Mass Awareness Programs for Water Conservation

Community mobilization for water conservation in more than 250 localities and schools in Delhi alone.

· Our highly successful mass awareness campaign JAL BEEMA ABHIYAAN was designed with inputs from Delhi Jal Board and Central Groundwater Board. This campaign – was done in about 40 colonies in Delhi. Residents, RWAs, MLAs and Councilors of each locality were invited for the program. It generated an immediate increase in interest and knowledge about rainwater harvesting among Delhi colonies and created a Water Harvesting Movement’ in Delhi.

· We have organized several interactive sessions in schools. These sessions included information dissemination on Water Conservation issues, role plays, quizzes, slogan writing and ‘Water Audit’ to record consumption levels in their school and homes. The most recent program in this series was the BAAL JAL RAKSHAK program that was organized in partnership with Department of Science and Technology.

· On World Water Day every year, we hold our Unique Annual Water Festival JAL TARANG. A celebration of Water, this program encourages children, elders and artists to give creative expression to water. Poetry, dances, plays, songs even magic shows on the theme of water are put up by participants. Localities from all over Delhi, their Residents Welfare Associations and senior government officials from related departments participate in the program. JAL TARANG 2008 was a gala 5 day affair held at Dilli Haat. It was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi – Smt Sheila Dikshit and was appreciated by thousands of people.

· We have also created a non-confrontationist, ‘Bhagidari spirit’ movement for Citizens initiatives for protection of water bodies and natural resources. The most recent success of this movement was for the protection of the Neela Hauz, a natural water body that was in danger of being filled up for construction of an overhead flyover. As a result of the Citizens movement in the area, the lake and the surrounding forest have now been declared as a Bio-Diversity zone and will be restored immediately after construction of flyover is completed.

Providing platforms for knowledge sharing on water issues and creative ways of information dissemination

· We organize seminars and workshops on various water related issues. Our recent seminars – ‘WATER HARVESTING SOCIO ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF CREATING WATER SECURITY’ and ‘CREATING WATER SECURITY ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION’ were highly appreciated. The speakers included top academicians from reputed institutions like IIT and JNU; senior bureaucrats from water / environment related ministries, senior officers from Delhi Jal Board, Central Groundwater Board and Ministry of Water Resources and renowned practitioners in the field of water. The recommendations from these seminars were presented to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi and to the Hon’ble. Minister of State for Water Resources.

· We have done a Research Study on ‘Price paid by residents of Delhi for uncertainty in water supply’ and ‘Informal Water Distribution Channels’ in Delhi. The study has been shared with media and with other practitioners in the field of water.

· We have designed a Special ‘Water Calendar’. This was printed in association with a corporate and distributed All India. The calendar uses paintings made by children to spread the message of ‘Reduce Waste’, ‘Re-use water’, ‘Recharge Groundwater’ and ‘Recycle Waste-Water’

· Another innovative method of information dissemination about rainwater harvesting, is the erecting of illustrative signboards, giving diagram of the structure and recharge potential, at each site. This generates interest and informs communities about the technique and effectiveness of Rain Water Harvesting in their area.

· We have also scripted and directed a Mini-play – ‘Dharti Ka Neer Haran’. Using the analogy of Mahabharata’s famous “Draupadi Ka Cheer Haran” sequence, the play spreads the message of protecting our water resources. This play has been performed at several functions including the Chief Minister’s Best Rainwater Harvester Award Ceremony in 2007.

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Mass Awareness Programs for Water Conservation