Scarcity of Water

There is so much of water on the earth's surface that our mother planets appears blue from the space, so it is also called Blue Planet or Watery Planet. Despite the fact that water is very abundant, all of it cannot be used, so there is scarcity of usable water.

·       * Nearly 97% of total water is in the oceans, but it is saline, and cannot be used.

·      * In addition, more than 2% of water is in the frozen state and is deposited in the ice-caps and glaciers, which again is not available for use.

·       * Then there is some water in the form of evaporation and groundwater.

Thus, we are left with a very little amount of water.

Recycling of Water : Thank the nature, it recycles for us. This process of recycling involves evaporation, condensation and precipitation. At first, the water evaporates from water bodies and plants; then it condenses in the form of clouds; and at last, it falls to the ground as rainfall or snowfall. Some of this precipitation becomes part of ice-cap or glaciers, and the remaining water flows in rivers and canals. Some water seeps into the ground and becomes groundwater. This process is called water cycle or hydrological cycle.

Thus, water is found in different forms : solid, liquid and gas. Water in its gaseous form is responsible for producing all freshwater resources on the earth through the process of precipitation.

Why Do We Face Scarcity of Water?

It is a pertinent question why we face scarcity of water. We use water in three main ways :

1.      Domestic Use : We need water at home for drinking, cooking, washing, bathing etc. This type of use is not very large. The water is disposed of in the drains, from where it flows into water bodies.

2.      Agricultural Use : A lot of water is consumed in irrigating the fields for growing crops. A large amount of this water flows back to the river bodies. So, this type of use is not very large.

3.      Industrial Use : Water is extensively used in industries for washing and processing. Once again, this water is allowed to flow into drains which ultimately flow into major water bodies.

The Big Question : If water from all types of uses goes back to water bodies, why is there its scarcity? Its answer is simple.

·         We pollute water when we use it.

·         And then we allow this polluted water to go back to clean water bodies, polluting them too.

Thus, we pollute more water than we use it. Ultimately, we get water from polluted water bodies. Have you read in newspapers about dirty water being supplied by the municipality? This is because we have dirtied our water bodies.

Therefore, it is essential that we take adequate steps to meet the scarcity which we have created by our own actions.