ENGLISH ESSAY CLASS 10

Water is the most precious gift of nature to humanity. Water is one of those crucial elements in nature that supports life on earth. We need water for cooking, bathing, washing clothes and other items, cultivation and for host of other things. In the recent years reckless and selfish way of utilizing water has led to shortage of water in different parts of the world. This is where the need of water conservation comes. Life on the earth is not possible without water. Hence, save water and conservation of water is quite crucial for maintaining life on earth.

Around three-fourth of the surface of earth is covered with water. However, around 97% of this water mass is salt water and is not suitable for human consumption. It is present in the form of oceans. Only 3% per cent of the total water on earth is fresh water. 70% of the available fresh water is not suitable for consumption as it is present in the form of glaciers and ice sheets. Only 1% of the obtainable fresh water is available as clean drinking water and is fit for human consumption. It is estimated that more than a billion people in the world depend on this 1% clean fresh water for their survival. From here it is quite evident that we need to judiciously utilize water so that other people may not have to face water shortage.

Startling facts about water crisis
Few years ago it was quite shocking to see people selling pure water bottles in the shops. However today, with the surge in water crises, this sight has become quite common in different parts of the globe. It is estimated that bottled water worth $60-$80 billion are being used by people all across the world every year. According to recent studies conducted by the scientists, if we do not judiciously save water, then by 2025 more than 3 billion people worldwide would be hit by water shortage crisis.

According to recent findings, it is found out that about 25% of the urban population does not have access to fresh water. Further, it has also been found that more than 4 million people are dying as a result of water related diseases. Developing countries are extremely prone to diseases caused by unhygienic and dirty water. Even in India the number of people who are suffering from different water-borne diseases is quite high. This has adversely affected the Indian economy.

According to a study conducted by United Nations, it has been reported that in Rajasthan, girls have to travel long distances to fetch water. This eats up their whole day and they do not get time to go to school. It has been found out that some of the cases of farmers' suicide are due to drought or scarcity of water. It is quite evident from this that water scarcity is the reason behind some social problems in India and other developing countries.

Ways to preserve water
According to one study, around 240 litres of water are being consumed by a person in household activities per day. A small nuclear family of four members consumes about 960 litres of water every day and nearly 3,50,400 litres per year. We do not need to make huge efforts to preserve water. All we have to do is to introduce certain positive changes in our daily activities. These include closing the water tap after every use and washing vegetables and fruits in water-filled-pot instead of washing them under running water. Using mug and bucket for bathing and washing can save up to 150 gallons of water. Similarly, using fully loaded dishwashers and washing machines will save around 300 to 800 gallons of water per month.

People should water their gardens and lawns only when needed. Avoid watering plants during noon time, especially between 11 am and 4 pm, as most of the water gets evaporated. Watering plants early in the morning or evening will enable them to consume more water properly. As responsible citizens of our planet we need to promote playing dry Holi to curtail the massive wastage of water during the festival. Planting drought resistant plants is another great way to save water.

Builders of apartments, schools, industrial buildings, hospitals, etc. should promote proper water management systems to curtail water contamination and wastage. Leaky plumbing joints and faucets should be properly fixed to prevent leakage to save water. This can save nearly 20 gallons of water every day.

Rainwater harvesting should be initiated by the government or the civic management authorities at the village level. Big or small ponds can be dug out to store gallons of rain waters. The water so saved can be used for the purposes of bathing, watering plants, laundry, toilets, washing different items, etc. In this way clean water can be utilised only for cooking and drinking. Moreover, the government should conduct awareness programmes to educate people about the importance of saving water and the potential threats related to water contamination and water scarcity.

The importance of water can be understood from the amount of water availability on earth. Water is required in every sphere of our life. Therefore, we need to preserve water by all means. Water scarcity is a universal problem. So it has to be jointly tackled by all citizens of our planet. We need to save water not only for us but also for our future generations. Saving water is equivalent to saving a life! So let us all join hands in making our planet a safer and beautiful place to live in.