Water, water everywhere, but not a single drop to drink is just one of life’s little ironies. Much heavier than in the recent past, this time around the rain came down in buckets that caused widespread damage to life and property in the State. The situation is diametrically opposite as summer sets in. Acute water shortage during the long dry spell during the season has been a perennial problem. Yet no enduring solution is found by the authorities. The sense of a duty both at governmental level and popular level has fallen off considerably. Civic duties and responsibilities are almost non-existent and the quality of public life reduced to paper-thin.

The water shortage problem arises due to lack of vision and far-sightedness. Conservation of water has not been given enough thought with the result the quantity of water being wasted is staggering. In this hi-tech world there are several methods to conserve water which could otherwise be gainfully employed to our best advantage. Broken pipes, dripping taps are a common sight everywhere, the repairs of which are not attended to by the authorities. A blind approach to blindness prevention will get you nowhere. The recent pipe burst in Idukki district and consequent loss of lives is a grim reminder how lax we are in our system. All employees who are paid to do their job should realize it is not the hours they put in the work that counts, it is the work they put in the hours. It is the sole responsibility of the water authority to re-charge the soil and ensure continuous availability of water to avert a crisis in the peak summer