Dr. Prasanna Sriya is a dentist from Chennai, India. She writes on Wildlife and related issues, as well as short and simple poems for children.

I remember as a child, back in school we were taught that Blood is the liquid of our lives.
As I returned home back from school I used to see many tankers plying on the road
I used to ask myself “What is inside???”
This happened when I was 13 yrs old.
I lived in an independent house.
It had huge lawn, lot of Ashoka trees, Neem trees, Custard Apple trees, Papaya, Pineapple tree, Lime tree, Guavas tree  & Hibiscus plant.
As years passed by, I began to notice that green lawn turned brown
And the tankers on the road had multiplied too many folds.  
By now I was old enough to know what was inside the tanker that plied.
It was WATER  – The Liquid for our survival

I had never asked myself the true source of water then
Water was taken for granted way back then.
Till one day a tanker stood in front of my residence.
I remember taking empty pots, buckets, containers of various sizes, shapes & colours
Stand in queue to get our quota of fill.

The rush for water was like that for Gold
Where one could see people young & old
Run for this liquid, which is truly more precious than anything at that time which got sold.
We stood there in line to witness, the driver’s attitude being cold
I began to ask myself – If I was told in school that Blood is the liquid of our life
Then Water is the liquid for every creature’s existence.

Things did get worse as I grew up.
As River beds now started to dry up
One could visibly see the pebbles, rock & gravel.  
The beautiful rivers that flow across the southern states of India
Have a dry look

After 24 years, what I get to see now is
We call/ refer to water by different names
Ionized water, RO – Treated water, purified water, mineral water, and boiled water …..  
And Water is being SOLD
In sachets, PET bottles, Barrels, Cans, Bubble Top
It is a Million Dollar business – Across the Globe

How many of us revere Nature & its elements
Without it we seize to exist
We seek the blessings of some – man-made guru
Little do we realize that respecting nature will wash away our sins.
We have plundered God’s Natural Resource!
Alas! God when will man realize his folly
By then will it be too late?