The elixir of life

 

The elixir of life, water!

Is there a better drink in the world? Some find it amusing when I say that my favourite drink is water and they argue that it is not a “drink” drink. My favourite drink is water and more specifically cooled water from an earthen pot. I cannot think of any other drink that can give the same kind of exhilaration and satisfaction that a humble glass of water can give.

To drink water you don’t have to be a connoisseur and you don’t have to be an expert who swirls, sniffs and chews on his / her beverage before coming up with bizarre descriptions for the taste that he / she has experienced. I have been bewildered at these displays.

Water can match and be a wonderful accompaniment to any and every possible form of food and you do not have to embarrass yourself when it comes to say matching wine with food. There are but four (I cannot find any other) ways to serve water hot / warm, cold / chilled, room temperature or simply frozen.

With food I prefer naturally cooled water with that distinct earthy flavour at all times though experts advocate warm water with food to aid digestion. All the colas and other beverages are simply sweetened and flavoured water which if drunk warm would be worse than many medicines, but still will not dispel thirst.

There is no life without water and potable water is a precious resource. Though the earth has abundant water, drinking water supplies are diminishing rapidly due to various reasons and the world may stare at many crises linked to water in the near future. I will not be surprised if the wars of the future are linked to water instead of oil. Many parts of the country are suffering a drought and the impact on the food supplies will be seen soon but drinking water may not be piped any more in Chennai because the sources are drying out fast. Inadequate rainfall, pollution and indiscriminate wastage have ensured that the water managers of the city are pushing for desalination as the panacea. The effectiveness is anbody’s guess.

The main reason for this impending crisis is the fact that water is supplied free or for a paltry sum to folks who tend to waste it because it is free. Anything given free is not appreciated and a day will come when this resource will also be priced as it will be a case of demand and supply and supply will have a price. The concept of rain water harvesting seems to have died a natural death and in many installations the same was done in the letter and not in spirit therefore making a mockery of the purpose. Water bodies being converted into plots or simply encroached on have ensured that the city will soon be parched.

Every time I see lines of pots on the road side I feel grateful because at home water has always been adequate and the infamous Metro Water tankers were never required. 

But as they all good things come to an end...

SIGH.