OMG! “Mumbai Not Again” Boond ki Mann ki Baat

In olden days Rain was one of the most significant symbols of Gods favour to his people. Scriptures too welcome the Savan ka Mosum: “ When it rains, there is happiness. Water is the key to all life”. “The rainy season is beautiful; the months of Saawan and Bhaadon bring bliss. All pain, hunger and misfortune end, when the rain falls in torrents. The entire earth is rejuvenated, and the grain grows in abundance.”

Rain is defined as the condensed moisture of the atmosphere falling visibly in separate drops (Boond).

Boond ki Maan Ki Baat are conversations I wrote during my active water management days. Descending from the clouds Boond is excited about their travel to earth & be part of God’s creation with its role being survival of nature. Several Boonds return to Mumbai by the process of earth water cycle every monsoon and as they realise they are descending into Mumbai they say, Oh My God! “Mumbai Not again”.

The Boond by now is used to the sadness and curses of most Mumbaikars who hold Rain responsible for their additional stress, problems, sickness and expenses in their life style every monsoon. Boond in its defence states: “Construct/repair with better material and technology to avoid potholes on roads and leakages in roofs/walls. Exercise better driving sense, much patience and road discipline. Traffic jams can be managed better. Rooftop water harvesting systems in buildings will reduce water flowing onto roads, thus reducing city flooding woes drastically. Boond on water scarcity assert when they shower in such abundance, a 1000sqft rooftop in Mumbai can harvest 200000lac litres every season. Why people fail to capture us then, instead leave us to flow into drains and be dumped in the sea. Why depend majorly on lakes alone for water collection.

Most minds think their water needs is all about washing, bathing, cooking and unaware of the needs for Virtual Water. The amount of water that is embedded in food and products needed for their production is called Virtual Water. Boond wants you to know the water consumed in making some of your favorite things: It takes 6813ltrs for a jean, 908ltrs for your Loaf of bread or a mobile. 200ltrs for a Barista coffee cup, 1260ltrs for Pizza, 255ltrs for Potatoes/kg.

Often some or the other crisis dominates us and the accountability to better water management is over shadowed. Don’t expect any Government to effectively handle the growing demand of water with depleting resources. We the people only have a major role to play. Trust many lessons are learnt, from the recent failure of Health infrastructure. The non-availability of oxygen cylinders was chaotic and deadly. People awaken, managing any water crisis with foreign grants or overnight manufacturing is not happening.

Boond hopes better sense prevails with Mumbai’s common man and its strong advise to exercise Respect & Accountability for Water using technologies saving water by Default.

Be responsible and enjoy the Boonda Bandi Rains.