How many of us who drink water from sealed bottles (pet bottle) carry with them if the water is still remaining ? And how many of us throw that water in the nearby plant as we feel this water will become non-drinkable for the next day? Water is not perishable after 24 hours, but it will certainly perish from the world if not well-preserved.
Knowingly, not unknowingly, we waste water every day. We do not understand the wastage while doing small-small things as part of our daily routine. Not turning off the tap when brushing teeth, shaving, leakages, washing vehicles with fresh water are some of the ways we are wasting water on a daily basis.
We use about 27% of water for bathing and toilet use. Approximately, a leaking faucet can waste 4,000 drops of water, which is equal to a litre of water. A flush of the toilet uses six and a half gallons of water.
On an average one person wastes about 0-45 litres water per day. To understand it better, it is 30% of water requirement per person per day. 125 million litres of water wasted daily.
Bottom-line remains – it does not mean if we can afford it we have a right to waste it too.
Did you know that, approximately 163 Million Indians don’t have access to clean drinking water. 21% of the communicable diseases are linked to unsafe drinking water. Every day 500 children die because of diarrhea in India.
Unfortunately, more than half the rivers are polluted and considered unsafe by modern standards. The main water bodies of India-Ganga, Yamuna and Sabarmati have a deadly mix of pollutants, which are both organic and hazardous.
You’ll be shocked to hear that Kolkata wastes 50% of the water that it receives. Bangalore, which is the third most populous city in the country, comes a close second at 49%. Water wastage figures in New Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai stand at 26%, 20%, and 18% respectively. While these numbers can make us feel sad, that’s not enough. We have to act now to save the future. Change can begin with small measures such as turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, fixing leaks, using low discharge toilets and faucets, running dish and laundry cleaners on full load, etc.
Just try few days – as our CEO has said – if you practice something for about 3 months, it becomes a habit..
Very proud that Hindustan Zinc has set-up first ever sewage treatment plant in Udaipur (under PPP model) and the water extracted from sewage is used for our business operations. It actually means that by not using fresh water we are actually releasing fresh water and simultaneously contributing towards keeping the lakes and rivers clean.
Need we say more !!!
“Manthan”, an initiative by Hindustan Zinc, is a series of stories to bring awareness about various concerns like air pollution, water pollution, plastic pollution, noise pollution, climate change, road safety and wildlife protection.