The economics of life - part 4: Water

I am separately covering water because it is very close to my heart, & also that I forgot to cover this in my previous post.

There are 2 perspectives thru' which one can look at water resources in India. One, we are blessed with perhaps one of the best sweet water resources in the world; thanks to Nature's bounty in the form of mighty rivers - Ganga, Yamuna, Cauvery, Tungabhadra, Sutlej, Beas, etc. The other, rather contrasting perspective is the current state of health of these lovely rivers and the utter lack of strong policies and scientific approach to maintain the health of these rivers, & to create and incentivise water conservation efforts at the grassroots level. Should one walk thru' the banks of Yamuna @ Delhi or Agra, the stomach churns and eyes bleed looking at the lackadaisical approach to preserving the beautiful river.

In India, rivers have been part and parcel of our tradition, our religion, & our way of life. Take any Holy Scripture, there is mention of one or more rivers and how important a role these river(s) have played in the socio-cultural-religious evolution of the Nation & its people. For most Hindus, taking the Holy dip in the Ganga or Yamuna, or for that matter any river during certain auspicious times is regarded as extremely important and also carries a lot of religious significance. In fact, it is mentioned in our Holy Scriptures that during these auspicious times, not only should one take the Holy dip, but also follow some rituals and observe certain discipline. It is widely believed that following these rituals and observing certain discipline, one goes to heaven after death. In many ancient texts what comes out strikingly is the participation of communities and people at the grassroots in the preservation and upkeep of rivers. While the culture and maturity of working with the larger interest of society / humanity in mind has always been emphasised in our culture, it is important to note that the masses at the grassroots responded to such leadership and actively participated in the endeavor. There was this sense of belief and ownership that the Natural resource belongs to one as much as it does to the others. Hence, the attitude to work in the larger interest of the society.

Swtich the clock to the present times, & the contrast is there, right in front of us. While a visit to some of the villages will throw up some of the unique and traditional approcahes to water conservation, come to Urban India, and you'll see the utter recklessness in the manner in which public resources are managed. There is neither respect nor devotion to the limited resources of clean water that Nature has provided us with. The problem is not with grassroots level participation to bring about more awareness, but, it is one of lack of visionary leadership to engage, stimulate, & lead grassroots level movement to bring about better scientific management of our water resources. What is most necessary in such a alarming situation is the compassion that our rivers belong to every Indian and also every single living being that is dependent on the rivers, directly or indirectly. Such a compassion, in my opinion, can be the beginning of sustainable efforts to restore our rivers to their pristine beauty. What is most important is to enforce checks and balances that ensure our actions and interactions with rivers and other water bodies that sustain life and livelihood, are sustainable and environment friendly. Policies, compassion, education & awareness, engagement, & scientific approach, all these can ensure that our rivers regain their lost health & glory.