INTRODUCTION
WATER is a source of life, and we should be glad that our planet has it. Drinking water is a basic need for the survival of humans. This drinking water is present only in a few amounts. Also, its supply is inadequate and insufficient. But do we get clean fresh water? We get all the contaminated water which contains numerous harmful substances.
Drinking water is no longer drinking water but rather poisonous water which we drink by assuming it is clean. Water that looks clear is not always clean; it may contain microbial substances which are hazardous. We blindly drink it and suffer from many diseases. There should be monitoring of this water to check the toxicity of drinking water and ensure that there is an efficient water supply.
In some areas, people don’t even get a full glass of water to drink; they must wait for it. This is only due to the lack of management in the supply of drinking water. Those who are getting water are getting ill and those who are not getting it die due to starvation. There are many reasons for this, but the main reason is lack of management and water pollution.
CHALLENGES INEFFICIENT SUPPLY OF DRINKING WATER
Many challenges become obstacles to the proper supply of drinking water.
- Contaminated water
We humans are recklessly destroying our environment by our irrational actions. Industrialization has given a boost to the economy along with the degradation of the environment. Industries release their chemical waste in rivers, ponds, and lakes which contaminate the drinking water. Though these chemicals are neutralized these chemicals cannot be separated from the water.
- Increasing water scarcity
Due to pollution and deforestation, the amount of fresh water is decreasing nowadays. The water cycle is not able to compete with the excessive loss of water through global warming. Trees hold water and help to increase the groundwater level, but we cut them.
- Increase in population.
Due to industrialization and urbanization, the population is rapidly increasing, which increases water demand. The amount of water being produced through the water cycle is not able to compete with the spontaneous increase in population.
- Unequal supply of drinking water
Due to many societal dysfunctions, there is unequal access to water supply. Many times, the distribution is based on caste, religion, race, status, etc. Nowadays, there is systematic inequality that is killing humanity. Also, the slum areas, rural areas, and tribal areas don’t have water while the people in city areas are wasting water as they have another planet having water.
- Corruption
Those who have money, have abundant water and those who don’t have money, don’t have water as well. In every sector, there is a virus of corruption, and this cannot harm this sector. Water administration mostly focuses on those areas like cities which give high incomes and ignores rural areas which give less income.
- Unhygienic conditions
Though the water is filtered they are stored in very unhygienic conditions. The unhygienic conditions spread many diseases and develop many bacteria. In 2022, globally, at least 1.7 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces. Microbial contamination of drinking water as a result of contamination with faeces poses the greatest risk to drinking water safety.[1] There are many unhygienic habits that we have inculcated in us. These should be corrected first.
BIOMONITORING
Biomonitoring provides an estimate of the amount of a chemical absorbed into the body from all pathways of exposure (e.g., ingestion of drinking water, inhalation of air), and thus gives a cumulative estimate of the chemical burden that a person carries in their body, sometimes referred to as a body burden.[2] This is very useful to identify the source of contamination in bodies. This will also assist the water administration in taking steps to reduce the contamination of drinking water. Biomonitoring will act as a guide in the supply of drinking water.
This monitoring can be done by grouping various areas, communities, and classes to know the reasons for the inefficient supply of drinking water. Many times, unfiltered water is supplied in the slum areas and areas where backward classes reside. This will make the system more transparent and efficient. Biomonitoring is a good step taken to improve the supply of drinking water to everyone equally.
Biomonitoring will help to detect the most harmful chemicals or substances present in large amounts in people’s bodies. This will suggest measures to reduce the intake of these substances. Also, many new components will be known because of biomonitoring.
NEED TO TAKE MEASURES
In 2010, the UN General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation. Everyone has the right to sufficient, continuous, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use.[3]
Already many fears can put an end to the existence of humans, we should avoid this issue as long as it is in our hands. The contamination is increasing day by day as the population is increasing. The poor drinking water will spread many diseases which could lead to death as well.
If we continue doing this, the day will come when the water will be finished. We must save water for the next generations. Eventually, the earth will come to an end.
MEASURES
Everyone understands the issue and steps are being taken to improve to supply of drinking water. Many countries are launching policies and schemes to increase the supply of clean drinking water. Some countries have also come together and attended meetings to solve the water supply issues. Many international bodies like the UN, WHO, and others work to ensure that every person has access to clean and safe drinking water.
Technologies like biomonitoring are being developed to fix the problem of the supply of drinking water.
CONCLUSION
Overall, the issue of drinking water is the same as the water. This issue is not easy to solve because it looks just like the way water looks clean, but it is contaminated with harmful components. Many challenges need to be overcome and many unknown challenges are hidden at the roots of the problem.
We have very little time to act, so everyone should take a step and try on their level to solve this issue. Remember “Every step counts.”
Author(s) Name: Tejashri Suradkar (ILS Law College)
Reference(s):
[1] World Health Organization, Drinking Water <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water> accessed on 27 March 2024
[2] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Introduction to biomonitoring topics <https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-10/biomonitoring_intro.pdf> accessed on 27 March 2024
[3] World Health Organization, Drinking Water <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water> accessed on 27 March 2024
