Do you know how much water you use in a day? According to the Central Ground Water Authority in India, it is estimated that an average individual needs close to 135 litres of water every day to go through all daily activities from consumption to sanitation. This number can go up to 200 depending on how long your shower is and whether a bathtub is being used in your house! However, not everyone has equal access to water. While some of us consume (and waste) much more than what is required, a lot of poor people have to make do with much less. It is, hence, important that we use water judiciously. Let us look at a few ways in which we can measure how much water we use and ensure there is no waste.
A resident demonstrates how people filter water in the village of Foth, Senega.
| Photo Credit:
AFP
Calculating the basics
Consumption of water is extremely necessary for our health; cutting down on the litres of water you drink a day and getting dehydrated is not the solution for water conservation here. The major water waste comes from much smaller things around us, which we often fail to see. The drops of water falling from that leaking tap in your house or school, the extra five minutes you keep the shower on while humming a song, or even the gap between taking the toothpaste out of the cabinet while brushing your teeth—all lead to litres of clean water going down the drain. You can calculate your water footprint using an online water footprint calculator from reliable sources like WWF.
According to the NITI Aayog report, nearly 600 million Indians face high-to-extreme water stress, with around 200,000 people dying annually due to inadequate access to safe water. Major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai are experiencing severe water shortages, and the situation is expected to worsen with time. Hard-hit regions include Southern and Central Asia and North Africa, where the situation is considered critical. Even countries with highly developed infrastructure, like the United States, are seeing water levels drop to record lows.
Pause before you dispose!
Did you know there is so much hidden water waste in the production of several everyday items around us? To produce one kilogram of wheat takes 1158 litres of water, a pair of jeans needs close to 3,781 litres of water, while the smartphone you use needs 12,760 litres of water and close to 5 litres of water are used to make an A4 sheet. So before you think about buying a new phone because it’s trending or crumbling an A4 sheet up, pause and think about the thousands of litres of water being disposed of.
Let your voice rise!
Is your home or hostel water conservation friendly? Are there leaking taps or pipes left unnecessarily open? Point it out to your elders and spread awareness about the importance of water conservation in everyday activities. Sit with your family and calculate your individual and total average water footprint to understand where water is being wasted more. Water wastage is a significant contributor to the global water crisis. A typical shower can use between 10 to 25 litres of water per minute. On average, a 10-minute shower can waste around 100 to 250 litres of water.
Talk to people around you about what the major water resource was while they were growing up. In many rural areas of India and other developing nations, women and girls bear the responsibility of fetching water for their households. Due to the lack of nearby water sources, they often have to walk long distances—sometimes up to 5 to 10 kilometres daily—to access clean water. This not only consumes their time but also exposes them to physical exhaustion, health risks, and safety concerns. Explore whether people around you are facing the same struggles to attain clean water.
The presence of separate toilets and menstrual hygiene management facilities can help girls stay in school and reduce school dropouts and absenteeism, which further reduces the risk of early marriage and pregnancy. Studies have shown that a quarter of all girls in school in India took time off when menstruating because of inadequate gender-specific toilets and the non-availability of sanitary pads in schools. According to another study, nearly 22% of schools in India, did not have appropriate toilets for girls and 58% of preschools had no toilets at all.
Many schools in water-stressed regions lack proper hygiene facilities, leading to increased dropout rates, particularly among girls during menstruation. Ensuring access to clean water in schools can significantly improve attendance and overall educational outcomes. Does your school have enough water available for consumption and sanitation? Check whether the same comes from groundwater resources; if not, enquire whether your school has a rainwater harvesting system.
Conservation conversation
Do you make sure to keep your toilets and washrooms clean after use? Or is their third-party involvement in ensuring you have clean sanitation facilities? Do you interact with sanitation workers around you?
You might have seen people in your school or near your homes involved in sanitation work; strike up a conversation with them and understand how much water is being used in a day by them to clean. Try to figure out ways to conserve water through them and how you can help in making their work more water-efficient!
In 2010, the United Nations recognised the human right to water and sanitation, stating that everyone has the right to sufficient, safe, acceptable, and affordable water for personal and domestic use. Over half of the global population, or 4.2 billion people, lacks safely managed sanitation services.
Actions, not words!
Organisations like the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Centre for Environment Education have multiple programs and resources that help in understanding and involving in water conservation better. CSE’s School of Water Waste and MOUNT are just two of the programs that help in getting started with water conservation. From Eco Club programs to sustainable school campus programs, CEE also caters to students and teachers to become water efficient.
Did you know?
There are several magazines that discuss water conservation. In India, Water Digest is a prominent magazine focusing on water conservation, management, and the water treatment industry, acting as a mouthpiece for the water industry since 2006. A few other publications include Water Today, Smart Water Magazine, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, and Bhoomi Magazine. There are also several initiatives, like the National Water Mission, Jal Shakti Abhiyan, and the National Water Awards.
The Swarovski Waterschools in Pune have been working in collaboration with WWF India to preserve water resources and raise awareness in schools on the impact of water scarcity and the importance of clean water while providing sustainable water supplies and adequate sanitation facilities in schools. Capacity-building initiatives like forming WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) clubs in schools or educating young environmental leaders and Ganga Mitras (women who take on environmental leadership) all help to increase the reach and spread awareness for environmental protection and sustainable practices more broadly. It is important to develop more such initiatives and involve students in water conservation and environmental issues from a young age. This will help ensure better awareness among them and, in turn, in the generations to come as well!
niranjana.ps@thehindu.co.in
Published – March 22, 2025 10:39 am IST
