For the past 15 years, Odette Katrak has been dedicated to water conservation, long before the Bengaluru water crisis gained widespread attention. Through her innovative framework, she challenges the assumption that tap water is the sole water resource within our homes.
Imagine bathing with just three mugs of water or maintaining over 350 potted plants without using a single drop of fresh water. These are the remarkable water-saving practices Odette Katrak, a resident of Bengaluru, has been implementing for over a decade and a half. Her unique approach, known as the Ecowaternomics framework, aims to inspire others to adopt similar measures and significantly reduce water consumption.
“It took a severe water crisis in Bengaluru for us to realize the urgency of water conservation,” she reflects. With public borewells running dry and strict penalties for water wastage, the city faces a dire scarcity of water.
“While many rely on external solutions like rainwater harvesting and sewage treatment plants to address the water crisis, my framework emphasizes making changes within households to reduce demand,” she explains.
Odette’s journey towards water conservation began 15 years ago when she encountered a chilling presentation titled ‘Letter in the Year 2070,’ depicting a world without water. The stark imagery compelled her to make drastic changes in her water usage habits, including giving up leisurely baths.
Upon moving to Bengaluru nine years ago, Odette witnessed firsthand the struggles of women fetching water from distant sources, which reinforced the importance of water conservation. This experience motivated her to not only conserve water in her own home but also to advocate for responsible water usage in the community.
To address the widespread neglect of water conservation at the household level, Odette developed a unique framework aimed at significantly reducing fresh water consumption. With her ‘Use Less, Reuse More’ formula, she aims to make water-saving simple and achievable for everyone.
Growing up in a large family in Chennai, Odette learned to manage with minimal water, a skill she revisited after watching the eye-opening video in 2009. She adopted the practice of bathing with just three mugs of water, garnering attention and challenging misconceptions about water usage.
Through initiatives like the Save-water campaign and the Minimum Water Challenge under her organization Beautiful Bharat, Odette continues to advocate for sustainable water management practices. Her Ecowaternomics framework offers a structured approach to water conservation, akin to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, prioritizing water usage based on necessity.
