Chennai’s Water Crisis and Five Ways to solve it! ⎸G. Nikila of Class Eleven⎹

       Water shortage — two of the many words no human being ever wants to hear. Chennai’s water crisis has forced the city’s ten million residents into survival mode with one parliamentarian remarking that “gold has become cheaper than water.” It was reported in March that Chennaites would be able to use only 61 liters of water per person per day in the summer.

Bathing consumes the highest amount of water, in all the seven major cities in India, at about 28 per cent of total consumption. Given the above, what are the ways that Chennai can restore its dwindling water supply? Here are some tips for saving water.

•  Use showers conservatively or a bucket bath

While showering, turn on the water for a brief moment to get wet, turn it off while you lather and apply shampoo and soap, and then turn it on again. This technique usually consumes only 11 litres of water compared to the 200+ liters taking up the average shower.

•  Repair your taps

Leaky taps can result in hundreds of liters of water going to waste. The drops add up, tap by tap, resulting in a significant amount being wasted. The best option is to repair such taps as soon as possible.

•  DIY rainwater harvesting system

Building a rainwater harvesting system for your house can be as simple as putting together some barrels, funnels and hoses. In some parts of Kerala and Karnataka, locals use a Sari to catch rainfall and collect the water below it. The water is later boiled and is good for use.

•  Restoration of Chennai’s lakes

Chennai’s lakes such as Koovam, Puzhal and Veeranam have dried up due to extreme summer heat. Sewage wastes accumulated in these lakes have caused no proper water flow. The wastes must be cleaned in order to ensure smooth flow of water.  

• Desalination Plant

Chennai’s desalination plants have been of less use. The sea water can be filtered from its salty impurities and can be used for regular and daily use by families. There should be more usage of such plants during a major crisis.

What will be Chennai’s fate? Let’s wait calmly and watch the events unfold.