What needs to be remembered here is that money can be spent in credit. But the water reservoirs are more like debit cards. What you see is the amount you have. You cant borrow water from nature when the reservoirs dry up. You will have to wait for the monsoons to fill it up kind of like you have to wait for your paycheck. And one more key difference is, there may or may not be an increment in the rainfall this year similar to your paycheck. So spend wisely and enjoy the fruits for a longer time. A penny saved is a penny earned and a drop saved is a drop earned.
Water is found in abundance in most places where civilizations flourish. Or let me put it the other way round. Civilizations and life flourishes where there is abundance of water.
So most cities have a river or two running through the heart of the city. Now earlier the river was the main life line of the settlement. All the activities would center around the river. The river was the local deity. The "Karta Dharta" of the village. Since there were no dams or storage reservoirs, how good or bad the summer was going to be could be predicted by looking at the water and the health of the river.
Fast forward to today. The rivers have been reduced to a stinking mass of sewage. It is no longer a sight to behold. The chances are that if one is crossing a bridge, most probably the noses would be wrinkled in disdain at the stench emanating out of the waters. The water is now stored in huge reservoirs outside the city where the rivers originate and thankfully they have been maintained clean and pure. Thanks in part to the various crocodiles that supposedly dwell in their waters.
But the problem of water shortage seems to occur over and over. This year the city received 1.5 times more rainfall than the previous year. And still we have a water problem even before the start of the summer. What may be the cause of this? Well, the same thing that seems to be causing the numerous recessions and debt crisis. Mismanagement of resources. Consuming more that we have. What needs to be remembered here is that money can be spent in credit. But the water reservoirs are more like debit cards. What you see is the amount you have. You cant borrow water from nature when the reservoirs dry up. You will have to wait for the monsoons to fill it up kind of like you have to wait for your paycheck. And one more key difference is, there may or may not be an increment in the rainfall this year similar to your paycheck. So spend wisely and enjoy the fruits for a longer time. A penny saved is a penny earned and a drop saved is a drop earned.
Hey! You write well :) But I've noticed that there are no comments on any of the posts of your blog. Why don't you publish about your blog posts on Facebook as well? Post a link of the blog and say "Updated my Blog". May be people will give it a read :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, water is precious. It' nice to see a gentle reminder once in a while :)
Hey! Thanks Shreyas! I will take your suggestion and try it out!
DeleteKeep reading! It feels great to get feedback. :)
Hi Deepti
ReplyDeleteLovely analogy - water reservoirs are like debit cards.
I agree - it is all a question of mismanagement for resources.
And like I always say: DEBIT CARDS ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN CREDIT CARDS - whether it is water or money!
Good to see you blogging after a long hiatus.
Keep writing such insightful blogs
Regards
Vikram
Thank you! Will try to find time to write more often!
DeleteDeepti, I like the seamless flow (unlike ours rivers) of your thoughts and analogies.
ReplyDeleteOur politicians are businessmen first and then leaders of the society. As rightly pointed in your article, we all know that fresh water is going to be scarce and hence pricey very soon. Therefore, several politicians and their allies are investing in fresh water related businesses (or frauds !!). An example that springs to my mind is Manikchand's bottled water. Similarly Coca Cola's bottled water is a huge multinational business. Similarly, the Bush family have purchased land in Paraguay that sits on top of the world's largest underground fresh water stock; of course the business genius is to export bottled water to North America.
It's disheartening that we the people have not yet been able to gather enough voice to stir up the political landscape to find and implement permanent solution/s. Your blog is certainly an increment. Thank you !
As of now I am in Istanbul (previously called Constantinople) which is the most populous metropolis in Europe. Not surprising that it is on the banks of a huge water body and ample fresh water supply. The politicians here ( and like in other European countries) have developed a model so that various businesses shall have vested interests in keeping the water body clean and flowing. For example, the transport by ferries is a big business in Istanbul and thus logistics companies ensure that the water body isn't clogged and keeps flowing. Similarly, numerous posh restaurants and cafes that are established on the banks attract customers by offering exotic scenic views. The restaurants thus keep a check on other businesses and the society in general so that the latter do not pollute the bank. Open air free gyms (with simple cycles, basic treadmills, etc) have been developed so that people frequent the banks and can alert the media (not the authorities) if anything that hampers the water body is observed.
I believe businesses with innovative and ethical business models would come up with a solution to this problem ! Keep writing !
- Saya
Debit / Credit comparison very nice,
ReplyDeleteDebit / Credit comparison very good,
ReplyDelete