The man who has been fighting to save water in India speaks out on his passion and vision...
B&E: Water problem in India is whether due to non-availability or mismanagement?
RS: It’s obviously due to mismanagement. See, in 1947, when India was liberated from the clutches of the British, we had plenty of ground water. You could have got water where ever you dig. But, see what has happened today. Tube wells are failing, ground water level is decreasing, lakes are disappearing... Who is responsible for all these? Just five minutes back I was crossing over a river called Kali (he had a chat with B&E in the middle of his train journey). You cannot call it a river anymore. It’s just a narrow flow of black, filthy water. We revere our rivers as our mother; but what we did to our mother? Is it not rape? We have thrown all our garbage into these rivers, we poured the industrial waste into these rivers. In fact, we have done almost every possible thing to pollute rivers and now we are crying for water. Common people don’t have time to think for all these and they can not do much to stop these irregularities. That’s why they have chosen their leaders. But the leaders who don’t have far sight are busy with other things.
B&E: How has been the response to your mission towards water conservation in Rajasthan?
RS: Public co-operation was really good. If you show people something good and prove that in front of them, they really appreciate and follow you. That’s the good thing about our country. But the government didn’t support me in any manner; didn’t give a single paisa. Instead did everything to discourage me; created number of problems and put many hurdles in my way. But I had a ‘Sankalp’ (determination) and as such never stepped back. Government filed many cases against me. It said that the water is mine; and some one like me is not supposed to put hands in its resources. But I fought for the justice. I told water or any resource is not a government asset but natural asset and it belongs to everyone. I directly fought with the government & got the justice.
B&E: What are your future plans?
RS: My ambition is to see rivers in India flowing as rivers. Two years back we carried Yamuna Satyagraha in Delhi to save Yamuna. Now I have taken Ganga project. Ganga the perennial river, which is sacred and worshipped by millions of Indians for the ages, is polluted now. We need to sensitise the masses about the damage being caused to Ganga by hydro electric projects and by domestic and industrial wastes. Though government now declared Ganga as National River, there are still plenty of conservation activities that need to be done. Overall encroachment, ground water exploitation and pollution are the three major threats to Indian water resource. When come to the first point, rivers across the country are facing a threat of real estate. Apart from increasing pollution, it destroys river bed. However, it has not yet acquired dangerous proportions. We can counter it through collective action. Fighting against these threats is my priority.
B&E: Water problem in India is whether due to non-availability or mismanagement?
RS: It’s obviously due to mismanagement. See, in 1947, when India was liberated from the clutches of the British, we had plenty of ground water. You could have got water where ever you dig. But, see what has happened today. Tube wells are failing, ground water level is decreasing, lakes are disappearing... Who is responsible for all these? Just five minutes back I was crossing over a river called Kali (he had a chat with B&E in the middle of his train journey). You cannot call it a river anymore. It’s just a narrow flow of black, filthy water. We revere our rivers as our mother; but what we did to our mother? Is it not rape? We have thrown all our garbage into these rivers, we poured the industrial waste into these rivers. In fact, we have done almost every possible thing to pollute rivers and now we are crying for water. Common people don’t have time to think for all these and they can not do much to stop these irregularities. That’s why they have chosen their leaders. But the leaders who don’t have far sight are busy with other things.
B&E: How has been the response to your mission towards water conservation in Rajasthan?
RS: Public co-operation was really good. If you show people something good and prove that in front of them, they really appreciate and follow you. That’s the good thing about our country. But the government didn’t support me in any manner; didn’t give a single paisa. Instead did everything to discourage me; created number of problems and put many hurdles in my way. But I had a ‘Sankalp’ (determination) and as such never stepped back. Government filed many cases against me. It said that the water is mine; and some one like me is not supposed to put hands in its resources. But I fought for the justice. I told water or any resource is not a government asset but natural asset and it belongs to everyone. I directly fought with the government & got the justice.
B&E: What are your future plans?
RS: My ambition is to see rivers in India flowing as rivers. Two years back we carried Yamuna Satyagraha in Delhi to save Yamuna. Now I have taken Ganga project. Ganga the perennial river, which is sacred and worshipped by millions of Indians for the ages, is polluted now. We need to sensitise the masses about the damage being caused to Ganga by hydro electric projects and by domestic and industrial wastes. Though government now declared Ganga as National River, there are still plenty of conservation activities that need to be done. Overall encroachment, ground water exploitation and pollution are the three major threats to Indian water resource. When come to the first point, rivers across the country are facing a threat of real estate. Apart from increasing pollution, it destroys river bed. However, it has not yet acquired dangerous proportions. We can counter it through collective action. Fighting against these threats is my priority.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human FaceProf. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
