A Dip of Faith - India Rivers Week 2016

The India Rivers Week is a biennial mela of people working on rivers - academicians, activists, journalists, NGOs - all thinkers and philosophers who debate on improving their own understanding of rivers and their revival - held this year between Nov 28-30, 2016. It is like a dip of faith for me; a congregation of the faithful, all willing to take the plunge for a common quest to search for answers unknown to the collective. Rejuvenation of our rivers in the current times is no less than a miracle. And we all believe that the miracle shall happen; that our rivers shall flow, once again, unspoiled and unfettered- nirmal and aviral. 

The River Week in 2014 was my moment of revelation. As a novice in the vast and complex field of river conservation, I felt like I had reached my Mecca. My horizons expanded; I found my calling. I met other people who cared for and were empathetic to the travails of our rivers. One individual who left a mark on me was Dr. Dinesh Kumar Mishra, an engineer who is on a quest to break the fundamental myth of engineering - that technology is an end in itself, and not a means to the end of a better world. He decided to change it by assessing the impacts of floods in Bihar, producing seminal work on flood management and advocating for traditional flood management practices. He spoke about the science of freshwater ecosystems, the importance of every element of the water cycle including floodplains, groundwater, floods, precipitation and river flows. He spoke of the history of engineering and engineering education as founded by the British, the concept of "Drainage"as introduced by the British, and with it, the heralding of the era of dams and embankments. He spoke of the politics of dams and embankments, the politics of floods, and the distance of the powerful from the rivers. I listened to him like a thirsty pilgrim would drink from the Fountain of Abundance.

This year, I came more evolved into the Rivers Week. I attended the three days with the ability to contribute with experiences from the field, newer ideas and in the end, I left with a rejuvenated faith. I still do not know all the answers, but I do know the path I want to follow as a seeker of the answers. When Mr. Shashi Shekhar, the incumbent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, spoke about engineering education as the cause for technology being at odds with ecology, I felt curiously calm and focused. Again, Dr. Mishra put it beautifully when he talked about Kriti or human creations trying to control Prakriti or the Creations of God. They both inadvertently reinforced my faith - the path that I have chosen is the right one. 

The rivers shall flow again, unspoiled and unfettered - nirmal  and aviral.

Charting Newer Courses – Connecting People and Nature for a Healthy Ramganga

As I looked into the mesmerizing eyes of a young gharial being released into its natural habitat in the river Ganga, I saw the culmination of the first part of our collective journey for restoring the Ganga and its tributaries. We took 20 ‘Ramganga Mitras’ or community volunteers from four riparian districts of the Ramganga river basin to participate in this experience that brought them in close proximity to nature. The Ganga holds a special place in India’s social fabric, and an animal whose habitat is a pristine river Ganga forged a special bond with each of these conservation champions.

This experience was a part of a basin-level initiative where more than 60 ‘Ramganga Mitras’ or riparian multi-stakeholder groups from Bijnore, Moradabad, Bareilly and Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh had been brought together by WWF-India to create a platform for their collective voice in river basin management. The meeting itself began with a song – a clarion call to all stakeholders to conserve the Ramganga – written and performed by Amar Singh from Shahjahanpur. During the course of the meeting I had enriching conversations with various Mitras, many of whom I was meeting for the first time. It is difficult to describe in words the feeling I had when a group of farmers from Shahjahanpur told me how they managed to ward off a gang of turtle poachers from their tiny hamlet. I was overcome by a sense of pride when I saw one Anganwadi worker encourage other women in her group to speak out for creating market-based mechanisms for bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers. From a farmer seeing his daughters in me to a villager composing a song with blessings for our work, there were inexplicable human connections that I formed in that room. I sensed camaraderie within that group of ‘Ramganga Mitras’ which could only be explained by a common sense of belonging to the land where the river flowed. In a sense, they were out to restore the very river that tied them all together.    

My water journey began much before I knew I would begin working for river conservation. As an engineer, I started working as an engineering project management coordinator for a manufacturing firm. Throughout my stint there, I felt that the primary cause of wastage of water despite strict company rules was the employees’ lack of connect to water as a life-giving entity. My search for answers to establish that connect brought me to the issues of water governance and policy. This personal quest soon turned into a professional one as I began working to establish this connect between people and nature at WWF-India.

Our journey with the Ramganga Mitras started with the formation of these multi-stakeholder groups in each of the four districts comprising urban citizens, farmers, Anganwadi workers, local NGOs, industries, students and teachers. We started the formation of Ramganga Mitras at Moradabad in 2013 and have painstakingly built connections at a human level for restoring the Ramganga through campaigns, workshops, exhibitions, discussions – all ensuring the inculcation of the message of collective action for healthy rivers.  These Mitras have been integral to WWF-India’s river conservation ethos, from grassroots implementation to policy advocacy. Mitras in Bareilly have initiated awareness campaigns during religious events through the course of the year; farmers and Anganwadi workers have implemented as well as educated others on Climate Smart Agriculture practices to reduce chemical fertilizer run-offs that pollute the surface and groundwater in Shahjahanpur and Bijnore; the urban citizens have spearheaded an urban wetlands census for Moradabad; the metal-ware industrialists have implemented clean technology practices in electroplating units through Moradabad. We have taken efforts to generate awareness, inculcate behaviour change and implement sustainable conservation and water management practices, but the ‘Ramganga Mitras’ have taken even more efforts to understand the river, change their behaviours and participate in conservation initiatives have been taken by our champions in the basin.

The Ramganga is a key tributary of the Ganga, and is afflicted by similar challenges of low flows, domestic and industrial pollution, agricultural run-offs and groundwater exploitation. The ‘Rivers for Life, Life for Rivers’ Programme is a five-year programme under the aegis of the HSBC Water Programme, currently in its fourth year, that aims to restore the ecological health of the Ganga and the Ramganga. This programme works on advocacy for Environmental Flows in the rivers, improving the adaptive capacity of farmers, managing the growing footprint of urban and industrial growth in the basin and conservation of habitats of key endangered species endemic to the Ganga river system. The Mitras are integral to each of these pillars of the programme. These multi-stakeholder groups have been envisioned as a collective voice for a healthy Ramganga that works towards an integrated river basin management approach with a cognizance that water is a resource shared by all groups.

As time has passed, I have come to realise that transformation of systems starts with transformation of the self. The lines of distinction between my stakeholder groups and me as a facilitator have blurred in process. I consider myself a ‘Ramganga Mitra’ too - an individual passionate about restoring life in the Ramganga. We are constantly striving to empower ourselves to realise our vision of a healthy Ramganga and influence river basin governance to drive Ramganga conservation. As ‘Friends of the Ramganga’ (or Ramganga Mitras), we have all covered significant distance in our journey towards claiming our individual as well as collective voice for the Ramganga, but we still have a long way to go in empowering communities to conserve their river.   

Conserving our Rivers – It’s time we plug the leaks and shut the showers. And more.

Our rivers – the arteries that supply water for humans and nature – have been cradles of civilization. Our cities have flourished on these rivers. However, as we moved to a piped water supply, we moved away from our rivers. 14 out of 20 major river basins in India are expected to be water stressed by 2030. We have already seen glimpses of what water conflicts can lead to through the recent riots over Cauvery. Cities like Delhi and Bangalore depend on Ganga and Cauvery respectively for a bulk of their water supply. Cities also depend on their rivers to carry away their refuse. As urban citizens, we escape to rivers in pristine landscapes, but conveniently roll up our windows while passing the same rivers that run in our cities, fraught with pollution and lack of flows. It is difficult to imagine that conserving our water is also conserving our rivers, but it is.

Water scarcity typically hits us when their taps run dry. The most popular response of people when they are asked to adopt water saving practices at home and work is “I understand every drop is precious, but how will me closing a tap when not in use save the world from water scarcity?” Conservation of water is definitely closing the tap or not using a shower. At the same time, it is more than just that.

Water Footprint is a term for the amount of water that is used by an individual through direct and indirect consumption. Thus, Water Footprint of a person is not only the amount of water used and polluted by a person in their daily lives (such as drinking, cooking and cleaning), but is also that consumed in products consumed. A pair of jeans would typically consume more than 10,000 litres of water which is mostly made from cotton. Our food habits, including imported food products and products transported from far off places would have higher water footprint. A microchip would typically consume about 16000 litres of water. Most of the water we use is actually the water used in supply chains of products we use. We as consumers need to make water sensitive choices in every consumption choice we make.

Our water footprint has more complex consequences on the environment, and on our lives as well. All the water directly used by us or in the products we use is our blue water footprint. The water that is hidden in our consumption of products and services from plants and soil is green water footprint. The water footprint due to pollution discharged from our homes and industries is grey water footprint. Thus, the impacts of agricultural practices, industrial supply chains and our cities’ infrastructure are all finally, our water footprint.

Agriculture is the highest water consumer at 70% and there are larger structural changes required when it comes to tackling water security. Water-sensitive agricultural practices would impact our water security positively. Having said that, at present, water is an over-allocated resource. Domestic as well as commercial consumption from cities is increasing and city water managers have been hitherto resorting to capacity augmentation as a means to ensure water supply. In process, cities often source water from sources which are a long distance away. For instance, Delhi sources its water from Tehri which is around 300 km away from the city. This increases costs of transporting water as well, but considering water is under-priced, under-investment in water supply and sewerage infrastructure is a common problem in most cities. The way our cities are planned, impacts our personal water footprint. Thus, it is important that water managers in cities and urban citizens like us resort to demand management practices (like using taps instead of shower, using water efficient faucets or reusing water at home) in order to ensure water security for the city.

However, demand management is but a part of the larger picture of urban water management. Sewage from cities is the single biggest contributor to surface water body pollution. Reuse plans for cities are totally absent. Imagine, we flush drinking water down the drain every time we use the toilet. Rainwater harvesting is present in policy but  often not enforced in spirit. And finally (and most importantly), there is no concern for freshwater ecosystems within cities; lakes, ponds, marshes, and floodplains of rivers are encroached upon legally and illegally, not allowing for groundwater recharge or natural flood cushioning. There are structural and systemic changes urgently required for all cities.

And this time, all these changes required are definitely personal. 

A Revival (of the blog) - Four Years Hence. And not just the urban(e).

It has been four years since I wrote my last blog. I still lie that I blog occasionally; it's time to make it real again.

A bit of background first: I have since graduated from TISS, Mumbai and moved to Delhi. I work more specifically on urban water and community mobilization for water governance. I have evolved a lot more in my thoughts and ideas, and I want to write them down. These ideas are meant to be out in the public, not just in my diary. Hence, a revival of this blog is necessary.

At least one post every week. That's my resolution for now. (And this post doesn't count).

Water Bodies as public spaces

Much has been written about the Water Crisis that looms on our heads in the present century, and I do not think I need to elaborate on it. Water shortage has hit us, and it is for real. That's it. Nothing can be more direct than that.

We Indians have been historically connected to our water bodies. Cities of our civilization have flourished on river fronts, with trade, agriculture and economy thriving due to water. Ports like Bombay, Surat and Madras have held immense significance in our history. With an agricultural economy with mostly rain-fed agriculture practiced, water forms an integral part of our past, present and hopefully our future as well.

Lakes and ponds in cities like Kolkata and Udaipur were used for filling water and bathing, supported local fishermen, and served to regenerate and recharge local ecosystems. Rivers acted as highways, as modes of transport connecting cities along their banks. Mumbai thrived due to its sea shore. In short, citizens connected with their water bodies. And hence they protected them.

But in time, we have disconnected from these water bodies in our cities. Mumbaikars have no time for their Marine Drive and Juhu beach. Lakes and ponds have either dried up, turned to nallahs or have been filled up to construct buildings. People don't conduct their routines on the banks of rivers, riverways are no longer used as means of transport and hence don't consider these water bodies as a part of their lives. We are, in short, disconnected from our water bodies. And hence we don't think twice before dumping our garbage in canals, ponds or lakes, or polluting rivers and seas with our septic waste. We encroach without guilt, and hence we destroy our water systems.

I feel the way forward is to reconnect cities and its citizens to its water bodies. To use the banks of rivers, lakes and ponds, sea shores, as public spaces. Not in what is now perceived as subaltern, like washing clothes or bathing in ponds and lakes, but as spaces for public events and community gatherings. In this manner, unwanted activities could be avoided on beaches after dark, and lakes and ponds could be saved from being filled up for new constructions.

I base my argument on the paradigm that as people become "distanced" from the water body, no matter how less the physical distance may be, they cease to protect it.

I believe we need to address this "distance" in order to conserve our water bodies.

The one thing Indian cities lack (among many others)

"I believe that the greatest challenge to a city’s administrator is to maintain and create self-esteem within the citizens, the feeling of love for what is local and lives here. The cities live a reality of demographic growth. Migration exists due to the search for opportunities. When there are no opportunities where people live, they search for alternatives. In this changing process, the existing problem is the citizen’s lack of identity with his or her new local dwelling. It is up to the mayors to win the challenge, making all citizens feel like the legitimate owners of the town, making everyone feel at home."

-  Cassio Taniguchi

Mayor of Curitiba

Curitiba, for the uninitiated, is a city in Brazil, with about 1.8 million people and covering 435 sq km (about the size of Ahmedabad). Brazilian cities share a lot with their Indian counter parts - rapid rates of urbanization, socioeconomic disparities, unemployment rates and as a result, slums in the city. 

But the difference in Brazil has been powerful local leadership. Curitiba has a Mayoral system of local urban governance, where the Mayor is directly elected by the members of the public. A Mayor directly accountable to the citizens of the city, with the power to change, and most importantly, with a vision and will to bring about a change in the city.

This has made a difference to the planning scenario of Curitiba. The Mayor led the city authorities to Plan for a robust and equitable transport network way back in the 1970's along with spatial plans for the city. He envisioned a city where employment is generated and quality of life improves. And the backbone of this level of urban regeneration, he realised early, is a sound transport system.

If someone had the vision, the power and the will to bring about a similar change in Indian cities, our cities wouldn't have grown in a haphazard and unchecked manner. Planning would have been more formalized, and organized. And we would have had happier cities to live in. 

State of our Governance

Azam Khan orders demolition of "poor quality" houses built during BSP regime.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/azam-khan-orders-demolition-of-poor-quality-houses-built-during-bsp-regime-213828

Ads of Chief Ministers' achievements in the fields of power, water supply, housing to poor, keep surfacing in national dailies with unnerving frequency. And not to mention the plain irritation of looking at a full first page advertisement of the achievements of a party in power in a particular state first thing in the morning.

I often ask myself why aren't Indian cities able to emulate the progress in urban development of their Latin American and South African counterparts. After all, they share similar pasts, comparable socio-economic development statistics and demographic profiles. And I have always reached the same point and stopped: the politics in cities of India. Our politicians and our governance structure do not allow our cities to grow beyond petty issues of partisan politics and vested interests of those in power.

I feel it is our fault that these men are in power. We have voted them to power, or worse still, we haven't voted at all.

Local governance is, according to me, the root cause of why our cities are the way they are. And governance also happens to be a topic I have a lot of opinions on.  I shall not be doing justice to it through only one post, and so, more on that later.