As one of India’s largest and most populous metros, Chennai exhibits all the traits and vulnerabilities inherent to a developing, high-density city. Rapid urbanization has led to pollution, poverty and energy and water scarcity. 

However, one of the key issues with the city is a pronounced lack of civic consciousness. Resilience working group sessions (led by the  Resilient Cities Network chapter in Chennai) involved experts from government, civil and academic bodies. They concluded that in order to achieve sustainable development goals and build resilience, civil ownership and participation was essential.

These are the top three areas where citizen participation and involvement are critical: 1) Water Conservation, 2) Solid Waste Management and 3) Traffic Safety.

Public Service Campaign: #ValueWater

Chennai has water challenges. We all know this. The city has alternated between floods and droughts for years, and this seeming paradox is a result of one thing — our lack of value for this resource. We need to acknowledge that we are a water-scarce city and take steps to reduce water demand, while we fix issues with supply. 

Rainwater harvesting can help us regenerate our precious water aquifers. Equally important is the need to value the water we have and use it sparingly. We can all help by adopting simple measures at home. Remember, little drops of water make a mighty ocean. 

Read more: Chennai will be a water abundant city in five years: Metro Water official

We have launched the #ValueWater Campaign – a series of 10 tips on How to Save Water at Home. The idea is to encourage #waterthoughtful behaviour in daily life by sharing how we can all #valuewater and be more sensitive to how much water we consume. 

These are a series of common-sense tips that a lot of people already know, but many may not be practicing.

Each tip is designed around a humorous hashtag and an ‘awareness-achievement badge’ that people will be encouraged to set as their profile pictures.

The campaign is aimed at the middle class and upwards (high consumers) – those who have the luxury of ‘more than adequate access’ to water and may be taking it for granted. 

Read more: Here’s why we should look at reviving open wells in Chennai this summer

We kickstarted this awareness campaign by sharing a fun quiz: Are you a #WaterHog? Find out now! https://valuewater.co/waterhog-quiz/

The campaign also targets Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) with a request that they share the campaign over their WhatsApp and email groups to extend the reach of the campaign. Download the #ValueWater Social Media ToolKit to share with your neighbourhood associations, workplace, college, or other community. Anyone can download all 10 Tip posters in different sizes and sample social media posts / email templates from the website: https://valuewater.co

Participants are also encouraged to share a tip that they are following at home in order to conserve water. Do you have a #WaterSaving tip or idea? Share it with us at: bit.ly/my-h2o-tip

The#ValueWater campaign is brought to you by: Chennai Metro water, Water as Leverage, Care Earth Trust and the Chennai Resilience Centre.

Also read

• Why residents in northern parts of Chennai throw away pots of water every week
• How we can avoid the Cape Town fate

[The article is a Press Release by Chennai Resilience Centre.]