The Hindu 22.03.2010
Water, gender and poverty
Water is an astonishing substance — central to life, it nourishes our nations, drives our industry, washes away our scrap, satiates our thirst and brings beauty and pleasure into our lives. Yet, it is an unfortunate aspect of the nature of water that it flows towards power. Thus, it is always the feeble, the most vulnerable, who lack access to water, be it for drinking or for productive purposes.
India's huge economic growth and mounting population is putting an acute strain on water resources. Most water sources are contaminated by sewage and agricultural runoff. Blatant disparity in coverage exists across the country. It is estimated that 40 per cent of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water. Diarrhoea alone causes more than 2,000 deaths daily.
Living in Europe, I take clean water for granted, as many do out here. But that was not the attitude in Kerala, where I lived and grew up in the 1960s to mid-1970s. Our food had to be washed with tap water that we had to treat with chlorine because we couldn't trust the quality of the water. This experience has showed me, in practical terms, how precious clean water, which I enjoy now, really is.
That's a small inconvenience, though, when compared with the 750 million people in India who, even after 60 years of freedom, don't even have a choice of getting their water treated. And, many can't even get water.
The sad part is that people do not have to go without water. Granted, the issues in India are complex and diverse. But the water challenge can be tackled. The technology exists.
Solving the problem of water comes down to two main drivers: global collaboration and will. We need collaboration between all of us, whether in the private or public sectors, to ensure sustainable supply. Together, we need to take an integrated approach that goes beyond just technology and includes water usage, management, delivery, infrastructure, finance and education — the entire supply and delivery chain.
There are two key water challenges that are interrelated. First, this vital resource is being mismanaged and unsustainably used. Second, the Indian Government has failed miserably in ensuring access to adequate water and sanitation services for all. Water is essentially a local issue and, therefore, there are no one-size-fits-all answers. But solutions do exist and most of them have to do with good governance and efficient management. I do hope some political parties use this as a pledge in their election manifesto.
To say the least, India's inaction is despairing. What India needs is a carefully coordinated resolve and a “Marshall Plan” for water. And in this context, we can learn much from Europe.
Quality of groundwater
There are chemical quality standards for surface water, set out in the European Regulations on the Environmental Quality Requirements for Hazardous Substances in Surface Waters. These regulations stipulate the maximum permissible risk levels.
There are target values for groundwater, which are set out regarding target and intervention values for soil remediation. Water samples are taken on a daily basis to inspect water quality. This enables quick detection of water pollution. In dealing with pollution, the “polluter pays” principle applies.
Water requirements
In most of Europe all the water that is used in households is considered to be fit for drinking. For the sake of protecting public health, maximum values have been set out in the Water Supply Decree for the substances and micro-organisms that can be found in drinking water.
Consumers in Germany are excellently served, especially in view of drinking water quality and security of supply. Efficiency, security and quality of supply and disposal as well as sustainability are subject to high standards. Thus, longer interruptions of supply are unknown in Germany which is due to the high technical standards of treatment and distribution as well as the excellent condition of networks in a European comparison.Drinking water of an excellent quality is available to the citizens at all times. Europe has lots of clean water and lots of clean and safe toilets. No one dies due to lack of sanitation here. No one dies due to lack of clean drinking water.
In the Vedas, water is referred to as the “most maternal” ( maatritamaah). Indians have to tend and care for water as we respect our mother if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life to future generations.
