Are We Sapiens or Stultums?

Are We Sapiens or Stultums?

It is a strange twist of fate that the southernmost tip of the Western Ghats, India, that used to receive almost 2000 mm of annual rain, split in two seasons; is now withered. The landscape (of Trivandrum - the capital city of Kerala, India) is now peppered with water kiosks from where citizens need to collect water. A hidden pointer to the prescience of people managing water resource is that the current disruption in water distribution system is the fallout of just one year of deficient rainfall. 

Today, in Trivandrum, the availability of petrol/ diesel is more assured than that of water. I am trying to draw a streak of comparison between two non-comparable resources to highlight the fundamental flaw in handling an increasingly scarce resource - water. The price of any commodity is inversely related to its scarcity. 

Multiple concerns raised over the last many years about dwindling trend of water resources apparently fell on deaf ears. Its pricing was unscientific. I do not know whether this can be listed as a 'price of democracy'? It is high time that we abandon knee-jerk reactions to adopt objective long-term planning.

The persistent inertia to discard silo approach in management and distribution of water resource (as primarily engineering issue) will only complicate the issue. The attempt of linking river systems to tide over the current crisis is a dire, knee jerk action. Although it may save the citizens from further hardships this season, will it be a permanent solution? 

We still continue to overlook ramifications of the current resource crunch on our franchise-less cohabitants and its possible future reflection on us. It throws open more questions.What are our plans if rain decides to skip the region for another year? What can be done to arrest further deterioration of surface and sub-surface hydraulics of the region? How can we change our lifestyle? 

The latter is perhaps the most challenging issue because notion of abundance of water is culturally embedded within the people of this region. One possible way is to rectify the above-said fundamental flaw. It will certainly accelerate the process of changing attitude towards water consumption. Bold decisions above petty considerations differentiates a statesman from politician. 

There are many things that can be done by each citizen during such testing times. Salient few are listed below:

1. AVOID using flush toilets - at least after micturition.

2. ADOPT traditional toilet soaps/ mixtures for bathing - they need less water to be washed off human body.

3. A total NO to wet washing of automobiles. 

4. Use and REUSE boiled water (avoid adding cumin or other ingredients to boil drinking water. This way, left over water can be reused the next day).

5. RECYCLE - Where ever possible collect waste water and use it to water plants. 
  

6. PUT AN END TO any  procedural hurdles that comes in way of repairing leaking water supply pipes.

7. BE CONSIDERATE. Place a pan of water at a convenient site in or around your house/ work place to help insects and birds quench their thirst. 

8. JOIN HANDS for massive replanting - Urban, semi-urban and rural areas need different approaches. One urban strategy could be to take help of school children to adopt identified stretches for focused action (details described elsewhere).

9. SAVE ELECTRICITY - Water pumps need electric power!

10. RECTIFY water pricing flaws -  Aadhar - PAN interlink makes it possible to adopt differential pricing of water resource.

11. PERCOLATION PITS - 1x1x1 ft percolation pits to be made mandatory on each 5 cents of land. Implement before the upcoming rains.

12. ANTICIPATE THE WORST AND PLAN FOR IT - Tomorrow we will need massive desalinization plants to meet our water demands. High incubation time for such enterprises makes it imperative to start working on it from today.

Changes in local energy balance primarily due to uncontrolled built-up area expansion has transformed the region (Trivandrum) to resemble like a huge furnace that radiates heat energy outwards. This will blow away any moisture laden clouds drifting from the oceans and reduce the probability of precipitation. The above statement foretells the fate of 2017 summer rains. 

It is not due to ignorance that we find ourselves where we are today. We have amassed money and lost wealth! It is foolish to expect to harvest wheat from fodder grass. Learning from mistakes and avoid repeating them is called wisdom. Nobody bestowed us with the title sapiens. We picked it along the course and has hence remained with us because there was no one to challenge our decision. It is better to learn from our mistakes and correct the course lest we lose the title and be forced to accept stultum.

Note:     Sapiens is the species name of man. It is a Latin word that means wise.                 Stultum is the Latin word for foolish.