AS they say, “still water runs deep”. It appears that we have not fully addressed the “mystery” behind the water pollution that comes too frequently. We have taken our basic necessity for granted for too long now and the pollution issue has been dealt with rather insubstantially.
Not one incident but several this year alone have a paralysing impact on our lives and livelihood. The most recent being the days when dry taps became both a hotly debated topic at high places as well as the table discussion topic just about everywhere.
From the frequent recurrence, we can broadly surmise that the issue has been dealt with superficially and episodically without investigating the root cause. If we are all led to believe that it is a matter of being penny wise, pound foolish, toeing the line with proper compliance requirements would have shed some light. Or was it the case of lack of monitoring and enforcement?
Thousands of people were thrown off course and businesses had to be shut down, leading to losses in already trying times.
There was nowhere to go for compensation.
The relevant authorities should reimburse for the losses by stripping the money off the culprits responsible for the reckless act of pollution.
Another major debacle was the thoughtless acts of netizens who emptied the shelves of bottled water, going on hoarding sprees. I don’t understanding why families had to buy cartons of water bottles as if the entire nation is preparing for prolonged drought.
Consideration for others’ needs was completely absent and all people thought of was themselves and their family. The adage “every man for himself” was overemphasised and grossly misplaced this time around.
During the weekend at the height of the debacle, I went from malls to convenience stores and not a single water bottle was available. There should have been restrictions imposed by limiting the number of bottles each customer is allowed to purchase.
Where I live in a high rise, people were bringing home cartons by the dozens and it was all for a matter of a few days till the water supply returned.
What greediness!
You never know the worth of water until the well runs dry. We had to brush our teeth with just a cup of water.
If we can use little water when we are forced to, why don’t we start using water frugally when there is plenty. That will go a long way towards preserving our planet.
We have about 2.3 billion people living in areas with water scarcity globally, and the number is increasing.
In Malaysia, the rising national demand for water and the changing climate will stress our water resources, according a recent report. However, the water industry in Malaysia is mired with inefficiency.
Inefficiency in water management has allowed water loss through pipe leakage and the national average is presently 35%, nearly thrice that of developed countries as estimated by the World Bank and nowhere near the government’s target to reduce non-revenue water (NRW) to 25% by 2020.
According to the National Water Services Commission, three quarters of NRW are due to physical losses through leaking pipes.
An average family can waste up to 120 litres of water a week from household leaks. That’s equivalent to the amount of water needed to wash more than 300 loads of laundry.
Running the dishwasher only when it’s full can eliminate one load of dishes per week and save the average family nearly 1,200 litres of water annually.
Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save litres of water per day and, while shaving, can save up to 38 litres of water per shave. Assuming you brush your teeth twice daily and shave five times per week, you could save nearly 21,660 litres per year.
So, let’s wake up and do our bit. We don’t have to let disasters strike or a crisis to surface to value the most easily available commodity.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
