Water scarcity is the lack of available freshwater resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region.
Our Bond to Water
Thousands Have Lived Without Love, Not One Without Water.
Our life and water are connected deeply enough. We cannot be separated out from the water. Nearly 75 of our body contains water. One can survey without food by drinking water for a week, not without water. Water is always a Boon to us. We can’t simply create water (don’t say 2 Hydrogen and 1 Oxygen needed), like other materials we are manufacturing or other living beings give birth.
Water goes in a cycle, from tiny particles of water droplets, form a tiny stream, those streams connect as a river, the river flows a long way and found a way to connect with sea/ocean. then the cycle repeats. It’s like all living being cycle.
Chennai is not alone!
It’s an alarming level across the globe. It’s affecting at least a month out of the year for most of the region. Since water stress is a relatively new term like “Day Zero“. Water is going to be one of the global risks in terms of potential impact over the next decade as mentioned by the World economic forum.
Half of the world population facing severe water scarcity around the year. From the above picture(Source Google) it’s clearly showing India is in severe stress for fresh water. As we know the fact, out of all available water (all water sources) across the globe, only 1% water is treated as fresh water or available to consume, remaining 97% is salty and 2% is frozen.
Why it’s alarming now?
At present Chennai is facing severe water scarcity after 75 years. It’s mainly due to the missed monsoon rains in 2018. Usually, from Oct-Dec, Chennai gets his needed water for a year on those months. So we don’t have any long term plan for the growing city by geographically. What we have done from the flood past cyclones. Waterbody officials are yet to coherently devise a long-term plan to address water security in Chennai. Most of the Chennai reservoirs are shrinking or vanished in the past few decades.
In the name of urbanization, the Planning team thinks only on expanding or build more buildings for commercial and government purposes. But the planning for the water supply for the expansion is never been planned. Most of the areas in Chennai after expansion settlement, water was being drawn from outside to run the city. Four reservoirs beyond Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s (CMWSSB’s) jurisdiction act as a lifeline for 1 crore human and other beings living in Chennai.
Its been clear Chennai Entire Tamilnadu squarely depends on the melodies of monsoon and moods of neighboring states which share inter-state river water to fulfill the city’s various needs.
So what will be the solution?
Governments should facilitate and enable the sustainable development of water resources, including a regulatory framework. But the government has not drawn any path for the research or development of water bodies (rejuvenating) across Chennai. But alarmingly, there are so many private or external agencies already rooted and investing to provide future water solution in Chennai. Since we have major universities and research institute, there should be through study to be done along with a proper solution to be in place in three phases. Now!, Near!, Far!
Water policies should focus on the management of water and not just the provision of water. For example, in the first phases, all the new floor plans for apartments or commercial building have strick three types of water management.
- Rainwater harvesting – Should be monitored with a meter to indicate the amount of water collected and charged to the ground.
- Water Recycle – Wastewater needs to be recycled with minimum waste. It should be audited regularly and certified on a regular period.
- Recharge wells – All the borewells have to be approved with recharge wells.
Water resources should be managed at the lowest appropriate level, building irrigation dam won’t be effective, to keep the ecosystem live rivers should never be dried. if it’s dried for over the period, its alarm for the living beings!
As an individual what you can do? read the earlier post on Save Water – Starts from you
Why are we always depend on the government to do something? Can’t this be done by ourselves?
We can do conserve/preserve once the layout is prepared. It’s the government responsibility to create the layout for the better future of the city. They are designed to do.
Agree