March 22nd, World Water Day, has been celebrated every year since 1993 to increase awareness of the importance and need for conservation of water. The focus this year was on “Water and Sustainable Development”.

During the last two decades and more, some of the issues dealt with were: “Water for cities, Water for health, Water for food security, Water and women, Water and sanitation, Water and energy, Groundwater the invisible resource, and Water is everybody’s business”.

Water is critical for the survival of any form of life. In 2010, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution affirming the human right to both safe drinking water and sanitation. In the last decade, though efforts have been made to increase the availability of water, about 750 million people globally do not have access to an improved source of drinking water. Available sources of fresh water which could be exploited are getting depleted and degraded. Experts apprehend that mankind may face a global crisis in the 21st Century. Therefore there is a need to conserve this precious life-giving resource.

It is relevant to examine the water situation in Chennai. It is estimated that the demand in 2026 is likely to be 2,248 MLD (million litres per day) and the availability, taking into account the proposed projects, will be 1,535 MLD, resulting in a shortfall of 713 MLD. Potential intra-state and interstate resources have already been tapped. Augmenting existing reservoir capacity, creation of new storage capacity, desilting of six tanks and deepening of one tank are the proposed projects. A third desalination plant and an additional plant at Nemmeli have also been proposed.

It will no longer be wise to depend on new projects. The best option for all users, agriculture, industry, domestic and institutions, is to conserve, recycle and reuse and implement rainwater harvesting widely, effectively and continuously. These efforts could be strengthened if corporate houses, in addition to in house conservation measures, also support this as a part of their CSR (corporate social responsibility) programmes.

It is needless to say that citizens have a vital role to play in the implementation of water conservation measures.

The UN Secretary-General’s message is, “To address the many challengers related to water, we must work in a spirit of urgent co-operation, open to new ideas and innovation, and prepared to share the solutions that we all need for the future.” – (Courtesy: Adyar Times.)

-S.P. Ambrose