So. Are you the pink heart-shaped balloons and chocolates-type person? Or the one that runs away from those things kind? Whichever camp you fall into, it cannot have escaped your notice that the day ardently looked on by the starry eyed is almost upon us. What was that? What has that got to do with us, you ask?
Well, nothing. Exactly. Just that it is never the wrong time to talk about our depleting natural resources, including water and what better day than the Day of Love, to show some love to our beloved Planet Earth?
How do we do that? Let’s start, as with the best things in life, with some simple stuff and build it up.
1. Turn those taps off. A little drip-drip adds up to many litres of water lost. Make sure you leave no tap dripping in your home, workplace or where ever you may be. If there is a leaky tap in your vicinity, be the Water Ninja and turn those pesky dripping taps off real tight.
2. Keep your taps turned off when you and your family brush your teeth. Better still, fill a glass with water and use just that amount of water to complete your brushing teeth ritual. You would be amazed at how much water this saves you!
3. Be mindful of how much water you expend. When we had to queue up on the streets to get our daily rationed water of 4 buckets per household, we made sure that not one drop was wasted. But what with water flowing out of our taps 24/7 and the ubiquitous water tankers, we have lost sight of what a precarious situation we are in, with respect to the availability of clean, potable water. Say goodbye to endless showers and say hello to mindful usage of water.
4. Again, having a finite quantity of water goes a long way in ensuring none of it gets wastage. Put away the hosepipe and use a bucket-and-mug combo to water your plants.
5. Ditto, car/bike washing. Just fill a bucket and start taking the grime off. Rely more on elbow grease to clean your ride, instead of an abundance of water.
6. Do not throw plastic waste anywhere except in the garbage bins. Ensure that they get disposed off properly. Else, they will come right back to us, bringing along more of their friends and fellow bags and choke us.
7. Most of all, teach the children how wrong it is to waste water, litter on the streets or participate in any kind of activities that harm the environment and foul the surroundings. Never forget: what goes around, comes around.
Show some love to our planet, this Valentine’s Day! You will be the biggest beneficiary!
