Water Woes: A call to action!

By Anvi Sharma

It was a bright, sunny day and I was patiently listening to my Science teacher. She was discussing the importance of water. During the session, he mentioned that 71 per cent of the Earth is covered with water but only one percent of this is available as freshwater! I was shocked to hear this. ‘Is this all? Just one percent,’ I thought.

Later that day, I brought up the topic to my parents. I had several questions about it. Then, over the weekend, they took me to a lake, a few kilometres away from our home in Delhi.  I thought it was going to be another family excursion but it turned out to be a learning experience for me.

As we neared the lake, I noticed the sadness in my mother’s eyes. When I inquired about it, she shared that the lake had been much larger in size during her childhood. Next, my parents took me to the banks of the river Yamuna which flows through our city. There, I was instantly welcomed by a foul smell. My vision was not spared of the grotesque state of the river. I saw polythene bags floating on the surface of the river, and the colour of the water which was a murky brown. I felt quite disheartened.

I learnt about the mighty Yamuna in Geography: how it originates in the mountains and tumbles down to meet the Ganga. The picturesque image I had in mind of rivers—crystal clear water, animals playing in the water—was simply shattered. So, I decided to discuss it with my teacher. 

The next day, I bombarded him with questions. He explained every single one and discussed the several factors, including extreme heat, inefficient irrigation practices, deforestation, and pollution that have contributed to the sorry state of the water bodies that can quench our thirst.

He added that people recklessly throw away garbage, polluting our rivers without considering the long-term consequences. Furthermore, industries discharge untreated sewage water into rivers, posing risks to both the river biodiversity and us. He then asked me to remember the contribution of trees to the water cycle and think about how deforestation might impact the water level in freshwater bodies. To this, I was filled with despair, realising that an important resource is suffering.

Later that day, my friends and I decided to find solutions to this problem. With my teacher’s guidance, we shortlisted a few ideas. Firstly, to minimise plastic waste and recycle plastic instead of dumping it in the rivers. Secondly, to install rainwater harvesting systems in our houses to prevent water loss. Finally, to promote activities such as afforestation and reforestation in affected regions and raise public awareness about water pollution and water depletion. 

From that day onwards, I have become aware of the choices I make and the resources I use in daily life. I try to advocate environment-friendly practices among my friends and family too. Although my contribution might seem tiny in the bigger picture but I believe it is as essential as a drop of water that contributes to forming an ocean.