‘Water is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odourless, and nearly colourless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth’s hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms’ – is Wikipedia’s definition. But I’m going to save the trouble and skip defining ‘the Water’ part because I am not going to add anything that you haven’t heard before.
We all know about the global cry for rectifying the environment from what we have erred her. We were the most fortunate beings with the wealthiest of soil, air, water and sky. Out of all, the most concerning cry of emergency is for the rising water crisis.
So, how did we get here? A tiny dive back into the past when things were simpler, better and we all never heard of the corona, even as a beer. Indian Kings, particularly from the southern regions prioritised water management and methods to save them, of course only when they were done and bored of building some mighty huge temples. Hence, we have many dams, lakes, ponds that age more than a thousand years. My claim is proved right in the historic works of literature as well!
Of course, it’s not just the King’s fancy big dams, but also how the water is being managed till the end. People might argue that we do not have enough rainfall, well that will lead us to blame one another and debate on the existence of geographical and political boundaries and their restrictions, deforestation, colonisation and what not – not today!
We have all heard of the European phrase ‘Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!’ it quite exactly means not to throw a good thing while you are getting rid of the bad things. But how did it originate? Here’s how!
Back in the day when plumbing, water heaters or for the fact water taps were a luxury, working families of the German or UK usually boiled water and filled a tub for the family once in a blue moon. The first to bathe will be the head of the family who is the major breadwinner – the father, who will have the cleanest water. Followed by his immediate heir – son in most cases, who’ll use the cleaner water. Then the toddlers, the mum, the elders of the family follow each using the same water in the same tub. At last, it is the turn for the babies who’ll have the filth for a water tub! The dirty water is then thrown away. And that’s how the phrase came into existence!
Whereas our elders smartly used a bucket and mug, used it wisely. Remember squatting and getting our full body wet enough for soap with just one mug of water. Doing the math, the water spent was almost the same except the entire family had access to the cleanest water, plus the squatting is a bonus! This is in no way a miser quality, this is in fact the biggest management lesson there can be – The bucket and mug!
As we nurtured and evolved, we, unfortunately, jumped headfirst without a parachute or a rope, right into the big lap of comfort and bade a big farewell to minimal use of water.
Writing this, I am guilty as well for having a modern shower panel that massages my back with jet pressured water.
Now that we all have contributed our bit to the messing up of our flora and fauna, it messes us up in return. It’s time we join forces and reverse the effects. I have begun by stopping the use of the shower, by using recycled water wherever it could be, started closing the tap when there’s nothing in between the faucet and the drain, started discussing and creating awareness about the importance of rainwater harvesting and its storage. I have taken an oath to plant at least one tree every month.
Have you squatted yet?
