[ad_1]
We all can do our part in making the environment sustainable and conservation of water is one of the many things that we can do. So why is it so important to conserve water? Because this saves energy. Energy is required for filtering the water, pumping it to your homes and heating it.
By reducing the usage of water, you can reduce your carbon footprint. “Using less water helps in maintaining the balance in our ecosystems. This helps to retain wetlands for birds, animals, and fish. This is especially important during drought periods and in areas like Delhi-NCR, where there is a big demand for water supplies,” says Fawzia Tarannum, the national coordinator for water at The Climate Reality Project (India and South Asia). According to experts, an average person uses around 140 litres of water a day. Water scarcity is becoming more prevalent and is only expected to worsen.
One can collect rainwater athome in an effective manner without spending too much money. Through rainwater harvesting, an average Indian family can easily collect enough rainwater to meet its daily needs of water for washing, bathing, and even drinking, according to experts. Conservationist Tarannum says to save water in the kitchen, one can take small steps such as putting a lid on the saucepan to reduce the amount of water lost during heating and putting the washing machine on the ‘eco’ setting mode for laundry. Similarly, a lot of water is wasted in the washroom.
People can turn the tap off while brushing teeth or shaving. A running tap can waste more than six litres of water a minute. Take a bucket bath instead of a shower. An average shower uses around 45 litres of water, which a bucket can hold an average of 20 litres. Install water-efficient taps and showers to minimise heating water – this will save you money on your water and energy bills, as well as decrease your carbon footprint. Apart from the kitchen and washroom, people can cut down on the water used for gardening. According to experts, sprinklers use a lot of water and it is not ideal for NCR.
It’s okay for the lawn to go brown — it will recover the next time it rains. “Use water harvesting units to catch large amounts of rain and use this to water your plants and clean your car,” says Tarannum. Moreover, people in NCR can plant drought-resistant plants that don’t require as much watering.
Also, people can make a ‘rain garden’. An area in your garden at a lower level compared to the rest can be separated. Water from all corners of the garden will flow to wards this spot and accumulate in that area. This will help recharge the groundwater table.
“The collected rainwater can also be used for gardening,” she says. According to data from the Central Groundwater Authority (CGWA), out of 141 blocks in Haryana, 85 blocks (60% of the state’s geographical area) reached the ‘red’ category in 2020 due to groundwater overexploitation. In 2004, CGWA reported that 55 blocks fell under the ‘red category’, which means that 30 more blocks have come under the distressed category now, a rise of 21%.
[ad_2]
Source link