Water - The oil of the 21st century

Something I had written for an assignment...

Water is a basic human right without access to which mankind cannot survive. More than 75% of Earth’s area is under water, of which only 2.5% is portable. Of the 2.5%, 75% is locked in icecaps and glaciers making very little available for consumption. Pollution is another major concern. Unbridled industrialization, in developing nations has contaminated rivers and aquifers making the available, scarcely usable.

Oil prices are drastically going down from their recent peaks, but concerns about the availability of freshwater show no sign of abating and the demand for water is rising on the back of a demographic boom against reducing supply. Global water consumption is doubling every 20 years. With subsidies on the use of water for agriculture (especially thirsty crops like corn), innovation of new water fuel cells, production of bio fuels (ethanol) and energy production for cooling nuclear/thermal power plants, the demand is only increasing. Countries in the Middle East where fresh water is scarce are spending huge sums to build desalination plants to satisfy the demand. With the growing demand and decrease in supply it must be noted that there is no alternative for water as is for oil and other commodities.

More over Fortune Magazine back in May of 2000 had stated, "Water promises to be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th century: the precious commodity that determines the wealth of nations." All this would be enough to start water wars in the world in lines to the oil wars of the 90’s. For instance Egypt which has a historical right on the River Nile has been negotiating with the upstream states for the same. The minister of water resources of Egypt says "a drop of water is becoming more precious than a drop of blood". For these reasons water is a strategic resource and an important element in many political conflicts. Another example would be the water wars seen within states in India like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It is not going to be long before it starts worldwide.

Water conservation is the only alternative for the betterment of the society. The problems are a big concern for large organizations like Coca Cola, Pepsi etc which have started cutting down water consumption and focussing on water stewardship which must be followed suit by all the nations by signing a pact similar to the Kyoto protocol.

It happens everytime

Everytime I complete a task, I feel I could have done it better. Then why didnt I do it better the first time. When I do it, I always think I am doing the best. If I realize I didnt do my best how would the task be done in the best way possible. This makes me not do my best in the task. Are you confused? 

I know I am.

My brother, the greatest

From the time I have known I have always been competing against my brother. Jealous of what he does, I have always tried to do it better. I felt like winning when I beat him. But my brother was always happy in me beating him and tried setting the bar higher. He was actually winning in making me win. 

My brother and myself had always been fighting. It had been both physical and verbal. I always won by chickening out and complaining to my mother and putting the entire blame on him. I knew that I would become a great manager one day. But when I realized he was always helping me find the better me, all the hatred and competition transformed. It also made me compete against myself and get better.

Thank you Sujay. I couldn’t have asked for a greater brother...

Time

KKR*: Why do the measure of time SECOND. Why not FIRST or THIRD?

*KKR-> My accounting prof

Measure of possibility

How is possibility measured? Every time someone tells me I have done the impossible, I only wander was it an impossible task for them, or for me. I have had people come to me and tell me “I don’t know why you try. tried and could never do it”. Why do they say it is an impossible task just because he/she couldn’t do it? People never think if it was really an impossible task.

During my preparation for CAT, I had some people coming to me to explain how tough it was to get in. They would take examples of toppers from my college or some person who they think is intelligent. Comparing me with somebody else has always made me get on my nerve. That was a motivation that has made me succeed many a times; right from my board exams, to my job till IIMK.

It has always been a pleasure doing something that others consider difficult. But the greatest pleasure lies in doing something that you deem difficult or impossible and not what others feel. It’s you who knows what you are capable of.

First Official travel

Dont start imagining things. My first business trip was to Mumbai. My boss walked upto me on a Friday afternoon and asked me if I can make a trip to Mumbai on short notice. I asked what for and he said, Nikhil is going to meet a prospective client and it would be good if someone with a technical knowledge of your product was with him to tackle any technical stuff that the client might ask. Not that I know everything about the product, it was just because I knew about the product better than anyone at my Chennai office. This is where my Team Leader role pays off. I was really excited about this trip and immediately said YES. Only the dumbest would say no to such an offer. I always knew I am good and it was yet another time to prove myself.

I then ask him when is the travel supposed to be, and he says tonight. Get Ready. Nikhil would be traveling with you.

I walk into Nikhil's chamber to ask what if I had anything to do before the trip.
"Get the laptop and setup the applications from the server into it", were his words. I started doing it and that took me the rest of the day. In the meanwhile, Thiru comes over and lets me know that the flight is at 8 PM. I complete setting up the environment and look at the clock on the notification area on my desktop and was shocked to see the time it was already 6 30 PM. I leave everything as it is and ask my colleague to pack the laptop for me and rush down to the parking bay. On my way there I called up my UYIR NANBAN(A friend who is there to save u your ass or arse in a dieing situation) and ask him to iron a shirt for me(How i felt for not mainitaining my wardrobe.) He understood my situation was ready to help me whatever it was. I reach home in a hurry to see him complete ironing a shirt for me. It was not the shirt I was planning to wear. It would not go with my shoe. How did this thought come to my mind when I know one more minute could cost me my flight.

I only told him to iron a shirt. I didnot tell him what I was planning to wear. I tell him I want another shirt ironed and give him the one. He politely takes it from me and irons it, neatly folds it and hands it over to me. What would I have done without him!

I pack my bag with the stuff I think I would require and hurry back to office. I reach office take print outs of the ticket and check the timing to see flight departure 9 15 PM. But what am I going to do now. Nikhil calls me saying me to come to the gate. I go there to see him waiting for me in the cab. We reach the airport well ahead of time.

We board the flight to have a few problems in the traffic congestion at Mumbai air terminus to arrive 1 Hr late. The only thing I could think of was how the traffic problem has spread from the roads of Indian cities to the Indian skies. Next to follow would be the seas.

We are checked out into a Hotel. I would never stay in such a place if I were to pay for it. The room was 6500 Rs for a night. That was way beyond my budget. But what the hell, I am not going to pay for it. I gladly take the keys to go to my room to have a nice sleep after a tiring turbulent journey.

I wake up at 7 30 AM thinking I may be late and what Nikhil might say, only to see him wake up at 8 30 AM only when I call him. The meeting is at 10 AM and this is not the first sales meeting that he is attending. He shouldnt be tensed. I go down have my breakfast and wait for him.

On our way to the meeting Nikhil was questioned about the hotel and he said it was OK. What did he say? OK....Man if they had asked me the question i would given a very positive feedback. They say this is the only budget hotel in the vicinity of the airport and the client's place. BUDGET... The theory of Relativity crept into my mind. My master degree in Physics suffices at times like these. Their BUDGET = my ROYAL TREATMENT. My BUDGET = their____(I am not filling up the dashes.)

The meeting starts and goes on and on and on...I look at the time and notice its been 4 hours since the meeting had started and I havent said a word. I need to make my presence felt. I try speaking and make one statement. The meeting continues and we break for lunch. After lunch the meeting is short and I manage to speak a couple of times and we beak for the day.

I leave for the airport and am here sitting for the flight delayed by 1/2 an hour. What else could I do than better write a blog sitting in the lounge using my official laptop with the free wifi provided by airtel.

Time to catch my flight.