Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink

More than 70% of the world is covered with water, yet a only a fraction of it is fit for consumption. To add to this, this fraction is not equally distributed. For example, India is home to 14% of the worlds population, yet has only 4% of this fraction.

Bangalore was once called the city of lakes. I remember cycling 15 kilometers to college everyday and used to see lakes all through my ride. Today there is not a single one of them alive and in its place, huge residential complexes have taken its place. Not surprisingly, these are the very communities that get flooded every now and then where there is a heavy downpour.

The flooding problem pales in comparison to the larger issue at hand, which is the looming Zero water day which according to Niti Ayog is in 2030, which is less than a decade away

While we speak about the quantity of water per person with respect to zero water day, the quality of water is equally if not more concerning. 70% of water supplied is not fit for consumption and this is primarily due to the discharge of human waste and pollutants into water bodies.

While it is easy to blame the government for water woes, if one takes a step back on why we are in this mess in the first place, it is due to the fact that water is treated as a commodity, when in fact is the most precious yet abundant natural resource bestowed on mankind

All religions treat water with great respect, be it Christianity (Holy water), Islam (Ritual cleansing), Hinduism (Theertha) to remind us of the significance of water. Water is also a mystery to science, like the anomalous expansion of water, which does not really have a solid explanation.

Water is indeed life and the sooner we realize that there is no substitute for water, the better