Importance of water conservation essay
We are aware that in days to come water availability will be a very important factor in many countries and societies. India will be one of them. Consequence of water shortage is the prevalence of health problems linked to lack of sanitation. Scarcity of water leads to insanitary habits which in turn cause so many health problems, especially among children. Hence, we must try all possible means to conserve available water and also economise on water consumption. Avoiding wastage can help in a big way in meeting the goal. importance of water conservation essay
After the 2017 monsoon was over it became obvious that the country had received below-normal monsoon that year. The monsoon season had ended with about 5.2% deficit. About 50% of the districts received normal rains while more than a third, i.e., about 215 districts had deficient rainfall. The shortfall had impacted agriculture as well as other activities. An important issue was that during the first half of monsoon (June to July, 2017) the rainfall was surplus by about 2.5%. But during August and September there was deficiency to the extent of 12.5%. As a consequence large areas suffered. Majority of districts which received deficient rains were in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. The India Meteorological Department has predicted that the southwest monsoon for the country would be normal for the year 2018. The forecast is that the total precipitation could be 97 per cent of the long period average (LPA). But we need to remember that there is always a possibility of 5% error on either side in this kind of prediction. It means that the normal monsoon may be within a range of 96-104% of the LPA. But we need to be careful in reaching any conclusion as it is too early to make any definite prediction. More reliable information will be available only by June July, 2018. Till that time we need to keep our fingers crossed. Reason is obvious. Last year, in 2017, the prediction was for normal monsoon. But the end result was that there was deficiency of about 5.2% and certain areas had to suffer much more. Another issue is that when we talk about monsoon and rainfall, we take the country average or regional averages. The overall picture may not be very disturbing. But India being a large country with so much of variations,it may show different pictures for different areas. Hence, average figures at times prove deceptive. A third issue is that India gets rains and other forms of precipitation for only about three months. About 75% of the total precipitation pours during these months. For the rest of the year there is little rain and other forms of precipitation. The issue of immediate concern is that because we get rain, snow, etc., for very short duration, it is just not possible to utilise the water fully. The only solution is that we need to make arrangements for collection and storage of the water so received so that we could be comfortable for the rest of the year till the next monsoon. We need to work in reverse to the age old proverb: “Saving for the rainy days”. importance of water conservation essay
In this case we need to save for the dry days. But the tragedy is that we have been neglecting that aspect miserably. Most of the water received from the sky is not stored and it is lost to the seas and oceans. In the process the water also creates various problems like soil erosion, land degradation and floods. There are a few very easy and practical methods of conservation of the available water resources and about augmenting the water resources with water collected from the atmosphere, which will be discussed here. These are simple techniques and these can be adopted by everyone. If we adopt these techniques,they can help the country in combating water scarcity to some extent without much expense or effort. importance of water conservation essay
There’s another old expression that says “You don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” meaning that we don’t need to create something that already exists. This is a good rule of thumb. But quite often we tend to forget certain things with time, especially if they do not look to be modern. We find new appliances and equipment and we start using them. In the process the old ones are forgotten or discarded. It happens in almost every avenue of day-to-day life. However, the situation has changed and we need to bring back and revive the old techniques. Also, there may be a possibility that the old systems or methods can be refurbished and used in the new circumstances. Here we are going to discuss about a few simple techniques. These can be easily adopted at household level or at community level without installing costly equipment and without much extra effort. These are based on the principle: Every drop of water saved will be an added resource.
In recent years air-conditioners have become quite popular on account of falling price of air-conditioners, better availability of power and increase in affordability. Also, the shrinking size of dwelling units and changes in architecture are forcing people to go for air-conditioners. In all types of air conditioners there are outlets which allow the condensed water to flow out. When the machine cools the air, some of the water vapour present in the air gets condensed over the cooling coils. The water first collects at the base of the machine and then flows out through the outlet almost continuously. The water may seem to be small in quantity but in a few hours or the whole day, the quantity becomes substantial. In case of larger machines such as those used in offices, business establishments, etc., the quantities of condensed water are much more. In hot, humid weather, such machines may produce up to 90 litres of water per day. If we look at the physics of the process, the water that condenses is distilled water as it is the water vapour that condenses and flows out. At present, the condensed water is allowed to go to the drain, i.e., it is wasted. We can very well utilise this water in several ways. In case of storage batteries that need topping up, the condensed water is ideal. We normally purchase battery water from market. So, we will save money, energy and also water. The condensed water can be utilised for washing clothes. Generally the water that is available to us has dissolved salts in different concentrations, which make the water less efficient with soap or detergent. If we use distilled water, with the same quantity of soap or detergent, we will get better results. In old times households used to collect rain water in large containers and the water was used for washing clothes. Reason was same. Rain water is free from dissolved salts. As a result washing used to be easy and more efficient. In case of larger communities with central air-conditioning, the quantity of water is huge. Currently the water generally goes waste. If some planning is done, the water can be used for irrigation of lawns, flower beds and kitchen gardens, etc., or it can be used to recharge ground water simply by connecting the outlet/s to the ground water recharge facilities. It will have the added advantage that recharge will continue even in hot summer when there is no or very little rain in most of India. importance of water conservation essay
In cities and towns the dwelling units are becoming smaller. There is no land for growing flower plants or other types of plants. But people want to have these plants for aesthetic purposes. Many families are interested in growing vegetables and fruits too to get products free from chemicals. They have no option but to use earthen, cement or plastic pots for the purpose. They have to irrigate the plants regularly, especially in summer. Sometime the pots have to be irrigated twice in a day. The requirement of water on daily basis is quite large, depending on the number of pots and the types of plants. In most of the cities and towns water supply is limited. As a result it is a difficult task to keep the potted plants growing or at least surviving during the summer months. We can adopt a simple technique which will reduce the quantity of water required and also help the plants to survive better. We can take discarded PET bottles, cut the base of the bottles and make one small hole each in the caps of the bottles. The caps can be placed in their usual positions and the bottles are to be placed in the pots upside down so that the necks of the bottles are buried in the soil. The bottles can be filled with water and left. The water will go out of the hole in the caps and reach deep in soil, close to the roots. The plants will get water that they require and they will get water slowly. The same quantity of water will suffice for much longer than normal sprinkling on the surface of the soil because the water will seep directly to the root zones. As a result the water will be utilised more efficiently. Also, there will be less evaporation from soil and consequently reduced wastage. Also, it is common to find that water trickles out of the base of the pots if irrigation is done in excess. The water is wasted and makes the surface where the pots are placed dirty. All these problems will be solved in one stroke. Care has to be taken to select the bottles according to the size of the pots. For smaller pots 500 ml bottles may suffice while for larger ones one litre or even larger bottles can be used. Through hitand-trial in a few days it can be ascertained how long the water lasts in the bottles and how often the plants have to be irrigated. In any case, there will be reduced effort and certainly reduced requirement of precious water. This technique can be adopted for small gardens or farm holdings too, including kitchen gardens. Bottles have to be fixed at intervals close to the plants. Water has to be filled in the morning and left to seep out. This technique will prove more useful where individual plants have gaps between them,such as fruit plants, climbers, bushy plants, etc. Bottles can be placed close to the plants. At the end of the day a great deal of saving will be there on irrigation water, effort, and also energy. Survival of plants will also be better in harsh summer as water will reach the root regions directly. importance of water conservation essay
Due to increasing incidence of waterborne diseases and inefficiency of the municipal water supply systems, more and more people are installing RO (Reverse Osmosis) filtration systems for water. Depending on the requirement the sizes and capacities are decided. In households small ones suffice while for larger communities larger sizes are installed. Then there are commercial establishments which supply bottled water to consumers. There the installations are very large. In almost all RO systems there is discharge of ‘waste’ water parallel to the collection of filtered/purified water. The purified water is utilised while the waste water is discarded. Generally it flows to the drains or goes into the sewer system. The quantity of waste water is directly proportional to the quantity of dissolved materials in the supply water. If the quantity is high, the quantity of waste water will be larger. At individual household level the quantity may seem small but on community level the quantity is quite large and in any case the water is wasted. Of course, the water cannot be used for drinking or cooking, etc. But it can be used for other purposes. For example, it can be used for cleaning utensils. Although it may not be necessary, at the end the utensils may be rinsed once with normal water to remove any excess salts left on the utensils. Also, the water can be used for irrigating lawns, kitchen gardens or potted plants. If the salt content of the waste water is very high, it may be mixed with normal supply water for irrigation. The quantity of total salts can be easily measured by the suppliers of the equipment. When they come for installation, they assess the salt content of supply water, filtered water and also of waste water. Hence, decision can be easily taken regarding the pattern of use, especially for irrigation. Another way is to take a little water in the mouth. If it is not very saline, it can be used for irrigation directly. Otherwise it can be mixed with supply water in different proportions. But in any case the water will not go waste. importance of water conservation essay
In urban mosques there are taps for the purpose. Till few decades back I used to see those pots made of copper in Piaos (kiosks which provided free drinking water) on roadsides and in temples, etc. The idea was to restrict wastage of water. Also, I have seen them in temples and Pooja ghar in Hindu households. There too the pots were generally made of copper. May be it can be found in many homes even now. About three decades back when I visited Lucknow University I had seen those pots in the toilets. May be they are still in use in places where Muslim influence is strong. Generally it was made of brass or aluminium. However now it is commonly made of plastic. Also, cheaper versions are available which are locally made by metal workers from discarded containers. If we compare the quantity of water needed to do the same job with a spouted pot against the quantity of water needed from a tap, the ratio may be ¼ or even less. As such it may not seem to be important. But if we estimate the saving on daily basis in a household or in a community, it will be mind-boggling. importance of water conservation essay
Conclusion importance of water conservation essay
We are aware that in days to come water availability will be a very important factor in many countries and societies. India will be one of them. According to the National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development (NCIWRD) about 83% of available fresh water in the country is used for irrigation. The rest 17% meets the demand for domestic, industrial and other sectors. For the year 2050, the Commission has estimated that the demand will grow to 1,180 billion cubic metres. It will be very difficult for India to meet the demand. A less known consequence of water shortage is the prevalence of health problems linked to lack of sanitation. Scarcity of water leads to insanitary habits which in turn cause so many health problems, especially among children. Hence, we must try all possible means to conserve available water and also economise on water consumption. Avoiding wastage can help in a big way in meeting the goal. importance of water conservation essay
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