Save water OR ELSE

March 22nd, 2006 by sameer | Posted in General |

Save water OR ELSE
By: A Mid Day Correspondent
March 22, 2006

Today is World Water Day. Reports suggest that by
2025, two-thirds of the world will not have enough
water.

By 2050, this will spread to the entire globe. Yet,
too many of us take it for granted. Here are some
statistics to shake us out of our indifference.

12
Mumbai’s population, in millions

3,855
Our daily water demand, in millions of litres

3,000
Our daily water supply

50%
The subsidy you get on water. The BMC buys it for Rs
6.25 per 1,000 litres. Middle-class homes are charged
Rs 3.5 per 1,000 litres. Slum dwellers get it for Rs
2.25 per 1,000 litres

1,000
The amount of water, in litres, that a five-member
middle-class family uses per day

650
The ideal daily water consumption for such a family

450
The amount of water, in litres, that a five-member
slum family uses per day

200
The ideal daily water consumption for such a family

10
The amount of water, in litres, used each time you
flush the toilet

20
The amount, in litres, that your shower discharges
every minute. You need just 20 litres for a satisfying
bath

We overuse water by five times every day, while people
who live in the catchments zones that supply our water
often have to travel 4 km a day to fetch water. Is
that fair?
- T V Shah, BMC officer on special duty