Chennai is among several other Indian cities that are severely hit by the water crisis and are soon to run out of water. The situation is going from bad to worse with denizens heavily relying on tankers to fulfil their daily water needs. However, the city has taken the grim water crisis seriously and is working to find effective ways to overcome it.
While some stand in long queues to fetch a bucket of water, others had to buy a kilogram of idli-dosa batter to get a bucket of water free.
Yes, you read that right!
According to Times Of India, a Triplicane businessman C N Parthasarathy, who runs an Idli-dosa batter selling shop on B V Naicker Street, has put up a board outside his shop saying customers can avail a bucket of water free for every kilogram of batter they buy.
41-year-old Parthasarathy said there was no business motive in the venture and he would be spending from his profits to get water from a private tanker.
Every day, on an average, more than 100 customers buy batter from Parthasarathy’s quaint shop but only a few took water. “Of them, only 10-15 customers would avail of the water. I just want to do it as a service,” he said.
“The only requirement for customers is to bring their own buckets and to boil the water before using it. These days, you have to be careful even if you intended to do service,” he added.
According to the World Bank’s study, water scarcity will cost India 6 per cent of its GDP if the country continues to mismanage water resources by 2050. With health, agriculture, income and property being the majorly affected sectors.
Borewells are drying and the sudden showers of rain are the only silver lining. Parthasarathy’s efforts towards serving the society are indeed commendable. It is only through the collaborative efforts of the government and citizens alike that we can handle this grave crisis effectively across drought-prone India.
It is high time we realise this and not only save every drop of water but also adopt effective ways to fulfil our daily water needs.
Cover image:1