There’s more to do

Most people are holding the government responsible for the many crises that are being faced by the country. But have we ever held ourselves to the same standard? Have we ever considered what we as individuals and as citizens can contribute towards make the situation better? In countries like Australia, when a power crisis is expected, consumers themselves make an effort to use the scarce resources efficiently. Let’s take the example of Cape Town where the entire city has come together to battle the water crisis. In stark contrast, in our country, any school, university, hotel restaurant or office that you go to, you will notice water and electricity is being wasted.

Just because we don’t have to pay the bills of our schools or place of work does not mean we are not responsible to save electricity there. Citizens across the world are driving institutional change by preferring businesses that are environment-friendly and don’t waste resources. In Pakistan however, energy conservation is still a foreign concept and there is no push for companies to act responsibly. It is time we focused on the appropriate use of whatever resources we are left with.

Siraj Muneer Soomro

Karachi