It has been observed that some vested commercial-minded organizations take the rich and affluent segments of the society for a ride by staging so-called Rain-Dance shows for spinning quick money by offering fun and pleasure in the name of culture. Organizing such shows under artificial rain results in sheer wastage of precious water and amounts to crime against the water-starved society. Almost all parts of India in general and Metropolitans in particular are adversely water-affected areas where level of ground water has gone down too low and drinking water supply is so acute. Thus organizing such artificial rain festivals in those areas is prone to culminate in the wastage of millions of gallons of precious water just for fun for few hours.
We strongly disapprove of such extravaganza in the name of culture. On the contrary, the local people should be imparted training in rainwater harvesting so that water is preserved and conserved for meeting the shortage. Such functions can be organized whenever there is natural rainfall and there also the people should be taught about developing the habit of preservation and conservation of water.
The concerned local authorities should not allow staging such shows and take precaution that water is not wasted in the name of festivals or culture. India is already faced with acute shortage of drinking water. The underground water reserves are depleting at the phenomenal rate. Surface water, particularly the rivers are heavily polluted. All these developments point to a grim situation in the coming years particularly during the summer.
It devoles on the authorities as well as on the citizenry to hed the alarming bell and start developing the habit of judicious use of water, water conservation, keep the underground and surface water resources free from pollution and cultivate the haib of rainwater harvesting.
We had inherited a rich legacy of abundant water and then India was a water-surplus nation but what we are leaving as a legacy for the posteriety is pollution, global warming and India as a water-deficit nation. Is it worthwhile? Let’s heed call of nature and save water.
