CHENNAI: The 200 Feet Radial Road cuts the Narayanapuram lake into two parts. As vehicles zip past us, our head turns towards the larger part of the lake. The palmyra trees and few reeds that skirt the edges of the lake attract two pelicans. They float lazily on the surface of the water. On the other side of the road lies the smaller section of the waterbody. Heaps of light-weight plastic and food waste have accumulated on the surface, moving with the wind on the still surface of the lake. Unsegregated waste have been dumped on a sand embankment that connected directly to the highway. A concrete pipe, built into one side of the pond, has a thin trail of sewage dripping into the water.
Srihari Kothandapani, a class nine student of BVM Global School, says,“Despite having a fresh waterbody so close to our house, we have to order water from the municipal desalination plant, for our everyday needs.”
Irked, the 14-year-old spoke to most residents from the apartments that surround his, and found out that not many were aware about their daily water consumption. “I calculated and found that around one-and-a-half to two litres of water is wasted every nine seconds the tap is open. Most people I asked said that their family use the tap around 25 to 30 times a day. That was around twenty litres of water wastage,” he rues. In an attempt to educate people about water consumption, the teen has now started a YouTube channel — OnTheDot. Srihari posted his first video — a clipping promoting his campaign — on December 24. In less than a week, the channel has garnered around 17 subscribers. “The campaign is to make people aware of the amount of water they use in a day. To do that, we have to check the flow rate in their taps. Once they understand how much water is being used, it becomes easier to reduce the consumption,” Srihari shares. In his videos, he addresses the common misconceptions related to water conservation. “Is it called water wastage or excess usage?” he asks his viewers, in his videos.
He tells CE that we can curb our usage of water using simple DIY techniques and easily available devices like an aerator, that will reduce the wastage of water as well. He also teaches viewers how to calculate the flow rate of water gushing out of the tap. He uses a one-litre water bottle and measures the time it takes for it to fill when he turns on the tap. “By checking the amount of water that fills in the bottle, one can calculate how much water flows out in a minute,” he says.
The campaign primarily aims to teach people to check their water usage and reduce it by fixing aerators on their taps. “It’s an easy process and costs around `120. The aerator introduces air into the flow of water, reducing the amount of water that flows out. They are easily available at any bathroom fittings store,” shares the eco-crusader who actively approaches his friends and neighbours with aerators. He has also managed to sell four of them. “It’s so easy to fit it and it costs lesser than what we spend for a meal,” he says.
Soon, Srihari plans to reach out to people across the country via his channel. “A few months back, the city was reeling under a severe water crisis. To not face such a situation again, we need all residents to contribute to conservation,” he shares.
Debut video
Srihari posted his first video — a clipping promoting his water conservation campaign — on December 24. In less than a week, the channel has garnered around 17 subscribers. For details, visit Youtube channel OnTheDot.