Water is colourless, transparent, odourless, liquid which forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms. Life cannot flourish without water and the benefits it provides – one of them being to keep us cool in summer.
When the weather is hot, people dream of cool places; cooling drinks to quench thirst and generally try and find ways to remain cool and beat the heat and one of these is to take a shower or a dip in a swimming pool.
The wealthy have pools in their homes and they can take a dip anytime; others go to clubs and hotels at fixed times for men and women since swimming together is strictly no-no; those who do not have access to these facilities do the best they can and have a shower at home – if they have ample water, which is a scarce commodity these days – and the less privileged search for water that can be had for free.
These include the few springs that are left; small rivers; burst water pipes and other sources.
Unfortunately, many of these sources are not fit for drinking or taking a dip – they are dirty and unhygienic and the result can be disastrous for those who are already prone to poor health because of their circumstances. Look at the boys in the picture – they are happy and unconcerned about anything else except having a good time and cooling off. With little entertainment available to them; no government facilities provided and a general lack of anything to do, they grab a chance at whatever is available – in this instance, probably water from a dubious source. Since there is no stream visible, the water could be coming from a pipe carrying waste water from a factory or sewage line.
Water accumulated on roads and streets is another source of cooling down for the underprivileged, especially children, who love to frolic and splash each other without realizing that the water is dirty and mixed with sewage which overflows from open drains whenever it rains. Since they don’t know any better they are delighted to have a chance to play and cool down – for them the aftermath of heavy rain that leads to disease and destruction has no significance. They are momentarily happy and that is all that matters.
While building roads and other so called ‘facilities’ like the metro bus and orange line train, the government should realize that there are more urgent needs of the poor and less fortunate citizens of this land that need to be kept in mind.
Clean drink water; enough food for two meals a day; a roof overhead; playing fields and sports facilities and other places where they can spend time without the risk of contracting a disease.
Wide roads and fast transport mean little to the person who does not travel very far from his home on a daily basis to earn an honest living and they are in a is a majority, so their welfare should be a priority.
