LOOKING around Goa, I am reminded of the rhyme, ‘Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink’. We have the mighty rivers flowing 24x7x365. Numerous lakes, ponds and wells all over Goa. The rain Gods too have been very generous to us compared to the rest of India.
While it is true that the flow of water in our rivers may have receded to a great extent, and our lakes, ponds and wells may have been drying or contaminated because of the impact of environmental degradation through mining, untreated sewage, litter, slitting and deforestation, the fact remains that Goa has been fortunate compared to the rest of India. Sadly, it won’t be long before we Goans become victims of our own making, if we allow the environmental degradation to continue unabated.
With the natural recourses that we had pre-1961, if we had to take care of our environment and our water bodies, we would not have been facing such severe water shortages in the state. Man in the name of development has destroyed nature and the environment, polluting the air and the atmosphere and devastating our water bodies and water resources. How very often have we been caught unawares by nature’s fury?
But do we really learn from our mistakes? Until and unless environmental degradation is stopped and our water bodies and water sources are protected, our water scarcity problems will only magnify at an alarming pace. If we do not take immediate action, no matter how many tanks our politicians distribute, we will still suffer from shortage of water. What can we store in these tanks if there is no enough water flowing in our taps?
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