Barso Re!!

One of the biggest contrasts between my childhood and kids of this genre in India is that - I grew up rhyming - "Rain rain go away, come again some other day," while children of this genre surely do know the importance of rain and won't commit the mistake of asking it go away.

Only till last week, entire India was sweltering from the scorching heat of already prolonged summer. In my terra firma, the water supply was reduced to once every 4-5 days and so grim was the situation in some Indian towns that the government had to distribute water on ration cards. For the past few years beginning March, the sights of women carrying water pots on their heads from long distances and people waiting in queues infront of water carrying trucks and tankers becomes an inevitable routine of life. The status of a water truck in the torrid summers is no less than a celebrity as people come out mostly in their night dresses to collect water. Like previous years, when the mercury swelled yet again, like a Turkey everyone was looking up towards the sky to rain and bail them out. Ah well!! the monsoon finally arrived, however so far it is as dry as the Union Budget 2009-10.

Let's face it ---- India is on the brink of a water crisis. According to Grail Research, "Unless the Indian government make serious changes to the way it prices and manages water, increased consumption by farms, factories and growing population will push drinking water supplies to critical limits by 2050." Global warming has been cited as one of the prominent reasons of less and untimely rainfall, correct, but the matter of the fact is that water is one of the most mismanaged resources in India. Once the monsoon comes, both the common man and government forget about the pain undergone and no effective and affirmative measures are undertaken to avoid the suffering next year. The irony is that on one end of the city you would see people fighting and struggling with their once amicable neighbors to get a day of drinking water and on the other end in a posh neighborhood the same water is used to clean cars and lawns. On the top of it, the availability of free or heavily subsidized water further encourages, particularly the industries, to squander it or use it lavishly. Added to that is the country's low billing efficiency and rampant illegal tapping. Part of the problem is also the depletion of forests that has led to a bizarre climate change, resulting in flood in some and drought in other areas and we have proven time and again that how ill-equipped are we as a nation when it comes to managing both heavy and less rains.

With the increasing population, and the industry's water consumption expected to go up to 11% and 18% in 2025 and 2050 respectively, and further strain water supplies, it is time that the government and people understand the importance of water and work on mapping long term planning and measures to conserve water. The government should launch programmes on a massive scale to create awareness about water conservation and teach people different ways of conserving water. People on the other hand should pursue self dependence and look for various ways to store water in their household ---- rainwater harvesting being one of the most common and successful one. The government should look at developing new technologies and irrigation methods, improving infrastructure to avoid water loss to leakages, treating waste water, and promoting less water intensive crops to save water. It should also revive the old methodology of stopping the surface run-offs and storing water in each habitation to recharge the ground reserves. The government should also continue to work on the National River Linking Project to balance the supply of water throughout India.

While all these programmes and policies are being put to action, we as citizens of India should act responsibly and try every possible way to conserve water. It's probably time to sing "Rain rain come again. Little Arthur wants to play in the rain." After all what's better than dancing in the rain or watching it with a masala chai & spicy pakoras.

-Kartavya Jain