So yesterday India had a record Covid cases of 46,000+ and thus crossed the figure of 12 lakh cases in the country. The last 4 lakh cases have just came in 6 days only. The country also recorded yesterday about 1100+ casualties , taking total toll figure of approx 30,000. Yesterday Maharashtra also created a record of most cases in a single day ie 10,500+ cases, and Mumbai which was once accounting for over 70% of the daily cases, accounted only 12% of the cases.
Now coming to my other topic of the day- In so many cities of the world water is becoming a precious commodity. Water scarcity is real risk that most of us are living with. In a city like Mumbai, which is totally dependant on the rains to fill the lakes which are supplying water to the city. When the rainfall is good in catchment areas, the citizen of the city have a sigh of relief, otherwise there is fear of facing water cut/shortage throughout the year. As responsible citizens, each of us must ensure that we stretch what we have. We should create awareness in our homes and neighbourhoods about saving water and finding innovative ideas to generate clean water. Nowadays many ways/methods are available to recycle the water. This natural element is elixir of life, we need to do our bit to save/preserve it and also ensure that our future generations are not deprived of water.
At Home- We must be aware about the small things/actions which are part of our daily routine and, with a slight change we will able to save water. Here are few tips:
- Turn off taps when not in use, and fix any leaks immediately.
- Do not keep the taps running while brushing, washing utensils or clothes.
- When choosing washing machines, go for the ones that save water and electricity, even if it initially costs more.
- As much as possible, wash laundry in one go rather than in half loads.
- It is best to wash dishes by hand, rather than use dish washer, and if unavoidable, then one should ensure that it is fully loaded.
- Use a bucket to take bath avoid bathtubs.
- Do not waste water in any form, and make sure to water plants only when needed.
- Repair all toilet flushes to ensure that only optimum water usage is there.
- If possible collect rainwater for watering plants or washing.
- Avoid wetting the lawns with running water unless it is essential, otherwise periodically you can wet the lawn wit h water in mug.
- Rainwater can also be harvested and filtered, if space permits.
- Install float valves to avoid sump overflow.
- Install automatic water level controllers to make sure that overhead tank fills happen only when necessary, this will not result in overflow.
- Always ensure and check health of plumbing fixtures.
In General- Even when you are outside, you still much watch out for and ensure that water is conserved to the best extent possible. In schools and offices, awareness drives about how important water and its conservation is, should be made aware. If it is possible, sensor equipped faucets, which only function when you keep your hands under them, should be installed. Since people spend more time in offices than in homes, it is essential that office plumbing fixtures are water efficient ones. Even drinking water should be used carefully, and should not be allowed to get wasted.
Overall water conservation is fast becoming a hot topic, people have started realising the importance of this. When drinking water shortage is hitting our cities, we can not afford to complacent about it, and even if our city is safe, tomorrow it may become our problem also. Finding solutions and creating awareness is the need of today, and each one of us should do our bit in this endeavour.
Waiting for your feed backs/views/comments.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
23rd July 2020