Every drop counts
Shaadaab S. Bakht
Shaadaab S. Bakht, who worked for famous Indian dailies The Telegraph, The Pioneer, The Sentinel and wrote political commentaries for Tehelka.com, is Gulf Today’s Executive Editor.
- 28 Mar 2025
When the earth shook, it really shook. It was the tsunami. It left tens of thousands without homes, without power, without food and without water. However, destiny, which can play wonders, did intervene.
A six-year-old girl was rescued from a wrecked house five days after the tsunami had swallowed her town.
She survived only on water. That is the type of power water has I realised once again.
I discovered the importance of free-flowing potable water when I visited Mumbai (Maharashtra) in the sixties. In some areas buckets of clean water were being sold at a premium. The situation was really bad in some parts of the state.
The story hadn’t really changed much when years later I shifted to New Delhi from Kolkata (West Bengal). My friends in the capital city had told me to check out on the availability of water before renting a flat. They weren’t wrong at all. In summer, one could see the dry bed of the Yamuna river and taps did go dry. Imagine a sizzling 45 degree Celsius and poor water supply.
The crisis was subsequently very well fought in the two leading Indian states.
Even West Bengal tackled its water problem well. But it was much better placed than the other two. Its rains are rich and its summer is not as oppressive as it is in the north.
Therefore, Sharjah’s decision to develop and secure the sources of clean water is highly praiseworthy.
The Sharjah Charity International (SCI) announced an important milestone in its efforts to provide clean drinking water to areas facing severe water shortages.
In 2024, the organisation drilled 8,860 wells and set up six desalination plants at a total cost of Dhs34.2 million, focusing on countries in Africa and Asia that struggle with water access.
Mohammed Rashid Bin Bayat, the Vice Chairman of Sharjah Charity International, stressed that having clean water is essential for everyone.
He stated, “Access to clean water is no longer a luxury; it has become a basic human right.” He explained that the efforts are not just about giving water, but also about investing in the future of communities that are heavily affected by water shortages.
Therefore, every effort should be made to save every drop of water because we don’t know when that drop will turn out to be a life-saver.
