The Hindu : Karnataka News : Water costlier than beer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 14, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka

Water costlier than beer

Packaged drinking water industry has seen a lot of growth in India. With access to potable water becoming increasingly difficult, the industry has found many takers. Recently, at a national seminar on the packaged water industry in India, one of the speakers was talking about how bottled water has become a beverage with a rather heavy price tag. Narrating from his experience, he said that while he paid Rs. 150 for a bottle of premium beer, he paid Rs. 200 for a bottle of water. “Never did I think that one day a bottle of water could be more expensive than a bottle of beer!” he said. Water is essential for our survival. The day when we all begin to pay through our noses for water is probably not far away.

Eating into time

Though the general body meeting of the Bangalore Zilla Panchayat convened on Monday was called off due to lack of quorum, that did not stop the lunch ordered on the occasion.

The meeting was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. but only seven members were present of the total 22 members till noon. At this juncture, the members present asked president T. Narayan to call off the meeting as the remaining members did not turn up even after an hour. However, the acting president asked them to wait stating that coffee would be served. While calling off the meeting soon after coffee was served, the president requested the members, officials and others to have lunch before leaving as the repast was already ordered.

Fun with numbers

Population explosion may be a matter of grave concern to India. But World Population Day observed recently by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in Bangalore was a hilarious affair.

First, the State Health Secretary, who delivered a torrent of a speech that could have put a politician to shame, called upon the young men and women gathered (mostly “captive” audience from nursing colleges) to emulate his example and have no more than two kids. He was quick to add this does not put a bar on “enjoying married life”.

The next was an expert speaker who piled rhyme upon rhyme with or without reason. The gems that came the way of the audience ranged from “Choose Gowri, but not dowry” to “Recreate, but do not procreate”.

CHITRA V. RAMANI, KRISHNAPRASAD, BAGESHREE S.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section