Water, a Product?

Abstract

‘Jivanam jivinãm jivaha’ is a Sanskrit shlok, cited in an Ayurveda text ‘Bhavaprakash,’ which translates to ‘water is life to creatures.’ Water has always been an important source of life on Earth. However, today’s water crisis is gripping. In July 2019, Chennai witnessed an acute water crisis, after one of the main reservoirs completely dried up. A report by NITI AYOG pointed out that 21 major cities in India would run out water supply by 2020 (Aayog, “Composite water management index-A tool for water management,” August 2019.). In response to this national water crisis, in 2019, the government of India urged its citizens to start a mass movement for water conservation and formed a dedicated ministry to look into water-related affairs. The paper questions this preparedness of citizens of India to counter this catastrophe and whether their systems comply with the idea of the conservation of water that do not allow for an unnecessary water wastage. The blind installation of RO filters, in urban spaces, in the fear of consuming ‘impure’ water, causes three times the amount of filtered water, to be drained off through reverse osmosis reject system. This has two grave consequences, one on the underground water reserves and the other on the human body. Examining these consequences, this paper will try to understand the fascination with RO filters and its hold over the masses. The paper will make an important intervention by raising the unasked question, are the RO filters necessary and if they do more harm than good? Finally, the paper will end with a feasible solution that may replace the damaging control that RO filters have over the masses. This research started with a design perspective of rethinking how RO water filters should be seen amidst this water crisis. Tests were made, for TDS and pH value, on samples collected from raw and municipal water sources with a brief survey to understand the psychological status of the market.