Have you ever experienced a time when there was a water shortage?
Necessity teaches us a lot in life. I grew up in the flat lands of Nepal, in the lap of lush green forest
and abundance of water resources. Growing up, water was plenty and vital part of my childhood.
Summers were very hot, consequently we cooled off with 2-3 showers a day, ice cold drinks and
weekends by the riverside.
After high school I moved to the city for College. That is when I faced
water scarcity for the first time in my life. It taught me the importance of water and its wise use.
The city was overcrowded so much so the municipal water supply barely met the demands. The
municipality supplied water on alternate days for about 4 hrs on a schedule: from 4 am to 6 am and
1-3 pm, which meant I had to wake up very early to fill my water storage containers because in the
afternoon I would be at college. Two hours might sound enough time but it is not ample considering
there was only one tap for 8-10 families living in the same building and everyone had to take turns
filling up. We had no alternate source except for occasional water tankers which we would pay for.
Some places in the city had old stone spouts while others had deep wells but major areas of the city
faced shortage of water throughout the year. The scarcity was more prevalent during the winters.
Early years in the city was tough. Gradually, I learned to make the best use of what I had. I learned
to take bath with only one bucket of water and only on days when I had enough water. Doing laundry
and dishes was tricky. I used to conserve water from rinsing my hair to use it for washing clothes
(first cycle) and I adopted more denims in my wardrobe because I could get away with washing them
only once or twice a week. Later I practiced rain water harvesting in the terrace; nothing fancy just a
huge barrel and kept the lid open whenever it rained. It collected enough water for laundry and
cleaning- taking advantage of the plentiful rain in monsoon season. I became an efficient user
eventually.
I moved to Canada recently but life back in the city is probably still the same if not worse.
I still practice sustainable water usage even though my taps are always running. I still have a bucket
in my bathtub, for old habits are hard to break!
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