Sound Off!!!

A small article I wrote for the Hindu back in 2005 lashing out at some of the most common problems as Hindu rightly described the section as "SOUND OFF"!!!

Date:28/03/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2005/03/28/stories/2005032801600100.htm

Precious Drops
What stops us from doing a simple, sensible thing like placing a bottle under that leaking tap, asks Kiran A. Nayaknur

Kiran: `Can't we do something to see that the future generations enjoy at least a part of the benefits we're enjoying?'

I was struck by a hoarding in the city that says: "The air, water and soil are not gifts from our parents, but loans from our children."
I recall this line every time I read a headline in the newspapers about rise in oil prices, shortage of water, or rise in the city's temperature. Why are we frittering away our resources so carelessly? Can't we do something to see that the future generations can enjoy at least a part of the benefits we're enjoying?
Just consider these: why not place an empty water bottle under that leaky water filter of yours, which would, in the course of a day, collect enough water to satisfy the drinking water needs of a person for a whole day? Why invest crores of rupees to build a super flyover on Hosur Road to ease traffic congestion, while imposing a simple rule that each car should carry a minimum of four persons can drastically reduce traffic build-up over a period of time? Instead of spending crores on settling water disputes, why not build desalination plants in coastal areas?
I had plans of buying a bike. But the recent news of further hike in fuel prices, coupled with the knowledge that it is a diminishing resource, made me reconsider my decision. Could there come a day when you may need to reconsider your decision about buying a bottle of mineral water or worse still, catch a breath of fresh air only in oxygen parlours?