Guwahati: Water has long been recognized as critical to India’s economic development, people’s well-being, and ecosystem sustainability. The Indian government, as well as state governments, have been introducing a number of projects aimed at groundwater recharge, responsible water usage for agriculture, and the use of emerging technologies such as drip irrigation over the last few years. Rishi Raj Agarwal, a social entrepreneur who is the founder of Save Water Save City, an NGO dedicated to water conservation and water crisis resolution in India’s rural and urban areas. He is also the Maharashtra Regional Head of CERA (Construction Equipment Rental Association). For this reason, he is called the “Water Boy of India”.
Rishi Agarwal has taken an uphill task to save 50 top cities of India and 50 top cities of the world from water crisis through his various campaign and has approached respective state govt. to make pipe water free of cost available for its citizen. Rishi Raj Agarwal has reminded us that we must work for water conservation no matter what. Day Zero, he claims, will be the day when water taps run dry and people will have to queue to get water. In many countries, water usage is inefficient, and too much water is wasted for low-value purposes. Due to pressing needs to serve a rapidly rising global population, water apartheid can arise where the rich can only afford to have water at the cost of the general population.
The Government of India is taking a proactive approach to water management, establishing the Ministry of Jal Shakti under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and launching the Jal Shakti Abhiyan. Rishi Raj Agarwal, who is on a mission to save water due to the alarming status of water scarcity which is happening in almost all major cities of India like Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi etc. Rishi Agarwalla says, “Water scarcity is an issue that will greatly affect the whole globe. There’s nothing more essential than water to life. And if the water isn’t used sparingly and with precautions, it will surely lead to a devastating future for our kids and future generation”.
“First and foremost, methods for harvesting rainwater for domestic and industrial use must be implemented. The world needs to practice afforestation and ensure that water footprint is protected and conserved, all of which are water-saving strategies. In this regard, the world needs to band together and social innovators should come forward through the media to promote water conservation through innovative programs and public awareness measures and make an impactful change,” says the water crusader.
He explains that while the states are making progress in water management, overall output is still falling short of what is required to adequately address India’s water challenges. In order to support the campaign, he has planted multiple tree plantations, totaling over 5000 trees in one go. In addition, he has organized blood donation campaigns and assisted the community in times of Covid-19 by supplying masks and sanitizers.
Rishi Raj Agarwal says Government should introduce a “National Water Credit Policy” which shall make every citizen accountable for its responsible use of water. He can help and advise the government to frame the policy along with its think tank to ensure water security and availability throughout India as he feels “water is everybody’s business”. Many communities are putting restrictions on water usage, but this is not enough. If we don’t change our habits, in the next 20 years freshwater rivers and lakes may run dry. Rishi Raj Agarwal says “To avoid Day Zero it’s every individual duty is to turn off a running tap in order to turn it on in the future.