Raising awareness on water is a must

World Water Day was observed on March 22 to raise a sense of awareness and to make sure that water is preserved and available for future generations. Water and sanitation is our future challenge. It is estimated that 10 per cent of the world population do not have access to safe drinking water. We have seen this in developing countries.

It is alarming to note that about 2 million tons of human waste is dumped into flowing water on a daily basis. In turn, this makes the water unfit for consumption and leads to water shortage in various parts of the world.

With that in mind, we must teach our children the importance of water conservation as water plays an important role in sustaining the quality of our lives. It is time that we take necessary steps to preserve water and take our responsibility towards the environment. For example, rain water could be conserved so that it can used in times of water shortage.

The climate change is also something that has led to depletion of the water table, resulting in severe drought in some parts of the world. We need to protect the water table because by doing so, we can protect planet Earth.

I come from Kerala, a state that is blessed with lakes and rivers and near my village there used to be lakes and ponds during my childhood days. However, now most of them have vanished and the few that are left are filled with garbage and industrial waste. It is the responsibility of every individual to preserve water, irrespective of which country they live in.

— The reader is an Indian logistics manager based in Dubai