sample copy. not for distribution.1 the tirukkural or thirukkural (tamil name: த ர க க...
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A Journey for Water
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A Journey for
Water
Arul Durai S
EDUCREATION PUBLISHING (Since 2011)
www.educreation.in
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Dedication This book is dedicated to all who are compelled to take
„A Journey for Water‟.
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Foreword
Water is a vital component of any ecosystem, including
forests, lakes, and wetlands. Food and nutritional security of
present and future generations depend on them. Globally, a large
proportion of water is spent on agriculture. However, inappropriate
water consumption through agricultural practices is a threat to
rainfed agricultural practices and is a major source of water
pollution.
The vagaries of nature and climate changes are other reasons
for limiting crop productivity and depleting water resources in
the most water-starved stretch. The high climatic turbulence and
weather conditions will be a challenge calling for urgent mitigation
and adaptation actions.
The Regional Water Vision 2025 for South Asia drafted by the
World Water Council reflects the current position of South Asia on
the sustainable development of their water resources. “Poverty in
South Asia will be eradicated and living conditions of all people
will be uplifted to sustainable levels of comfort, health and well-
being through integrated development and management of water
resources.”
This vision reflects the importance of providing for basic human
needs to ensure an improved livelihood. In the case of South Asia,
poverty and poor access to safe water resources have limited the
capacity of the poor people to improve their situation. This, in turn,
has perpetuated the poverty cycle, especially among rural
populace.
In this book “A Journey for Water”, writer Arul Durai aptly details
the common man‟s struggle to fetch clean, potable water and
throws light on the need to preserve water resources through
community action. In a bid to mitigate the impact of water misuse
and to ensure optimal usage to achieve economic and human
development, a water policy that adequately addresses the
challenges we face or will face is the need of the hour. The policy
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should recognise water as a national resource and must eke out a
way to manage water in a decentralised way, with
partnerships between local communities and the respective state
governments.
I accord my best wishes to Mr Arul Durai for being the
torchbearer of this noble initiative and in addressing the urgent
need of preserving our water resources and bodies through
collective action.
Dr.Kalpana Sankar
Managing Trustee
Hand in Hand India
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Abbreviations
AMMA- Assured Maximum Service to Marginal People in All
Villages
BC-Backward Caste
CPI (M)- Communist Party of India (Marxist)
CNN- Cable News Network
CSO- Central Statistical Organization
DDP-Desert Development Program
DHAN- Development of Humane Action
ESRC- Economic and Social Research Council
FAO-Food and Agriculture Organization
GOs- Government Orders
GoTN- Government of Tamil Nadu
GWSSB- Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board
HDI- Human Development Index
ICOLLs- Intermittently Closed and Open Lakes and Lagoons
ISIS- Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
MBC- Most Backward Caste
MDGs-Millennium Developmental Goals
MNCs- Multinational Companies
NCDHR- National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights
NGO- Non-Governmental Organization
NRDWP- Nation Rural Drinking Water Program
OHCHR- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights
O&M-Operation and Maintenance
PWD- Public Works Department
RO- Reverse Osmosis
SC-Scheduled Caste
ST- Scheduled Tribe
TWAD- Tamil Nadu Water Supply And Drainage Board
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UK-United Kingdom
UN-United Nations
UNDP-United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
UNICEF- United Nations International Children‟s Emergency
Fund
USA- United States of America
WHO-Word Health Organization
WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature
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Content List
Sr. Content Page
1
Water too needs an introduction: Need of the Hour
1
2 Right to Water 7
3 Safe Drinking Water and Social Exclusion 24
4 Water and plight of Dalits in India 39
5 Water Body: A Source of Life 50
6 Water Turned Mirage! 64
7 Water: Available, but not accessible 71
8 Palanquin for water 79
9 The Third World War Emerging
From Our Own Native Places 85
10 Village ponds safeguard 91
11 A Journey for Water 97
12 Water sources and livelihoods 113
13 Availability and Accessibility of Drinking water in
Mudukulathur Taluk, Ramanathapuram District 119
14 Let‟s call off the journey for water 129
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A Journey for Water
1
Chapter-1
Water Too Needs
An Introduction: Need of the Hour ______________________________________________________
Even though water is one of the basic needs of every being we,
human beings often fail to understand it in our day today life.
Therefore, water too needs an introduction to the human beings.
The following passage, „Water too needs an introduction: Need of
the Hour‟ briefly explains to us how water has been one of the key
sources of beings and how we need to treat water as one of the
respectful stuffs in our day today life.
--------------
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A Journey for Water
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When water fails, functions of nature cease, you say: Thus
when rain fails, no men can walk in “duty‟s ordered way”.
Thiruvalluvar, Thirukkural1 (20)
What do we mean by Water?
Water is an essential substance upon which all life depends. It is
the elixir of life, a precious gift of nature to humankind and
millions of other species living on the earth. It is fast becoming a
scare commodity in most part of the world. Water resources
comprising surface water (river and lakes), ground water and
marine and coastal waters, support all living things including
human beings. Where there is water there is life, and where water
is scarce, life has to struggle. About 75% of the earth‟s surface is
covered by water, yet as the famous quote goes “water, water,
everywhere… but not a drop to drink”.
It is noted that about 97% of all water is in the oceans;
freshwater is only 3% of all Earth‟s water. However, the physical
state of water, including the freshwater, is not always liquid.
Nearly 69% is locked up in glaciers, icecaps and permanent snow
covers of both poles, mountainous regions and in Greenland. Land
based glaciers affect stream flow quantity and provides water
resources to the lowland regions. While 30% of freshwater comes
from groundwater only 0.3% of the freshwater on Earth is
contained in river systems, lakes and reservoirs, we are most
familiar with as it is the most accessible water source to satisfy
human needs in our daily lives. Water is not in a static condition
but there is a dynamic “exchange” of water among the ocean, land
and atmosphere. The turnover of water involves water evaporation
and precipitation process. The turnover of the Earth‟s water
estimates as 577,000 cubic km per year (Shiklomanov, 1996) and
about 40% of precipitation that falls on land comes from ocean
1 The Tirukkural or Thirukkural (Tamil Name: திருக்குறள்), or shortly the Kural, is a
classic Tamil sangam literature consisting of 1330 couplets or kurals, dealing with the everyday
virtues of an individual. Considered one of the greatest works ever written on ethics and morality, it
is known for its universality and non-denominational nature.[3] It was authored by Valluvar, also
known as Thiruvalluvar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirukku%E1%B9%9Ba%E1%B8%B7).
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A Journey for Water
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derived evaporation and 60% from land surface. These large
volumes of water illustrate the key role that precipitation plays in
renewing water resources, especially recharging the ground water
which is the main source of freshwater and supporting both rain
fed agriculture and ecosystem.2The dynamics and value of full
renewal of water, full replenishment, depend on water volume and
its dynamics.
The Concept of „Water World‟ changes
We did call the world as „Water World‟ as the world had been
showered with enough water and the world witnessed more of
greenery climates. However, the concept is lost due to lack of
encouragement given to the development of greeneries over the
periods.
There are different types of technologies introduced in the
wider society to change the taste of water. But, we fail to
understand that only soil has an authority to change the original
taste of water.
Land and water have great relationships and they cannot be
separated. Taste of water depends on the soil. In course of time,
people used to cut branches of gooseberry trees to increase the
taste of water. If the well water of their village is unpleasant to
drink, these branches and roots are put into the well. So also,
gooseberry trees are planted around the wells and ponds and the
people began calling such wells and ponds as „Gooseberry ponds‟
which became a custom of the Tamil people in India.
People in India, especially the women in rural areas, fetch
water from their ponds. This particular activity of fetching water in
the early part of the day was more of „relationship building‟. The
women enquired the other especially their health and the activities
of the day. This brought about solidarity and made them stronger
to live together without much conflict in life. Therefore, water, the
essential substance for life does not play a role of physical-needs
2 Refer to the 2nd UN World Water Development Report: Water, a shared responsibility. 2006. pp.
123-125.
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A Journey for Water
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alone but also plays the role of relationship building and getting to
know each other better.
Water also created a cordial space for guests and visitors. It
has been a strongly rooted culture among Tamil people in India
that when outsiders/ strangers or guests come home, the owner of
the house is supposed to welcome the person coming home with a
glass of water. Sometimes, even though the person is a stranger,
she/ he requests the owner of the house with a positive expectation,
“Give me a cup of water.” And the owner of the house responds to
the appeal of the person, positively, without any negative
reaction(s). Thus, water stands as „fulfilling the need of a person‟.
Religions of the World and various cultures of the people in the
world conduct their rites keeping water as a focal substance.
Water, which was a source of life from birth to death of a
person and which was used free of cost has become price worthy!
Water which is a public property is telescoped to private property!
As a result, water is sold for a price and the poor find it difficult to
get potable water! Water which had been uniting people together
separates them now. Globalization which has been generously
practiced among the nations like India has taken „water‟ as one of
the highly industrial substance among business men.
Water which was public property has been commercialized
and the poor become weak, without proper water for consumption
and cultivation.
Due to lack of water, people are forced to drop the traditional
cultivation and the cultivable lands are sold to the industrial
sectors.
Annual water requirement for different uses (in km3) Year
1997-
98
2010 Year 2025 Year 2050 Year
Use Low High % Low High % Low High %
Surface Water
Irrigation 318 330 339 48 325 366 43 375 463 39
Domestic
use
17 23 24 3 30 36 5 48 65 6
Industries 21 26 26 4 47 47 6 57 57 5
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