WATER IS OIL

 
The most important liquid which was available in abundance has become scarce and precious. People still refuse to realize the reality and live in total denial. Ponds,lakes, rivers and every source of water is dead. For instance,  the state of Tamilnadu which had flowing rivers in Chennai is no more proud to say so. At least four decades ago the last river that was breathing in Chennai disappeared. The so called rivers in Chennai today carry gutter and slowly fill the Bay of Bengal. Similar is the fate of all the lakes that dotted the city once. Today we come across Lake View Roads but without any lakes. Concrete blocks stand tall and solid in those places.

All over Tamilnadu only the Tamirabharani and Siruvani carry a little amount of water as both travel very little distance and hence remain less polluted. All other perennial rivers have become jungle rivers. They would be in spate during the monsoons and the floods would rush to the ocean.

The result is today a litre of quality water bottle is Rs.25/ and every middle class family spends around Rs.2000/ per month for water. Even today  plenty of water is available in the oceans. The problem is the conversion of salty water into potable water. Just two decades ago this problem was not of this magnitude. In the  late 1970's as we walked to our schools, we would drink water directly from the streams and lakes. People fail to realize how easier it was to have our own wells and ponds in villages and today we have to bury millions of kilometres of plastic/steel  pipes into the earth to have a water distribution network and the massive water tanks it requires and the huge power -electricity which too is scarce. The most important work the governments all over the world doing are the work related to the provision of protected water supply to their people. This work requires massive investments and the governments  are following umpteen methods to get this precious liquid.  Millions of trucks are on our roads carrying this harmless liquid spending harmful oil to the environment. 

Water wars are on  between neighbors-individuals/streets/villages and countries. At least one individual spends a considerable time to wait for the water tanker to arrive or to fetch water from distant places. The water woes are aplenty and no need to narrate all.

No doubt water is soon going to replace the other 'war liquid' 'oil'.  One has to think of the countries which have no source of sea water for any desalination efforts. Even if countries have got a coast line taking  desalinated water across thousands of kilometres  to millions of homes would be a mammoth task.

At this rate the countries have to spend at least 30% of their income on this work. How can we expect and execute all other essential works for the survival of this man kind?
 Let us wake up today and if not, there will be no tomorrow for us.