What have we done with drinking water?

I wan to tell real story from our life.

When I was in school, during summer holidays, I travelled with my parents to Delhi, by Train. It was a 3 day journey from Mysore to New Delhi. Obviously we were not carrying food, or adequate drinking water. The railway staff would take order for breakfast, lunch or Dinner at the previous station. Whenever the train stopped in an interim Railway Station, we would get down and drink water from tap, he travels took us to Chennai to Bihar,Assam, A Detour from Asasm's Jalpaiguiri in the old small train, up the hill to Darjeelingt. Then on a return journey o New Delhi, and then on to Agra, Jaipur, Punjab, The Golden Temople of Amritsar,Chandigarh, and then down south to Mumbai, Goa, and return to Mysore.

Until we reached calcutta, it was orderly. At the Calcutta Station when we changed trains, many of our berths and even chairs were taken "First come First". reservations did not natter and we were rudely paused to the front of he toilet and all our bags dumped in the Toilet. From then Reservations would not work. We put towels on seats, that would disappear in a flash. If we did the physical hustling some of us would get berths/seats, and rest of us on the floor Survival of the fittest. We had no chance in the "Pushing & Shoeing"

It was all about friendships and Camaraderie, with some intermittent Plant visits and lots of sight seeing. We missed the connecting train, slept on the platform in Patna, washed etc., and were glad to see the next train. Once we reached Chandigarh, we took a flight to New Dei. Stayed in a Dormitory. after we reached Agra, we got stay in a nice hotel. Gave enough time wash our clothes and other material, and more importantly wash ourselves clean.

Then began our journey to Mumbai and it was summer time, outside temperature touching 50 degrees celsius. alt last, we reacher Mumbai and after a couple of days at Mumbai, we took a late evening ship to Goa. We could not get cabins, and were herded into the main sore are, where we week amongst goats, chickens, lots of dead fish. Some os who got sea sick, went across to the front of ship, and lied down next ro the Anchor. It was drizzling lightly, but lay down near the Anchor. There was sudden release of the Anchor that made a big noise. We were all up. There was die some our live stock company in to a little boats, and embarking of new material and men. We later realised that there would be many more such stops. We realised that this Ship traveled close to he coast line, and every stop it was unload and download of goods men, livestock, and fish. at last we reached Panaji at Day Break. We checked to a YWCA, and slept peacefullySot me of us had enough of roughing out. we took and overnight bus to Mysore. The other batch arrived a couple of days later.

This journey was in June/July 1983.We ate on the train, at the Railway Stations where we got a break. Water from the tap in the railway platforms. There was this strength and Immunity to pull though. Imagine us doing it today.

While there is a trust deficit bout consuming water direct from a tap or a hand pump, Most us carry bottles of water from our homes, and when exhausted you buy bottled water of an AQUAFINA, BISLERi or RAILWATER. The indian Railways have alo realised that people buy bottled water..

what ha happened during these 40 years is:

We have neglected and polluted our rich and pure river waters - the big industrial wastes are let into the rive water even before treating them. Domestic waste and sewage canal find their way to fresh water lakes.

With the major shits in Climate change where Glaciers are melting, eating away more and more land.

During earl 2000's when I started very frequently to the UK, America, and mainland Europe and countries During the early years if I called the Concierge for a few bottles of drinking water, they would say drink it from the sink, is is safe.

Later my local friend told me never to drink the water from the sink. That water is recycled three times, and it has passed through a human body about three times. That means it will carry traces of Antibiotic, Painrelievers, Anti-Allergins, Steroids etc. Now most hotels in most countries leave complimentary of drinking water bottles, and we can even ask for a few extra bottles. If thy limit the complimentary bottles many times we by and carry th bottles to the Hotel room. There no form of life without water.

Over several decades, human race has polluted water, and we continue to do it. It is time to give back the care with which we treat Fresh Drinking water sources and make the safe and set again. It has to be every Invdivual's pledge to regain the purity of water as it was in the last century.

The serious ness of the situation has to educated to children of all age group. hey can be asked to collect water in sterile bottles from he banks of their river and analyze its component molecules using a Raman Spectrometer, to understand the various chemical hazards that may be present in them

school holidays three days journey Mysore to Delhi.