Care Earth Trust along with the US Consulate General in Chennai and Smithsonian have launched the “Water Matters” themed exhibition in Chennai. The depiction of the relationship of Human Beings and Water is the highlight of the Exhibition.
| Where | Periyar Science and Technology Center / Outside Birla Planetarium |
| When | 11 February – 29 February 2020. |
The Exhibition is part of the month long Collaborative project from 22 January, 2020 to 29 February, 2020.
The Exhibition has many pavilions that explain the various facets of our evolving relationship with Water.
Pavillion 1
This section shows the great water based engineering marvels throughout history. Water that is focal point of ‘The great Roman Aqueducts’ and the Washington Memorial is displayed in this section.
How a simple vessel filled with water to various levels can create the brilliant Jal Tarang instrument is displayed.
Pavilion 2
This section illustrates the scale of water in the planet and how it powers life on this engine.
The pavilion has a cross section of the earth to illustrate confined and un-confined aquifer.
The section also shows a model hand-pump and well, that are traditional ways of people extracting water from underground.
This section also depicts the typical monsoon movement over India that we are so dependent on.
The amount of fresh water available for human beings to consume is explained graphically.
Pavilion 3
The Pavilion 3 explains the chemical background of water and the chemical composition that allows it to exhibit unique properties. The surface tension capability that allows insects like Water Strider to walk on water and coins to float without sinking are displayed using experiments.
The challenge caused due to lack of supplied water and our heavy reliance as a city on Lorry supplied water is illustrated in a photo.
The importance of the health of our water bodies and its direct impact on the growth of our city is illustrated in the photo. In-spite of the Tamil Nadu Common Building Rules having a lot of specific rules to protect the Aquifer zones in South Chennai, these have been repeatedly flouted.
Pavilion 4
Pavilion 4 shares examples of the great architectural and structural marvels built on Rivers. Photos of the Grand Anicut built by Karikala Cholan of the Chola dynasty is on display.
The basic principles and design around irrigation and water supply schemes are explained.
Pavilion 5
Pavilion 5 has a powerful info-graphic that illustrates the water consumed in the preparation of various things like coffee, tomato with reference to a house kudam that has a capacity of about 2000 liters.
Pavilion 6
Pavilion 6 talks about Climate Stress and their incidence across India in the recent years. Both drought and flood have become a consequence of climate change.
This section also illustrated the various solutions surrounding sustainable water management and consumption.
The pavilion also shows a very realistic 3d model of the impact of solid waste management on water resources.
Many important dignitaries including Music Director A R Rahman have visited the exhibition.
In conclusion, the Water Matters Exhibition brings to the forefront a pressing issue of the want of respect for water in Chennai. Chennai is blessed with 3 rivers namely Adyar, Cooum and Kosathalayar and yet poor water management has destroyed this well naturally irrigated city.
The visitors to the exhibition will surely walk away deeply impacted, as for life it only Water that Matters!