HARD TIMES CREATE STRONG MEN

Introduction

We have often come across people saying that when we are put into challenging situations, God himself is testing us ✨. Once out of that situation, we develop resilience and open ourselves to face this ever-evolving and challenging world. It is said that our challenges begin from the day we are born, but sometimes, we tend to normalize these challenges by blaming the situation 😶. There are many times when these challenges are in someone's control, and they can make life easier, but they don't. We have doctrines like the polluter pay principle, which clearly states that one who harms the environment also bears the cost, but let me ask, how often do we follow it? and how often do we try to enforce it? 

Remember the water crisis in Chennai? the time when a metropolitan city like Chennai was facing a huge water shortage in 2019, and water was brought by train from 200 kms away, such incidents are not in isolation now, they are a sign for us to wake up from our sweet slumber and to act upon the issue. 

What Exactly is the Problem?

Yesterday, when we were facing a water problem in our hostel, I was consoling myself by quoting again and again that hard times create strong women 💪, but later, I realized that the problem is not so small, and we should not normalize it by saying that without water we get to know its importance. Yes, this challenge taught us many things, but the major problem is that not having portable drinking water is an issue 🚱.

Whenever we pay our fee — that too in such a lavish amount before the beginning of the semester — a portable drinking water facility is basic to expect. People have different views regarding it, but living in a country that recognizes the Right to Life under Article 21, life does not include mere existence but a dignified life with at least basic necessities, including a clean environment, clean water, food, and health 🏥.

In our country, approximately 600 million people face water crises. We see 200,000 deaths annually because of inadequate access to safe water. People experience high to extreme water stress. India is ranked at 141 out of 180 countries in the unsafe drinking water index by Yale University, 2022 report and 70 per cent of India's water is contaminated. By 2030, our water demand is going to be double the amount. 

So, the sorrow is that such heart-wrenching data is just not limited to these few lines; it is much deeper and more extensive. And there is a lot many data that is available which points toward water scarcity that we are currently facing and which is going to escalate in future if we sit peacefully ignoring this data and the problem.

Access to clean drinking water should not be a privilege for a few, but a fundamental expectation of any living entity, whether human or animal. When such basis necessity is compromised, it just not reflect the damage of fundamental rights but a deeper apathy toward public welfare as well as accountability.

Let's Analyse the Elephant in the Room 🐘

Okay, let's not play the blame game and come straight to the issue. Yesterday, after looking at the condition of the water, I was not thinking about my problem or our collective problem that we were facing, but the problem of those who have to go through it daily 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♂️.

In India, with the development of environmental jurisprudence, thanks to cases like M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India, the judiciary has laid strong foundations for environmental protection ⚖️.

In a place called Vellore in Tamil Nadu, a river was damaged due to industries releasing untreated effluents. 3,50,000 hectares of agricultural land became unfit for cultivation 🌾. A writ petition was filed under Article 32. The Apex Court tried to strike a balance between development and the environment and thus imposed fines upon such tanneries. The question is — are we even questioning our sense of responsibility as enshrined in the Fundamental Duties of our Constitution towards the environment? 🌿

📌 The name of the case is Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum vs. Union of India⚖️.

Let's now dig deeper into environmental jurisprudence and explore another impactful case: Indian Council of Enviro-Legal Action vs. Union of India.

This story is of the Bichhri Village of Udaipur, where five industries were established to produce hyaluronic acid. These industries released highly toxic, untreated effluents — iron and gypsum-based sludge. The underground soil was damaged, contaminating drinking water that spread across wells 💧. Out of 350 such wells, 60 turned red ❌ and became unfit for drinking. 350 hectares of land became infertile.

A show cause notice under 144 Crpc was given by the Sub Divisional Magistrate to these industries as to why they should not be closed. A writ petition was filed by the Indian Council of Enviro-Legal Action before the Apex Court. The principle of Absolute Liability applies here. The factories were closed, and they were asked to pay for the damages ⚖️.

Further, in the case of Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board vs. M. V. Nayadu, the Supreme Court stated the precautionary principle whereby it was decided that industries should not be located within proximity to water collection areas if there is even a remote possibility of contamination🚫. The ruling focused on safeguarding drinking water supplies without the risk of contamination, insisting on special environmental courts for protecting nature rather than for profit at the expense of public health and basic resources 🧪🌊.

 What is the Point of Consideration?

Water is a basic necessity. When the portable drinking water supply was cut for more than 24 hours, I realised the problem many people face on a daily basis in this Country. In the name of development, when their plight goes unnoticed, then we get to know the real social difference that is prevalent in our country⚠️ .

We have the Right to Life under Article 21, where the list is inclusive, not exhaustive. The recent disruption in our hostel’s water supply — and the eventual arrival of water unfit even for bathing, let alone drinking — did more than just reveal the value of water to me. While many say you only understand the importance of something once it's gone, what I truly experienced was the silent desperation of those whose voices go unheard in the struggle for this basic necessity 💔.

At one point in time, I used to visit a local river in our village to fetch water. But let me be very specific — such a visit was not out of necessity, but merely for fun and a picnic. But when we were collectively standing in a queue for water, I realised how the masses in our country are living ⛲. The condition is so meek that even after paying such an exorbitant amount, we are facing this problem. Imagine what the condition is when these services are supposed to be freely available!

Even as we live in a civil society that is expected to be more sensitised, I feel it’s important to emphasise a crucial truth: all these problems — whether small, like a hostel water issue, or large-scale environmental damages — are solvable 🛠️. With cooperation and effective intervention of the authorities, these challenges can be tackled with relative ease.

Conclusion

So, now, that journey we started, which begins from the hostel to the landmark Supreme Court cases, may seem like a leap, but let me ask—Is it so? Both strike on a common path: our collective failure to treat basic necessities like water as non-negotiable rights.

What seems like a small disruption in daily life actually reflects deep systemic gaps. The added sorrow is that clean drinking water still remains out of reach for so many — even for those who pay for it 💸. These short 3–4 day disruptions are just a reflection of misplaced priorities. The Constitution of India, through Article 21, not just advocates for the right to life and mere existence, but to a dignified life and dignity is not found in struggling for essentials.

Environmental jurisprudence in India has come a long way. From Vellore to Bichhri to Hyderabad, courts have reminded us time and again that development must be sustainable, industries must be accountable, and the environment must be protected.

But legal victories alone aren't enough. Laws can only do so much without public awareness, collective will, and institutional action. Whether it's demanding better infrastructure in a college campus or questioning the environmental cost of industrial activity, the power ultimately rests with us — the citizens ✊.

So, the next time someone tells you, “You’ll understand its value only when it’s gone,” maybe don’t just nod. Ask: Why is it gone in the first place? 🔍? Who let it go 🗣️? And what are we doing to get it back—permanently 🤝?

💧 Water is not a privilege. It’s right. Let’s not just endure its absence — let’s demand its presence.