‘The next World War will be fought over water ‘– just a few years ago, this might have been considered a ridiculous statement. Water was never treated as a commodity and water scarcity was a myth. With drastic climate change, urbanization, deforestation and global warming, the myth is fast becoming a reality. Water – easily one of the most essential necessities of life – is increasingly becoming a scarce resource and hence requires careful planning and management.
In recognition of the need to manage our water supplies and preserve this resource for future generations, and in line with the efforts of Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) and Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust (NRTT) in addressing drinking water and sanitation challenges in rural areas, TATA Chemicals partnered with the Society for Service to Voluntary Agencies (SOSVA), to create a curriculum around the subject of water conservation that was then taught to 600 students across several schools in Mumbai.
The overarching goal of this pilot programme was to instill a sense of civic mindedness in young children and to create change ambassadors that could promote important messages around the very real threat of water scarcity. To this end, 70-80 children from each school, along with a team comprising of Principal, Head Teachers, and SOSVA volunteers were educated on themes related to the water scenario in Mumbai, role of the BMC, ways in which to conserve water, and water footprints of items used in day to day activity.
The students were also asked to conduct a home water audit at their home and neighborhood to find out the water usage for daily chores by every family member and their neighbors’. Performa of the same kind was given to Architectural students to who analysed the usage of water, pilferages, use and balance of water within the school premises. Based on these critical audits, the team then tried to rectify the problems and figure out solutions that would help reduce water wastage.
B Sudhakar, Chief Human Resources Officer, TATA Chemicals said, “The issue of water sanitation is paramount in today’s society, and especially in a country like India. A recent research report produced by TATA Chemicals and SOSVA indicates that globally, more than a billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and more than five million people, most of them children, die each year from illnesses caused from drinking unsafe water.
India is fast turning into a “water stressed” nation and needs to take smart, swift action on water planning and management. We are proud to pioneer initiatives like Jal Mission that help to educate young minds about important civic issues, making them important ambassadors of change and helping to build a generation that can make a meaningful difference in raising awareness around water sanitation and conservation.”
The culmination of this programme was a felicitation ceremony held on January 12th at OLPS School in Chembur, where students showcased their experience and learning’s through exhibitions, presentations, and theme based dance, drama and songs. Anant Nadkarni, Vice President, Group Social Responsibility, Tata Group was the chief guest for the function. Each school was also given a certificate acknowledging them as an Eco Sensitive School. The programme was a huge success and this event served to acknowledge the important efforts of our cities’ young children in advancing knowledge around water scarcity and the need for conserving resources.