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| Over-consumption |
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| wastage of food |
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| wastage of water |
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| Wastage of power |
1) Waiting and waiting in endless queues
Years and years wasted without any use
Hoping for food in agonized suspense
As scarcity looms in proportions immense
With limited resources and hoarding ways
The common citizen's life-- a daily struggling race!
2) With soaring prices and taxes high
What can one do--too horrible to sigh
The promises made dissolve in vain
A degrading state, a shameful stain
With ever growing population's rate
What growth can vie, a worsening state?
3) Under the grip of ruthless corruption
The rich and mighty thrive: no ration
For them, no shortage, no threatening sound
They roll in luxuries nowhere else found;
Coupled with poverty and scarcity dire
Adulteration rages like forest-fire.
4) Who questions whom? A vicious circle indeed
None takes the blame but slogans lead
To exterminate the ills that feed on men
And how none knows--problems like worms in a fen:
While other nations grow with earnest work
We slink in dishonest ways and duties shirk.
5) Oh thriving Super Powers and States!
Think of us, your fellow-creatures' fates!
Is it your culture to ravish Nature
Till man degrades himself to devilish stature?
Beware of Nature's rule and mighty force;
Bring not on all the terrible woes!
6) What wealth can shape our Nature again?
What dollars can reduce the dying pain?
What riches can repair our polluted air?
What Power can set right our state unfair?
Think of your neighbors' fate ere it is too late
Let wisdom dawn on us; let us not overuse or waste.
7) Oh richest raving men of power and greed!
For pomp and show waste not our resources and wealth
In heaps you throw on which dogs and beggars feed ;
With gold we can't get back lost food and health
Let temperate means prevail and kindness reign
Let's fight against scarcity and starving pain.
8) Till we cut down our wastage and pleasures much
We have to languish waiting in queues as such;
Let's not over-consume with selfish lust
By mutual help and understanding we must
Make this planet, a fit place to dwell
Not a risky, barren devastating hell.
An Appeal
9) Oh developed Nations of this mighty earth!
Waste not, want not, if not-- we, all face death;
Like primitive dinosaurs-- a gradual death;
Mere luxuries won't ennoble a human beast
Think of starving millions, relent at least.
" We never know the worth of water till the well is dry." -- Thomas Fuller
" There is enough in the world for everyone's need : There is not enough for everyone's greed." -- Mahatma Gandhi.
Just to show off their status or to satisfy their uncontrolled desires, man over-consumes creating scarcity of natural resources throwing the poorer lot in a miserable condition. Along with this population explosion and hoarding of necessary provisions worsen the condition. The showy world of advertisements also tempts the so-called rich to waste their wealth on vain and worthless things without thinking about the problems of others. By using fraudulent and illegal means man tries to exploit the natural resources resulting in wastage and artificial scarcity, which leads to price rise and black marketing. 80% of world's resources are used by a ( 17%) minority of world's population. Developed countries consume resources at a rate 32 times greater than those of developing world. As Laser Brown of "The Earth Policy Institute" said "It would take 1.5 earths to sustain our present level of consumption." In this world 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted while more than 870 million people go hungry. In India 27% of power goes wasted due to pilferage,wastage and leakages. Same is the case with another precious resource,water. Nearly 25% of water is wasted due to lack of awareness and water-saving methods. In the name of status, people spend crores of rupees during parties and functions and go mad on a buying spree purchasing everything in larger quantities than what they actually need. This results in accumulation of wastage. Our lavish habits and overspending in the long run takes a heavy toll on us with health problems like obesity, diabetes and cardiac troubles reducing our natural immunity. So let us use our discretion and vision and try to reduce lavish and wasteful ways of utilizing the god-given precious resources and try to help the poorer lot.
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26th July, 2014 Somaseshu Gutala
