Fwd: Inviting you - “Need for a State River Policy” in Symbiosis, Pune on Aug. 24. Presidential Address by Dr Rajendrasingh
Vinod Bodhankar
Dear Friend,
Sub.: Inviting you - “Need for a State River Policy” in Symbiosis, Pune on Aug. 24. Presidential Address by Dr Rajendrasingh, Magsaysay Awardee
We, at Jal Biradari, with associate organisations including Symbiosis, and ‘Pollution Control Awareness Committee’ of Maharashtra Vikas Kendra have organized the above workshop in Pune on 24th Aug. 2011. This is preceded by a Padayatra (Nadi Parikrama) from 21 – 23 August from Sholapur – Pandharpur – Ujani Dam with Dr Rajendra Singh to examine the issues on the field in open dialogue with the farmers in the affected villages downstream. The Padayatra is part of a programme ‘NADI KOOCH’ – the Embarking on a Mission to Save the Rivers.
The major current objective of this programme is to focus on the threatened economy of farmers downstream of Pune City in the Upper Bhima River Basin region, including the issue of the population there suffering from severe health problems due to the pollution discharged from Pune – Pimpri–Chinchwad metropolitan region - for decades - without realizing the constitutional right for clean and pure water of the downstream population.
The obvious undeniable factor of deterioration of river health is Pollution. With uncontrollable growth of cities and industries, catchment of the rivers is gradually crowded with wastes and discharges running to the streams and rivers. The lead will have to be taken by the Urban polluters – and so Pune needs to think and discuss and set up a Vision of - Pure Water Discharged from Mula-Mutha to downstream populations. In this context we have invited Dr Rajendrasingh to grace the occasion with his Guidance and Mentoring.
Dr. Rajendrasingh, well known waterman and Magsaysay Award winner, president of Jalbiradari has summarized - the river’s health is a community-survival requirement that can be realized by fulfilling her 3 non-negotiable ‘demands’ :
1. Maintain the river’s aviral-nirmal-swatantra (continuous-pure-free) ecological flow
2. No change in land-use of river-lands (river-bed, river-banks, protected no-development zone on banks of river)
3. No sewer flowing to the river
Every concerned department and eco-sensitive citizen must make efforts to TOGETHER protect the rivers with a defined vision, policy, goals and action plans –
· in their own capacity,
· at their own levels
· also TOGETHER in a working network.
Rivers basins are the growing fields of current economic progress and future growth. But the current eco-insensitive pollution economy is exploiting and severely threatening every sector of human life and environment including livelihood, health and aesthetics. This important programme of TOGETHER protecting the rivers is the concern of everybody – those in governance, the scientists, the engineers as well as all citizens - hence the organizing of the workshop.
The workshop will surely –
· throw light on creating and sustaining an inclusive dialogue on the subject of TOGETHER protecting the rivers and
· will help us to outline the synergy of actions and projects needed, through JOINT PARTICIPATION of government and citizens for a democratic approach to protection of rivers
- consequently leading to protecting the interests of farmers and the state’s economy.
We take this opportunity to invite you to this programme.
Speaker and Topics are as follows:
Prof. Vijay Paranjpye
Need Of River Policy to Protect Rivers and stream from encroachment ,Pollution and Developmental impacts
Dr. Dilip Boralkar
Existing Legal provision for Protection of surface and subsurface water body
Dr. Nilesh Heda
Need of public participation in creating river policy
Sandeep Joshi
Ujani : under the curse of pollution
Dr. Uday Bhawalkar
Technological intervention for River Protection
Anil Patil
Need and demands of victims of degraded water bodies
Dr. S.B. Mujumdar
Urban Impacts on River and streams
Mrs. Rama Rauta
Need of River Policy
Dr. Rajendra Singh
Presidential Address
Date: 24th Aug. 2011 Time: 2.30 – 6.30 pm
Venue: Vishva Bhavan, Symbiosis Institute, Senapati Bapat road, Pune
There will also be publication of the Book “NADI KOOCH”. The book is a Marathi Translation of the original “NADI KOOCH” in Hindi written by Dr. Rajendra Singh. The Translation is by Vinod Bodhankar and Datta Deshkar. The book outlines a people’s movement that is gathering to save and to rejuvenate our rivers and shares, in Marathi, the essence of Dr Rajendra Singh’s interpretation of :
- Water Issues,
- Water Market,
- Corruption and its impact on Water Bodies and
- Community Net-working to save our rivers.
Please confirm your participation by sms/email.
Thanking you,
Your’s faithfully
Sunil Joshi – Convenor Jal Biradari Maharashtra Statejalbi...@gmail.com
09766694909
Vinod Bodhankar – President Jal Biradari Pune District
09850230064