I looked out my bedroom window to a lovely blue sky. It seemed like just the morning for a brisk walk. I climbed up to the terrace of my apartments and as l walked around, noticed that one of the solar panels that are mandatory these days in all apartments, was dripping. The water was flowing in a slim stream on the terrace. I was irritated because it hampered my walk and it was a waste of a precious resource. The next couple of days, l noticed the same phenomenon. Angry, l tried to find out whose panel it was, preparing to give an earful to the person concerned.
It was around this time that I noticed a strange thing. Two little magpie robins were pecking away at the little puddles that had formed because of the dripping water. I realised they were quenching their thirst this way.
That’s when l observed that the little puddles formed from the dripping water which l considered a waste were quenching the thirsty of many species of birds— the magpie robins, pigeons, crows and even a couple of kites.
This experience really set me thinking about how important water is to all living species. One does not have to be a specialist in science to know that all living beings need water to survive. Much has been written on Water even in the literary arena. Every child would have heard of the saying: 'water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink’ or 'little drops of water make the mighty ocean. Waterfalls have formed the ideal setting for many romantic sequences in movies. ‘I’m singing in the rain’ that timeless classic song where the hero is sloshing about in the rain, from the movie ‘Singing in the rain', is still one of the most iconic rain songs ever. And, who can forget that wonderful advertisement for liril soap where the girl is enjoying herself under the waterfall. And yet water is one of the most wasted resources.
Sometimes one is faced with a scenario of drought in some parts of the country and floods in another. But man has been slow in learning lessons.
The story thus goes on. While a tap somewhere is leaking, a little bird somewhere else searches for a sip of water.
The bottom line: I now remember to place a small vessel of water on the terrace every day when I go for my morning walk and replace it when I go again in the evening.