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Written by: Sheikh Mujeeb Ali

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 21 March 2017

SRINAGAR: World Water Day, on 22 March every year, is about taking action to tackle the water crisis. Today, there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home, spending countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources, and coping with the health impacts of using contaminated water. A man can learn the meaning of life, hidden in every drop of water. The love, essence and power of water itself describe the volumes of knowledge to understand the value of water as a natural and sustainable resource.

Clean, safe drinking water is scarce. Today, nearly 1 billion people in the developing world don't have access to it. Yet, we take it for granted, we waste it, and we even pay too much to drink it from little plastic bottles. Water is the foundation of life. And still today, all around the world, far too many people spend their entire day searching for it. 

In places like sub-Saharan Africa, time lost gathering water and suffering from water-borne diseases is limiting people's true potential, especially women and girls. Education is lost to sickness. Economic development is lost while people merely try to survive. But it doesn't have to be like this. Its needless suffering. In India Over 300 districts in 13 states of the country, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, are facing shortage of drinking water, “...as reported by the states, 308 districts are affected in respect of shortage of drinking water supply in 13 States (Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharashtra 

Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have reported the most number of districts, 50 and 46 respectively, affected due to water shortage. In Maharashtra and Karnataka, 33 and 27 districts respectively are grappling with the situation. It has been take an imaginary regarding the disputes going around the world. The Third world war would be fought on the issues of water scarcity. Areas of severe water conflict correlate with water scarcity; hence, the regions with the greatest conflict and potential for conflict are the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and the former Soviet Union.

Water is a fugitive resource. As water moves through the hydrologic cycle, it does not pay any attention to political boundaries and conflicts that often result between differing political units. These types of conflicts are referred to as transboundary water issues. Conflicts also arise between different groups in society, such as business interests and environmental groups, or between parties located upstream and downstream. 

The ultimate conflict is armed conflict. Many fears have been expressed that water wars will occur in the future as water becomes more and more scarce. Historical studies have not supported this hypothesis that water disputes lead to war. There are only a couple of documented situations in all of history where war broke out over water. Although most water conflicts are nonviolent, they still have serious implications for societal welfare. 

In Jammu and State, Mostly women residing in rural areas have no proper access to water. They have to walk miles away from their homes to get access to clean water. Government has failed at large for restoration of clean and drinking water to rural villages in the state. Mostly, women have been affected by this “Collect and Fetch” Rural Water Policy. No Matter, Government has launched so many schemes and policies but still they are out of arena. 

On this World Water Day, Government of India has to make an amendment to reach every village for accessing the clean drinking water to common people especially women of our country. It is only women, who have to suffer for clean water. Government should introduce rain water harvesting system in Rural India and make women to learn, to save the water. 

Let every citizen of the nation; take this pledge to save the water and the Global Village come on one platform, to save the world from next World War on water crisis. Water is a basic right and it should to reach every household across the nation and globe, But United Nations have to think much more to resolve the myth of water. 

CEEOIndia visited villages in District Budgam, Baramulla and Ganderbal. Where women are still waiting for water supply connections to their homes, Shakeela of Village Gutlibagh of Block Ganderbal, Kashmir Division said, we have no proper access to clean water. World is living on technology. Everyone is protesting for Livelihood, Women-Empowerment, Human-Rights and Environment Protection. But when it comes to clean the Rivers, Sea’s, Oceans and springs, few hands are up there to be on this job. 

Government is coming with Polices, and all struggle fails in a tap. It should be making clear in every walk of life to save water and all other natural resources. A habit of saving water will restore the glamour of the world and in Kashmir Valley; we have abundant resources of water. Let this spring, we will clean the channels, springs and other sources of water in our locality. 

(About the writer: Sheikh Mujeeb Ali, Freelance writer, Social-Lobbyist to CEEOIndia, connecting people to a Social-Empowerment platform designed by Government of India)