Water is considered the 'artery' of life. The countries, which Allah the almighty had blessed with rain and rivers, appreciate this indispensable resource more than us. It is enough to know that each Kuwaiti consumes large amounts of water — more than any other person in the world, despite the fact that we have neither rain nor rivers. What we actually have is refined and subsidized water.
All of us know the United Kingdom is a country of rain and lakes. None of us can envisage the people in this nation suffering from water shortage, yet the concerned authorities there imposed the controversial ‘hosepipe’ ban two weeks ago. The authorities have warned the people against using hoses and sprinklers to wash their cars or water grasses. They have also advised the public to refrain from using fountains in several squares, including the Trafalgar Square in London. These authorities have also appealed to the citizen to strictly comply with the directive and report anyone who violates it. Those proven violating the decree will be fined £1,000, which is equivalent to KD 500.

Apparently, England can no longer live up to its image as a nation with heavy rains as some areas in the South and East have been hit with the worst drought; while the underground water, rivers and lakes have reached the lowest level.
Actually, the ban has been enforced only in areas with a population of about 20 million, in a bid to lessen water consumption by 10 percent. Nevertheless, confusion reigned after the enforcement of the controversial ban as people have been left in the dark in terms of the parameters of the decision, particularly the types of activities that are allowed and prohibited. A woman, who raises geese, posted a question on the website of BBC. She asked if it is allowed to use a hose to bathe animals.
I hope this ‘movement’ reaches us, so we no longer see domestic workers and drivers using hoses to wash our luxury cars or to remove dust from the pavements of our houses, while they are talking to their friends. I suggest sending these workers and their employers to England at their own expense, so they can learn how to respect the scare water in this dry country.

Email: alialbaghli@hotmail.com