The Bengaluru Water Crisis
Well, this has been the buzzword of recent news. And rightfully so. Bengaluru has been facing immense water shortage lately. But how did we get here ? It is obvious that situations like these don’t happen overnight. And what we can learn from this ?
You might have heard about the problems being caused by the water crisis in the news already. We are not going into that. We are concerned more about the cause and effect of such events. And what we can do about it. The Bengaluru water crisis is not a sudden occurrence. This has been steadily happening for years now. And the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and other nearby states have been witnessing lower than normal rainfalls for quite some time. And Bengaluru has some factors that heighten the problem even more. The first thing being the fact that it is the Silicon Valley of India. So, the number of people migrating to this city is immense. And the second thing being the fact that the drinking water supply happens in two ways - through pipelines and through groundwater. With less rainfall, groundwater levels have been low already. And now, it has reached a point of severe deficit. Which has caused disruption in daily life. Also, the South Indian acquirer is a bit different. It is hard and rocky. Which means that it does not hold water for very long. It depletes fast and also gets refilled fast. So, there is a high degree of dependance on rainfall for people who get drinking water from under the ground.
This is another example that tells how climate change affects us directly. And let’s make it clear,
“When climate change strikes daily life, the event is a sudden occurrence. But the foundations of that sudden occurrence are laid well before in the past.”
It is just like a chronic disease. You get to experience the pain a lot later. But the disease had been developing from a very long time in the body.
Lekin aise time pe karna kya hai?
That’s the main the thing we all are concerned about. With climate change increasing, the probability of such events happening will increase. So, here are the things we can do to deal with such situations.
Ensure survival : This is the first thing you need to do. And it’s pretty obvious. According to the climate crisis that has occurred, arrange for the resources you would need for your survival. In case it's a resource crisis like water scarcity or something similar, look out for alternates. You never know, the crisis can occur even when you are not in the best of health. So, always keep a first aid kit handy. The first aid kit should be according to the health conditions you have.
Connect with concerned authorities : After you have ensured of your temporary survival, connect with the concerned authorities who are managing the issue at a bigger level. This can be disaster management crews in case of a severe natural disaster. You would find them nearby in such situations. In cases of disaster, these crews are specially trained to rescue people. And they follow certain methodologies to execute their task. Techniques like swiftwater rescue operations, defensive swimming are used by them to help you out. Do note one thing, these people are trained to rescue vulnerable population on priority. People who have a higher chance of getting injured are rescued first. So, they would take extra care while rescuing people from places like hospitals. Although their aim is obviously to secure everyone. There is no discrimination as such. It’s just a matter of situational awareness and providing priority assistance to those who need it urgently. So, if you find yourself in the midst of something like a flood situation, and if you have a hospital nearby, do consider being there instead of your house. You would find help much quicker. Also make sure that the authorities are informed of your medical complexity (if any) when they come to rescue you in times of a natural disaster. This would be of great help in case you need an inhaler (for asthma patients) or any other medical help immediately when rescue people reach you. You can inform them about this through the helpline numbers that are floated at such times. In cases of a resource crisis, you can connect with the department that deals with the said resource. For example, the water department in case of a water crisis and electricity department of your municipal organisation in case of an electricity crisis.
Check for any financial compensations that you can get : After you have ensured your survival and gotten in touch with authorities, you would be helped out by them. And after the conditions have stabilised, you must check if you can get any financial compensations or claims. For example, if you have a home insurance, you can get a claim in case of damage due to a natural disaster like flood, earthquake or cyclone, etc. In many cases, state and central governments also announce relief packages and compensations for people who have suffered damage to health and property.
Consider moving out of your current locality for some time : If you are facing a resource crisis like the Bengaluru one, consider moving to some other place for some time. So that you can be safe.
In case of chronic disease manifesting itself, you can’t do much at that time. You would immediately go to the doctor who would give you medicines so that the current pain is dealt with. After that you go back to correcting your lifestyle. In the same manner, when you encounter a sudden crisis, you can only do things that get you out of the situation. After that crisis or disaster has stabilised (or gotten over), the real work starts.
The one who learns from their mistakes and ensures that they never happen again, wins. This is true here as well. After you have somehow battled the situation and come out on top, you must ensure that you are better prepared for something similar happening in the future. For example, if you live in a place like Orissa which is prone to cyclones, you might consider having your house built in a better way with a construction technique because of which the house can handle high wind speeds and water levels. Also, if you live in an earthquake prone region, similar actions would be needed.
Ofcourse, some of these actions would be expensive. But nothing is more expensive than life itself. Last but definitely not the least, consider taking actions that enhance the environment. Because that would help you directly. No one would like a drainage channel getting blocked due to plastic waste during flood. So, small actions that help the environment get better with time are always a welcome move. And of course , taking such actions is not a compulsion. But it’s definitely sensible. At the end of the day, it is you who decides what is best for your survival. Nobody can dictate it, and nobody should. Think for yourself !