Water, water everywhere..

You know what comes next, right? Well, we still have water to drink as the bottled water industry doesn't seem to be as panicky as some sectors are. Whether you agree that a water crisis exists or not, you can't argue that the situation is at least fluid. Yes, pun intended. With the onset of the rainy season after a very, very dry one, we still see residents lining up for the precious element, for their hygiene and laundry. Busted pipes, often times intentionally done, provide relief to the parched and pungent. Maynilad complains that more than half of the water that leaves their plant is either wasted or pilfered.

It is ironic that as an archipelago, we should suffer a water lack. Although fresh water is what we need for a plethora of things, we are literally surrounded by oceans of the salty kind. Desalination may offer an alternative to cloud seeding and rain dances, although the process is quite expensive and energy intensive. Many countries like Australia, Israel and the UAE already have large desalination plants for their water needs. And to think most sea vessels and military ships have on-board desalination! But if the president is seriously contemplating nuclear energy for the country, then desalination plants should also be considered in tandem. Nuclear energy would bring the cost of the process considerably.

But the best, and cheapest solution would be the rains. Honestly, this is the driest year that I have ever experienced! Usually around this time, it would always rain in the afternoons, cooling the air just right for the evenings. I normally find myself hypnotized by the sound of raindrops, often times lulling me to sleep. Our ancestral home has a lanai where it overlooks the whole garden, and my mother would just love it when the rains came, because she knew her garden would bloom.

The numerous dams that we have are all suffering the same fate. Their levels are down to unprecedented lows. Some have scaled down their operations, while others have shut down completely, affecting the supply of electricity as well. If the rains do not come soon, we may be without power as well as water, which is tantamount to saying that we have just been thrown back into the stone age. An unthinkable, unacceptable scenario.

Time for more dancing then.