Amid reports of shortage of water in several States, the Modi Government has started various conservation measures to plug the leakages at every level by asking all the Ministries and departments to install aerators — a device that can control the flow of water from the water taps, thereby avoiding wastage —in the taps used in the Government buildings being one of them.
An order has been issued by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry recently in this regard stating that "all the Ministries/departments are requested to issue directions to the concerned authorities to fit aerators in taps used in buildings of Ministries/departments of Government of India thereby conserving a large amount of water."
"It is brought to the notice of this Ministry that a simple device called aerator could control the flow of water from the taps and thereby help in conservation of water. Aerators are small attachments that are fitted at the end of the water taps or can be inserted inside the spout.
"The aerators through their fine pores break the incoming stream of water into the sub-streams. Therefore, while the out-flowing water is sufficient for utilisation towards cleanliness, wastage is prevented by reducing excess flow. This device substantially saves water with no sacrifice in water pressure and rinse ability of water," it added.
It also said there is an increasing gap between water availability and demand, which highlights the need for conservation of water.
"With water levels falling drastically and several states across India facing a severe water shortage, every small step taken in the direction of conservation of water would go a long way in tackling scarcity of water in the country," it added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too in his Mann Ki Baat radio address last week stressed on water conservation such as creatin awareness on water shortage, sharing knowledge of traditional methods of water storage and information about individuals and NGOs working on water conservation.
About half of India is facing drinking water crisis with Chennai and Bengaluru bearing the brunt as monsoon got delayed and arrived without a brimming bucket. A Niti Aayog report released last year predicts Day Zero for 21 Indian cities by next year. Day Zero refers to the day when a place is likely to have no drinking water of its own.
According to the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) prepared by the thinktank, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad are among the most susceptible. The situation is likely to worsen given that India is set to overtake China as the world's most populous country in less than a decade — and by 2050 it will have added 416 million urban residents, as per the UN.
Demand for water will reach twice the available supply by 2030, the UN report said -- placing hundreds of millions of lives in danger