TOI correspondent from London: Wash rice twice, not seven times. Use a one-litre jug, not a running tap for wudu. England’s water crisis has put rice bowls and prayer taps in the crosshairs, with a £270,000 taxpayer-funded campaign urging South Asian communities to wash rice fewer times and Muslims to use less water for ablution.Almost three-quarters of England is in drought after five heatwaves this summer drove down river and reservoir levels, prompting water regulator Ofwat to fund two campaigns under a project called “Water efficiency in faith and diverse communities” to squeeze every drop from everyday water-heavy cultural and religious practices.British Malaysian celebrity chef Ping Coombes features in a video targeting Asian rice-washing habits, saying it is common to wash rice five to seven times until the water runs clear. She says she washes hers twice, adding: “by doing this we can save up five litres of water each time”.Coombes demonstrates the method and suggests reusing leftover rice water to grow plants.In a separate video, journalist Sonia Haria suggests using leftover rice water as a facial toner or spraying it on hair. “Although there aren’t lots of clinical studies, it is a tried and tested beauty staple,” she says.A second campaign, “Reviving the Sunnah”, run in partnership with Cambridge Central Mosque, urges Muslims to cut water use during wudu, the ritual cleansing performed before prayer and, for many Muslims, repeated up to five times a day. Muslims typically use six to 12 litres of water for each wudu session under a running tap.Campaign material says many people perform wudu under a running tap, using about six litres of water a minute. It cites the Sunnah, saying the Prophet performed wudu with one Mudd, approximately one litre of water, and urges Muslims to “Make wudu the Prophetic way”.Imam Sejad Mekic, from Cambridge Central Mosque, demonstrates wudu using a one-litre jug.The campaign has drawn criticism over its cost, particularly as about three billion litres of water are lost through leaks every day.Conservative shadow cabinet office minister Mike Wood said families already facing steep bill increases “will not be best pleased” that their money is being spent on “bizarre schemes” aimed at changing longstanding practices.
