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Water sense: Small pools of water also act as evaporation points and modify the micro-climate.

How many litres of water do we need? Does the city have a water shortage? Is there enough water in the borewell? What is the quality of water? …

The ecological role of water, described ably as “akin to blood in the human body — moving resources to where they are needed and taking away waste to where it is removed — and the very essence of life itself” is much less discussed and acted upon.

Since a sound understanding and management of water has been the bedrock of human civilisation, a further small step in understanding water — “which was the environment and not a part of it” as ecologist Prakash Gole puts it — is necessary.

With streams and rivers, flow is critical, stagnancy is death. Flow oxygenates and cleans water. Oxygen helps break down nutrients and increase bio-diversity.

While all of us may not be lucky to have flowing streams of clean water in our backyard how is it for the younger generation in our cities who see only flowing sewage, if at all they see anything flowing? What is the impact on their young minds?

Groups such as the Ecological Society based in Pune work for ecological restoration of streams. Working with children and communities, they remove waste and plastics to ensure non-pollution of streams, plant native species to restore bird and wildlife habitats and prevent soil erosion, create fish ladders to allow fish to move and spawn upstream riding over check dams and like barriers.

Since most of the rain in India falls during the four monsoon months, most water bodies lose water flows in the dry months. Lakes and tanks tend to dry up and streams have trickles flowing in them.

Nature, of course, has adjusted to these variations over the millennia. Plants are attuned to full submergence and partial drying. Birds migrate and come back when there is water in the tanks. By converting our water bodies into perennial sources we alter this natural cycle dramatically.

At the smallest level a house can have a small water bowl placed strategically either on the terrace or in the garden for the birds and the bees. You would be amazed at the amount of life it attracts especially in summer. Especially for the bees, deep water would only drown them; so make place for a floating plant like a lily or a lotus or even the water lettuce. Always take care to put in a guppy fish or two. These fish gobble mosquito larvae and prevent their breeding. If you think there is no space in the congested city, look at your terrace. Pots and plants strategically placed create shade and a micro-environment which birds and insects love.

Small pools of water also act as evaporation points and modify the micro-climate if integrated into the building design. They can cool the house too. Ecology and the environment are satisfied.

In the olden days, villages used to have a small container of water for wandering cows and cattle. This “go katte” was an integral part of the design of the house. Placing strategic water containers and filling them with water can bring surprising results. There still are cows wandering around in Indian streets and how about the neighbouring stray dog which has been vaccinated and spayed and is thirsty?

Larger housing layouts can work with the land gradient and design their storm water drains to be more natural rather than concrete or brick masonry-lined. Reserving five per cent of space for water is good at all scales from the house to the layout to the city. A small wetland integrated into a park will be lesson in seasons for youngsters. Large industrial establishments now create water bodies as part of their landscape design. While we move ahead with water management for man, water wisdom is in managing water as part of an eco-system.

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