CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: For the knowledge of water, India was the guru of the world. Because our ancestors believed that the flowing streams of water should be allowed to flow freely and every drop emerging from the clouds should be utilized in their lives. However, in the greed for profit, people turned water into a business of profit. This was stated by water conservationist Rajendra Singh, the chief guest at a two-day national workshop on saving small rivers organized by the Paramarth Social Service Institute at a local hotel on Friday.
He said that when humans put in efforts, even water can come out of stones. Our collective effort can change the image of the world. He emphasized that we should remember the lakes and small rivers of our villages and towns, which used to be a major source of clean water. But gradually, these small rivers and ponds have disappeared from revenue documents. It is the government’s responsibility to monitor water sources, demarcate them, and mention them in official records. The Supreme Court also directed the government to do this in a 2001 order. We cannot make big rivers continuous and clean until a major campaign is launched to protect all the supporting rivers. The need for this campaign is even greater today because many small rivers, ponds, lakes, and natural water sources are disappearing. He called upon the community to make efforts together for this.
The program began with a garland and lighting of lamps on the image of Mother Saraswati. Subsequently, amidst Ramesh Bhai’s spirited song “Wake up, walk on the path of love, no one loses the root, hold the oar with courage, what’s far from the shore?” Honored with the Padma Shri, Lakshman Singh said that to save small rivers, every drop of rainwater must be saved, and young people must be trained to further this work.
Padma Shri awardee Umashankar Pandey said that big rivers are formed from small rivers, for this, the method of bunding every field, planting a tree on every bund, needs to be adopted. He said that we will not be able to make big rivers continuous and clean until then.
Indira Khurana, Chairperson of the Himalayan River Council, Gandhian thinker Ramesh Sharma, former Central Director of the Central Ground Water Department Subhash Chandra Singh, environmentalist Girish Pathak, Gautam Solanki, CSE, Kaveri Deviyan Art of Living, Mahendra Modi, former DGPP Uttar Pradesh, Prof. Vibhuti Rai, Lucknow University, Pushpendra Bhai, social worker, Rana Bhai, environmentalist, Prof. Ranjit Singh, Suresh Bhai, and others expressed their views.
