Every Drop Counts

There are numerous surveys and studies performed on alarming facts about the usage of water. So much so, that reports speak on how consumption of water has reached its peak in some countries while the scarcity of the same has taken lives in underdeveloped countries. Statistics from the UN Water show that 70 % of the freshwater is used for irrigation,22 % for industries and 8 % for domestic use (World Water Assessment Programme-WWAP)  and all this from the 54 % that is available from rivers, lakes and aquifers! What is more concerning is the fact that although the volume of water on earth is about 1.4 billion km3, only 35 million constitutes to freshwater which is precisely 2.5% of the total volume. A typical individual in the United States Uses 500 Litres of water in contrast to the 1 billion odd people who hardly get to use 6 litres!

   

Yet water conservation is nowhere close in the debate, the country focuses on issues relating to population, corruption, human & animal rights et cetera, but there are very few thinkers on this line of conservation and restoration. Rain water harvesting & Sewage treatment plants are not the only options in this regard, a bathtub holds about 151 litres of water and a running tap sends a couple of more litres down the drain. All we need is a diligent approach towards the situation.

On one side where a power plant was accused to let out contaminated saline water containing coal dust and chemicals into nearby fields in Mangalore, steps have been taken by another leading power plan to conserve water, they have proved efficient in making minimum use of the resource as compared to the standard usage (the consumption being as low as .126 cu m/MWH which is less than half the national benchmark of .279 cu m/MWH). An initiative led by the students at Mysore University, recently took to beautifying the Kukkarahalli Lake in Mysore with a Botanical garden, an orchidarium, a wetland park and an aquarium. The lake is considered to be the birthplace of India’s biggest writer R.K Narayan’s novels, at the banks of which he imagined Malgudi & all the characters. 

Few tips that can be used in our day to day activities:

• When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap. Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, and then reuse it to water houseplants.
• Designate one glass for your drinking water each day or refill a water bottle. This will cut down on the number of glasses to wash.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save 25 gallons a month.
• Remember there are a number of ways to save water and it all starts with YOU.
• Share these tips with your family & friends.

It takes 3 litres of water to produce 1 litre of bottled water!

Ways To Save Water

You can save water in many places in your house including the kitchen, bathroom and from washing. There are many ways to save water at home or outdoors. Using water wisely will not only help our environment, it will also save you money on your water and energy bills. Here are some tips to reduce water consumption and saving water.

• Use the minimum amount of water needed for bath.
• Verify your home is leak free. Repair dripping taps by replacing washers.
• Develop habit of monitoring water meters and ensure to bring down consumption of water every month.
• Implement rainwater harvesting systems to collect rain water and use it in future.
• Wash vegetables and fruits in Bowl rather than washing them under tap.
• Keep the Valve of the washbasin half closed so the water flow from the tap reduces.
• Install water efficient ‘3-star or 4-star’ rated shower-head and you can save up to 21,000 liters of water every year and money on your energy bill.
• If you’re buying a new washing machine, choose a water efficient front-loading model with a minimum ‘4-star’ rating.
• Front-loading washing machines are typically the most water efficient, using as little as 50 liters per cycle.
• Install a dual-flush toilet. You’ll save up to 3 liters of water every time you use the half flush instead of the full flush.
• Installing individual water meters enables you to pay water for you consumed and it also helps to conserve water.
• Always run full loads. Get the most washing out of each run.
• Wash the really big dishes and pans by hand. This saves space in the dishwasher and can use less water.
• Rinse dishes in a tub of water rather than under running water.
• Check your automated pump periodically. If the pump kicks ON and OFF while water is not being used, you have a leak.Dispose tissue and other similar waste in the trash instead of flushing it and save gallons every time.
• When you shop for a new appliance, keep in mind that one offering several different cycles will be more water and energy-efficient.
• Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
• Insulate hot water pipes so you don’t have to run as much water to get hot water to the faucet.
• Make sure your swimming pools, fountains, and ponds are equipped with re-circulating pumps.
• Install covers on pools and spas to avoid water evaporation.
• Don’t buy recreational water toys that require a constant flow of water.
• Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
• Choose a low water use plant or shrub and save up to 550 gallons each year.
• Do not leave sprinklers or hoses unattended. A garden hose can pour out 600 gallons or more in only a few hours.
• Teach your children to turn the faucets off tightly after each use.

Contamination of Water - Mangalore

Grade six science classes teach us that water has various nutrients in itself although it is colourless and tasteless. India in particular may not be the best country that serves filtered and clean water in most places including restaurants, hospitals and schools or even in ones house! Out of sheer personal experience I can easily list down a couple of places that I have visited and have had ‘funny’ or ‘different’ tasting water. I remember telling a relative who had a well in their compound that they had the sweetest well water; they took all the credit instantly. On another occasion I remember a restaurant in particular which had served slightly different tasting water. If water is supposed to be tasteless how can this be possible?

Mangalore has emerged from a tiny town to a place that most people have perhaps heard about. The rise & growth of industries, power plants and chemical factories have increased tremendously in the past few decades. With more number of people choosing to settle in Mangalore, the traffic disease has surely hit Hampankatta road, every fortnight you get to see developments happening in and around your locality. Buildings are coming up at the speed of how mosquitoes are breeding in a nearby pond! With these multiple developments happening around us, we sometimes fail to see the dark side.

Do we really know what happens to all the waste coming from the various small and big industries around Baikampady Industial Estate and other Industrial areas? Where do hospitals dispose their waste? What about the sewage system of your own house leave alone multi storey buildings? There is a high possibility that all the above mixes into our groundwater sources, thus resulting in the funny or different tasting water you come across more often than not. Sewage treatment plants are as important as having access to filtered water in your homes. Most of the drains here in Mangalore lead to the rivers or seas, the result being Pollution and contamination of fresh water. The recent issue on effluent discharge leading into the Surathkal Beach is probably a good example and throws more light to my above statements.

The ‘go green’ concepts are not just for planting saplings or not using plastics, it also refers to take precautionary measures so that we save and conserve our resources, use them wisely and not pollute the environment.

Article Written By:- Miss Steffi