HYDERABAD: After successfully rejuvenating 11 rivers in the country in the last 30 years, Rajendra Singh, better known as the Water Man of India, has taken upon himself the onerous task of rejuvenation of river Krishna, the fourth biggest river in the country. Recipient of the Stockholm Water Prize, Singh attended the first national convention on Rejuvenation of Krishna river here on Tuesday. Here are a few snippets of his conversation with Express:
How will you execute the programme?
We will form a group, initially with 100 members, to continue the programme. Cutting across geographical, political and social boundaries, we will spread the message that all those living in the Krishna basin are one family - Krishna family.
What is your action plan?
We have passed three resolutions in today’s seminar. River Krishna’s land belongs to Krishna, right from Mahabaleshwar to Hamsaladeevi. We will stop encroachments. We will ensure the environmental flow of the river and ensure that polluted water is not released into the river. We have to separate the river and the sewer.
How similar is the rejuvenation of Krishna to that of the 11 rivers done by you in the past?
Rejuvenation of Krishna is a Herculean task. Krishna is the fourth largest river in the country. There will be several challenges involved in the programme. We need some laws for completing the task. A legal framework is required. That is why we have appealed to all the four States including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to frame Krishna River Rejuvenation Policy. I have appealed to the Odisha government to frame a River Rejuvenation Policy and the Odisha Chief Minister is working on that. The Policy will ensure the rights of the river.
How are you planning to execute the rejuvenation work?
We will connect water conservationists and also provide skill development on efficient use of water. We will also involve the governments. We will also create awareness among the public. We will involve scientists, politicians, social workers and academicians.
There are no specific policies by the government so far in the country for conserving rivers. What is your view on this?
Lack of policies for conserving rivers reflects the ‘drought’ in the brains of policy makers. This has created a landscape disaster putting the future of people at stake. The Central government is not bothered about framing a policy. Instead, it is encouraging ‘fraud Babas’ who want people to give a “missed call” for rejuvenating rivers. How can a “missed call” rejuvenate rivers?