Surprising water shortages

There is no defence for water shortages in this riverine land of ours. Indeed, when a small country faces both floods and droughts, it is a definite sign that the problem is one of management of water resources. This is where the role of the authorities comes in. It is the responsibility of the authorities to ensure that the country's waterways remain clean and unpolluted and that water that is safe for drinking, cooking and washing is available to all.

However, what we have seen over the years is that even as the country is inundated with floods on an annual basis, the availability of safe water continues to dwindle. Waterways are encroached upon or have sewage dumped in them, rendering them unusable and filthy, the water table has dropped dramatically, and the most fundamental necessity of life has become scarce.

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Where should the government start in tackling the problem? The first thing is to acknowledge that this is a problem and to draw up a comprehensive plan that takes into account the needs of the population and the amount of water available. Concerted action to clean up the waterways and to ensure that the water table is not further depleted is key. There must be a balanced use of both subsoil and surface water.

Part of the problem has to do with the high level system loss that results in a great amount of water being wasted. We cannot afford such profligacy. Astonishingly, the amount of good water available per head is currently less than half of what is recommended by experts. The simple fact of the matter is that if a government cannot adequately provide even this most basic of necessities, it is fair for the people to ask what it can do.