In a bid to spread the message on saving precious drinking water in hotels this summer, especially when the city is reeling under severe shortage of water due to failure of monsoon last year, the Hotel Owners Association, Mysuru, has decided to conduct a poster campaign in all hotels and restaurants in city soon.

Hotel Owners Association, Mysuru, President C. Narayanagowda, speaking to SOM this morning, said that 90 percent of drinking water in hotels and restaurants in city was being wasted as waiters first serve water to customers before taking the order as most of the customers prefer mineral water bottle or hot water and the water kept in tumblers would be disposed off.

He said that there were about 530 hotels and restaurants in city and each hotel can save about 100 litres of drinking water daily and if all hotels ask their customers their preference of drinking water before serving drinking water in tumblers, they can save about 20,000 litres of precious drinking water daily.

He said that hotels and restaurants from now on, would keep empty glasses with a jug of filter water to the customers and if the customers want to use the filter water kept in jugs they can use it or they can buy mineral water bottles. Narayanagowda said that hoteliers have been instructed in this regard during the meeting held last month and added that they have also been instructed to sterilise plates and tumblers before serving food in it to the customers.

Speaking about the Poster Campaign, Narayanagowda said that colourful posters with meaningful and attractive messages on saving water will be put up to highlight the seriousness of water shortage and importance of water conservation in all hotels and restaurants soon and the date of commencement of the campaign would be decided at the meeting to be held this month.