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Water is a precious thing. But why? After all 75% of Earth is water. However, of this percent, only 3% is drinkable. And of this, 70% is found in the polar caps as ice. This means that of all the water on Earth, less than 1% of it is available for us to drink. That’s why we are constantly being reminded to save water. Global warming, increase in population and industrialization have all taken a toll on Earth’s water supply. But saving water is not the only thing we must do to protect it. We need to make sure that we don’t pollute it, nor let others pollute it. Aamir Khan, in his show Satyamev Jayate (with English subtitles), shares insight to the devastating water problem in India.
Taking a country like India, where rivers are worshipped, Indians don’t take the responsibility to keep it clean. The Yamuna River runs through India's capital, Delhi, and is the largest tributary river of the Ganges. It is about 870 miles long and 372 miles of it has already disappeared. This is partly due to the rapid industrialization happening around the river. To add to this, the water is severely contaminated. Citizens on a daily basis are constantly throwing items such as medicines and batteries which release heavy metals into the river. These flow throughout India, and when going through a purification process, these chemicals cannot be removed and ultimately flow through the tap.
Therefore, villages who's primary job is farming have resorted to rainwater, which comparatively is a cleaner source. Rain is scarce in India, and when it falls it should not be wasted. Villages, however, are not made up of high populations; cities are. So the most people affected by polluted water reside in the cities. Low cost rainwater harvesting can be accomplished in large cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Investing in such a project can save businesses 40% in water costs because the water can be used in filters for drinking, cleaning, and bathrooms. In cities as large as Mumbai, converting to this process could allow for an elimination of water shortages. As more are becoming aware of rainwater harvesting, this is becoming a necessity and in some places mandatory. Businesses can get involved by converting to it themselves, providing the supplies to accomplish this and spreading knowledge of this problem. No matter where water is being wasted in the world, in the future it will eventually affect us.
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