All about the precious drop
``CHENNAITES are receiving less than 40 litres of water per day, while the per capita consumption should be 135 litres," said Dr. S. Balaji, director, Environment. He was speaking at a one-day workshop on `Emerging Issues Related to Environmental Aspects,' organised by Sri Sai Ram Engineering College, West Tambaram.
Complicating things are the numerous sewage outfalls into water bodies contaminating the ground water quality. "It is an irony that we are now confronted with the task of cleaning up our sacred rivers in which we cleanse our sins," he said.
R.K. Jayaseelan, director, Environmental Training Centre, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board appealed to the students to conserve resources and utilise it wisely, minimising the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. "Nearly 52,000 premature deaths occur every year in the country due to air pollution. The pollutants are also leading to ozone depletion and global warming, with the temperature rising by 1 degree to 3.5 degree Celsius by the year 2100, the highest in the last 10,000 years," he warned.
The workshop was organised as a curtain raiser to the compulsory `Environmental Studies,' course to be introduced in city colleges from the next academic year.
Sangeeth Kurian
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