Kids and puddles

There's something about children and water, especially if it is in the form of a puddle!  Walking to school every morning and it has been raining practically every day, I almost tip-toe to school.  Carefully avoiding the water or even the soggy patches of fallen leaves.  But right beside and before me are students who are literally wading through water.  The only path they see is through the puddle - however dry the rest of the road is.  And if there is a stream of water or a large puddle, that's it!  There has to be a splash, and a wade through.  All this is even before they have reached school.  I wonder how they manage to sit through the lessons with their soaking shoes, socks and trousers! 

But that's children - that's childhood...

Water source and farming

Only today did it strike me that nowhere in the whole country of UK is there any submersible water pump, leave alone in individual houses or properties.  The primary reason for this is the abundance of rain that the country receives all year round.  Secondly there are natural rivers (Thames, being one of the biggest), tributaries and lakes scattered all across the country.  So the existing abundant water is merely purified and distributed. 

That explains why there is no cultivation done is most parts of the country, even in times when there is enough sunshine and warmth for one crop.  The place is not close to a water reservoir and getting water to that place is costlier than merely importing the required food from another part of the world.  Every time I see vast expanses of land with nothing but grass growing, I'm reminded of farmers back in India who struggle to cultivate bits of arid land.  Here the land is fertile, water in plenty and heavy machinery at hand.  Back in most parts of India, the farmer has no land, even if he or she has it is not always fertile, there is hardly any water is some other parts of the country, and it is all hard manual labour.  

Water

One surprising feature of the English homes is that there is no overhead water tank on any of the houses!  How then does each household receive water?

Well a rather simple explanation is offered here. Basically it is the same process as in most places of the world: from the natural or man-made resources to the treatment plant through pipes, from there to storage tanks and from there to homes. However, the process of treatment is rather good. So much so, that one can drink water from any tap in the house.  There need not be another water purifier installed to purify water because it is already done.

However, that does not explain the force with which water flows from the taps, even if on an upper floor.  Given the fact that there are no overhead tanks anywhere around the place where I live, how does water get such a force, unless pumped from below the ground? I did some research and found out that there are pumps with pressure gauges that regulate the pressure.  Most modern water heating systems have this possibility. Read it here.

This presupposes two things: there is plenty of water available and what is available and used is also recycled with proper treatment.  That's worth emulating. 

Water blues and Property issues

For the past two days we have some 60 guests staying with us in the Provincial house. They are members of some prayer group gathered for prayer.  However, besides what they do for most of the day, invariably in the evenings and mornings our electricity circuit starts acting funny. That's because the guests have equipped themselves with immersion rods and very many of them are using it in their rooms - besides the already installed geysers at the end of each corridor.  When we have our own Salesian meetings this problem does not arise. Each one collects the hot water - those who want - from the end of the corridor.  But I guess used to living in independent houses, the guest-families tend to see their room as the world.  So each one wants to 'generate' hot water in the room itself and in the process deprive everyone, including themselves, of electricity itself!

Reminds me of Adam Smith - I'm not very sure if he's the one who said it though - differentiating private property and common property.  The water in the well is common property, but when I draw a bucket of water from the same well, that water in the bucket is 'my' water!  Now let me take it a notch up further: but when each one, rather than go to the well and draw out water, drills a 1000 ft borewell in one's own compound then that's greed - not sure if there's water even at that depth!  Very soon the day will come when every household will proudly boast of a borewell in their compound but mourn the fact that they do not have water!

There is enough for everyone's need but not for any one's greed. (Gandhiji)

The image is the cover page of a book written by Susan George

Life-giving Water vs Entertaining Cricket

Amidst all that is going on in the country (naturally and man-made) and all that is being created by political parties for their hidden and sinister agenda, one thing that caught my attention and I personally wish to see it come up by public demand is the following: IPL matches and the drought stricken state of Maharashtra.

On the one hand, the state is reeling under severe drought conditions - mind you it is still mid-April... we are yet to step into the month of May! - and on the other hand is the extravagance of a game (cricket).  In testing and difficult times as these, a game would surely have a great soothing effect.  But not if it robs one of precious and basic necessities of life.  Given a choice between basic amenities of life and entertainment, anyone sensible will choose roti-kapada-makaan (food - clothing - shelter).

Contrast this: mere maintenance of a cricket ground one requires 60,000 litres of water per day, and people of Latur receive a water-train for drinking water.  We either find alternatives to keep up the playground (perhaps use recycled sewage water) or make a radical choice between water in the mouth or under one's feet.

Only one who really feels this crunch has the right to decide!  

The RO water purifier

I did some online research about the RO water purifier system we have installed here in the community for safe drinking water. I was led to this purely aghast at the amount of water being wasted from the purifying plant. I basically wanted to know how best to use the waste water discarded. None of the sites I visited ever spoke of any means of utilizing the water. All those whom I asked told me that it cannot be used for anything sensitive... not even washing clothes, leave alone watering the garden or bathing!

Today's paper carries a small write up by a common housewife on the disadvantages of installing an RO system. Basically she was citing the moral issue of wasting precious water in a country like India which is already classified under 'water stressed'. What of those who have already installed a 2000 litre plant? Install another tank to collect and use it to wash the cowshed and the school verandahs!

In the Church!

On Easter Sunday I reached the Church early (about half an hour before Mass) and was happy to note many people already in the Church by then.  However, I could not but help notice, the increasing number of people reaching up to the sanctuary to avail themselves of the holy water blessed during the previous vigil service.  

The best part was that most of those approaching the huge drum kept to the right of the altar, were non-Catholics.  Most, reverentially picked up the mug, scooped a bit of water from the drum, dipped their fingers in that and then sprinkled themselves.... at least that's how it all began.  Slowly a few others began to take a sip from the mug - but only a sip.  After a while of this 'sipping' by several people, there appeared the children - this time, they certainly were the Catholics!  These children solemnly started drinking the water!!  This whole 'evolution' was thus far (nearly 20 minutes) very very devoutly carried out - until the children (Catholics, at that!) reached the sanctuary.  Luckily some elders moved in and moved out the drum beyond the reach of anyone!  

However, I was happy, to note the very many non-Catholics who not only visited the Church but also stayed on for the whole Mass - a phenomenon I observed even the following Sunday.  I was truly impressed - and inspired - by their reverence and devotion during the Mass.  

And a thought crossed my mind, as the Priest very politely and gently turned away some of them from receiving the Holy Communion:  Would the Lord Himself objected to Him being 'partaken' by these non-baptised?  I don't think so! 

Electricity blues...

Last night just as I fell asleep, I dreamt of some electronic device that would automatically pump water into the tank when it is empty, and when there is the three-phase power. Situated in a rural setting, where steady power itself is a great grace we have to often time our usage of water too... all depending on when next we will get the three phase power to run the motor. Most often (at least in the past two months) it has been at unearthly hours of the morning (2 - 4 am). That leaves the administrator and brother incharge awake practically the whole night, doing nothing but waiting for the power to come on.

I remember there was a gadget which saw to this whole crazy job all by itself while I was at Karunapuram. If not that high end, something simpler should be worked out! Ideas are welcome...