Bangalore-based 14-year-old Rishabh Prashobh saved around 7,000,000 litres of water by installing aerators in water taps in his locality, hotels, and a school.
The problem of water scarcity is quite evident in recent times, yet unknown to many. It’s remarkable to see a 14-year-old realise the graveness of the situation and act on the same.
It all started back in 2019 when Rishabh studied various environmental issues as a part of a social initiative organised by 1Million 1Billion (1M1B), an UN-accredited NGO. Having experienced the problem of water scarcity in Bengaluru first hand, he decided to do some research on it.
Talking to various NGOs, activists, and water conservationists, he realised that the only solution to cut water demand in this ever-increasing populous world is to reduce consumption, and hence, the idea of installing aerators in water taps struck his mind. Aerators are small mechanical devices and all they do after being fit into a tap is even out the flow of water and provides pressure consistency. It’s eye-opening to think that such a small thing could save 1,274 litres of water a month!
Taps in kitchens and bathrooms release 6 litres of water per minute, and aerators can cut them down to 3 or 4 litres.
Rishabh started with installing an aerator in his grandmother’s home and, to his surprise, he noticed a 30 per cent drop in the water bill just within a month. Once convinced of the solution, he approached the Residents’ Association of his society and installed 2 aerators in each apartment.
“Within one year, the apartment community was able to cut down on their water consumption and save 20 lakh litres of water,” says Rishabh.
He then approached two Marriott hotels in Kochi, Kerala, and after installation, they were able to save 50 lakh litres of water altogether.
Rishabh’s Jal Jeevan mission is an inspiration and a reminder to all that if there’s a will to solve problems, there will definitely be a way. In 2021, he hopes to make a further difference and save Bengaluru 1 crore litres of water.
Tackling consumption instead of supply is ingenious and yet so simple. The road ahead of us is a hard one; let us try to save water for a better future.
Researched & Written by Garima Mangla, team ulaunch.
