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     Gobar times: Environment for Beginners

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C O V E R  S T O R Y

WINNING WATER

What can you do?
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You can also achieve such miracles… wherever you are—a city, a town or a village. Oh yes, you can. All you need is determination… to know more about your water!

Chandru has made up his mind already…and he has some tips for you on where and how to begin:

dot3.gif (72 bytes) Find the source: The supplier may be the municipality or a tankerwallah, but where is the water in your tap coming from?—a river? A lake? Or is it groundwater?

dot3.gif (72 bytes) Get familiar: Go and check out the source now. If it is a river or a lake, how clean and healthy does it look? If it is groundwater, what is level of the watertable in your area? Can you also find out what the level was five years ago?

How much do I use?
You can find out for yourself. Here are some clues for you:

dot3.gif (72 bytes) Check the water bill that you receive every month. (Remember, the amount shown here may not be correct if you do not have a working water metre!)

dot3.gif (72 bytes) Count the number of times you call for a tanker…and how much water does it carry each time?

dot3.gif (72 bytes) Find out the volume of water stored by the tank on your roof. And how many times in a day do you need to run the pump to fill it up?

dot3.gif (72 bytes) Do you buy drinking water? If yes, then keep track of the number of containers you buy in a month.

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dot3.gif (72 bytes) Action time: If you are not happy with what you saw…(most of you would be appalled!), then start thinking of how you can improve the situation. Can you harvest rain to feed your source, like the Lapodiyans? Can you recycle the water that flows out of your house as waste?

Now the most important step--

dot3.gif (72 bytes) Find out how much water is consumed by your family in one month!
This needs a lot of leg work and some clever investigation (see box: How much do I use?).

Have fun with your water and do let us know how you plan to earn your right!

So now you know the amount of water you use. At least approximately...it is much, much more than you thought…right? Here is what you can do to use it more wisely and frugally:
ACTIVITY DO DON'T
Brushing teeth Pour water in a mug Keep the tap running
Bath Fill bucket Avoid shower
Flush toilet Use low volume toilet; or put a plastic bottle in the tank to regulate flow Large capacity tank
Clean vegetables In a container Use running water
Clean driveways, steps and sidewalks Use a broom Use a hose
Watering plants, cleaning cars Use a bucket Use a hose


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