World Water Day was observed on March 22 to raise awareness and to make sure water is preserved and made available for future generation. Water and sanitation is the future challenge. It is estimated that 10 per cent of the world population do not have access to safe drinking water.
It is alarming to note that about 2 million tonnes of human waste is dumped into flowing water each day. This makes water unfit for consumption and leads to water shortage in various parts of the world. Industrial waste and dumping of huge quantities of plastic waste into water bodies is another threat.
We should teach our children the importance of water conservation. As water plays an important role to sustain life, we should take necessary steps to preserve water. Rain water should be conserved so that it can used in times of water shortage.
The climate change also has led to depletion of the water table. This has caused severe drought in some parts of the state, which is something no one ever expected would occur. It is high time we should protect the water table, so that we can protect the Earth.
I come from Kerala, blessed with lakes and rivers and near my village there were lakes and ponds during my childhood but now most of them have vanished and very few left over dumped with garbage and Industrial waste and making the water unfit for consumption. It is the responsibility of every individual to preserve water irrespective of which country we live in.
We should not reach a stage where we would have to queue up at water stations, like we do to refuel our car, to obtain water for our basic needs. Let’s pledge to protect and save our water bodies for future generations.
- The reader is based in Dubai
