Bengaluru: Why waste water? This was the chorus heard in the streets of Bengaluru as the students of AIMS Institute of Higher Education raised the pitch to save water in the city on the occasion of World Water Day. Wednesday is World Water Day. Each year, organised by the United Nations (UN), the world celebrates and takes action on issues that impact freshwater resources. This year’s theme, “Why waste water?” is about reducing and reusing wastewater.
The AIMS students who took out a huge rally with placards said that wastewater is created in your home every time you flush the toilet, brush your teeth, do the dishes, and wash a load of laundry. As a result, the quantity of wastewater generated and its overall pollution load are increasing across the globe. Speaking on the occasion, AIMS Institute of Higher Education principal Kiran Reddy said, “The UN reports that globally, more than 80 per cent of the waste water generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused. The world water day rally was organised to emphasise that water has to be carefully managed during every stage of the water cycle, which means that when water is flowing through our hands, we play a role, too. World Water Day gives us an opportunity to think about how we use water daily and how we can use water more wisely.”
The students conveyed to Bengalureans that there was a need to conserve water as Karnataka was facing unprecedented drought and this year even Bengaluru North and South taluks have been declared drought hit. Even the coastal city like Mangaluru, which always had abundant water storage, is also going for water rationing and hence the immediate measure is to conserve water. The students said that there are many ways that one can use water more wisely, and to reduce the amount of wastewater created at one’s home.
“You may be doing some of these things already: use low-flow fixtures on taps and showerheads, switch to a low-flow toilet or use a toilet tummy to displace water within the toilet tank, run only full loads of laundry, turn off the tap when doing dishes, brushing your teeth, and shaving, or save grey water (water captured when running the tap) to reuse for activities such as watering plants. When thinking about reducing wastewater around your home, school, or workplace, it is also important to look outside; during summer months outdoor water use can increase by fifty percent. Rainwater (or storm water) is also an important aspect of water management around our homes. In urban landscapes, rainwater that would normally be absorbed into the ground travels across impermeable surfaces such as sidewalks, roads, and driveways where it picks up a number of contaminants before entering storm drains that lead directly to streams and lakes,” the AIMS student told the crowd.
TIPS TO SAVE WATER
·Don’t run water when washing the dishes, brushing your teeth, washing your hands or face.
·Close taps tightly.
·Replace damaged/leakage pipes, taps valves to avoid overflow and wastage.
·Wash Vegetables in a bowl of water, washing the cleanest ones first. Use this water for your plants
·While buying a new washing machine, choose one that is water efficient. You could save a substantial amount of water, as well as money, over the life of the machine
·Most washing machines have a load adjustment button or dial, so try to set this to match the amount of washing you are doing. If your machine does not have a load adjustment function, try to wait until you have enough washing for a full load.
·Choose plants that are native to the area you live or drought resistant plants for landscaping and gardens.
·Collect rainwater in large tubs or cans and use it to water plants.
·Avoid using pesticides, herbicides and fungicides in the garden for they seep into the garden and pollute ground water.
