Be it crustaceans crawling out of the ocean or human civilisations flourishing on river banks, life as we know it is intimately connected to bodies of water. For most of us urban dwellers though, this once sacred relationship with the water element has been reduced to a flaccid flirtation with taps and bubble-tops. Nowhere is this disconnect more apparent than the state of our rivers which are in peril, drying up as we drain them to fulfil our ever growing needs of agriculture, power and transportation.
Kaveri — the stuff of spiritual legend, the fulcrum of indigenous flora and fauna and the centrifuge of political debate, this river has been the source of sustenance for three states and a union territory. Fondly revered by the tribal communities of Coorg where she originates as Kaveramma or Mother Kaveri, her dwindling waters and cracked riverbed present a sad reflection of our apathy and growing disconnect with the natural world.
We embarked on a voyage with individuals whose lives were touched and transformed by Kaveri and the rivers of India who are now speaking out for the urgent need of their restoration.
THE MYSTIC—SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV, ISHA FOUNDATION
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is a mystic, a motorcycle enthusiast and a man on a mission to save the rivers of India. He was only a teenager when his romance with Kaveri blossomed and sowed the seed for what has now become a nation-wide movement for river restoration called Rally for Rivers.
Can you enlighten us on the current state of Kaveri and your experiences of the river?
The Kaveri is maybe forty percent of what it was fifty years ago. It does not touch the ocean two to three months in a year. It is not just the Kaveri but almost all our rivers that are going through this. This is a disaster unfolding in this country. I have rafted down the Kaveri from Bhagamandala to the Krishna Raja Sagara dam and the Brindavan Gardens in Karnataka. That is over 160 kilometers. It took me around thirteen days on four truck tubes and twelve bamboos. I know this terrain very well. One thing that really stands out is that, in this entire 160 kilometers, it is only in the first thirty to thirty-five kilometers that there is any forest vegetation. After that there is just agriculture. How will a river flow with this? We don’t have ice-fed rivers in southern India. These are forest-fed rivers. Unless there is forest, there will be no river after some time.
Rivers have been the pride of our nation; how can we revive them and is there a deeper dimension to this?
The very word 'India' comes from the river Indus. We are a river civilisation. We have grown on the river banks. Today, all our rivers are in danger. Our rivers are forest-fed, which means they depend on trees for their water flow. One very simple, yet effective means to revive our rivers is to create a kilometer-wide tree cover on riversides (and half a kilometer for tributaries). Forest trees can be planted on government land, and tree-based agriculture can be taken up on farm land. This will ensure our rivers are fed throughout the year by the moist soil, and will also reduce floods, drought and soil loss.
The Rally for Rivers campaign, is an effort to get our rivers flowing, to be inclusive enough of generations to come, learning to care for life that is yet to be born is as spiritual as it comes. For thousands of years, these rivers have embraced and nourished us. A time has come when we have to embrace and nourish our rivers.
THE FARMER—N.D. HARIHARAN, S.V.V. ORGANIC FARMS
Harihaaran owns an eight-acre farm in Kavanthandalam village in Tamil Nadu. Besides coconuts, brinjals and organic tomatoes on the vine, his farm is also home to nine breeds of cows.
From a farmer’s perspective, what can you share with us about Kaveri?
It is a painful issue for us farmers, regardless of which side of the state border we are on, because we have not seen the river flow for about five or six years. It is not just our annual yield that has taken a hit but we are also unable to produce the required fodder for our livestock. So, it is not just humans who are suffering the current state of Kaveri. Politics aside, we just want to see her flow again.
What steps can farmers take to help with environmental conservation?
In my farm, I have dedicated one acre of 500 saplings to the planting of trees and I did this with the help of the Department of Forestation. When I began this venture, I was mocked by neighbouring farmers and told I was throwing away potential income. Five years later, this area of tree cover provides shade for the cattle to graze and rest during the evening, the animal waste that drops as they graze acts as natural fertiliser and the crops are thriving from this influx of natural nutrients. Now, my fellow farmers see this as a viable option. The key is to make medium and large-scale farmers aware that if they are willing to be patient for a few years they can increase their profit and contribute to the environment.
THE ACTIVISTS—KALYAN PAUL, PAN HIMALAYAN GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
Kalyan Paul works with mountain farmers in the Indian Himalayan region to create awareness with sustainable agriculture and river basin restoration. His team also seeks to provide potable drinking water, clean, renewable energy and training on sustainable agriculture methods for local communities.
Can you share your views on the recent developments with Kaveri?
The Kaveri is one of the largest, perennial rivers of the planet. The catchment area is over 80,000 square miles. Most rivers in India emerge from the folds of our forests. A holistic approach to river conservation deals with not just the embankment of the rivers but also the catchment area or the place of emergence of the rivers. This catchment area is where the precipitation collects at a higher altitude and feeds the river and is usually under the jurisdiction of the Department of Forests in most states save a few. Unless we increase the tree cover from its current 40% to 60%, we cannot address the management of a river system or it's restoration in an effective way. It is the Department of Forestation that has to take the impetus with this.
Is there a difference between how urban communities and rural ones approach environmental conservation?
We have observed that, in a city where people earn a much healthier salary, they often don't want to look beyond their lives. But people who barely have two sets of clothes and just a few pots and pans as their possessions are willing to look beyond themselves and invest in long-term sustainable solutions to plant and nurture saplings for many years until they grow into robust trees. It is fantastic to see and that is such a moment of joy for us. Our Western model of education seems to have created such a disconnect with the nature but if you visit villages, simple village folk still hold nature as their God.
SALUMARADA THIMMAKKA, THIMMAKKA FOUNDATION
106-year-old Salumarada Thimmakka has created a four kilometer corridor of 400 banyan trees in the village of Hulikal, Karnataka. Once called 'barren' as she was unable to bear children, this green legend chose to infuse life into the trees she raised as her own instead and earned the title of BBC's 100 most influential woman.
Your life has been spent in service of the environment, can you give us your views on Kaveri?
In the South, Kaveri is not just seen as a river, she is a Goddess to us. The issue is not only that the river has dried up but the filth that suffocates her as well. She used to be one of the purest rivers and now she is slowly dying. Saving rivers does not concern human life alone but also the birds, animals and plants that depend on her. When my husband and I began planting trees many decades ago, we used to clean the streams nearby and feed the water to animals and birds. The initiatives we are taking should have been taken a long time ago but I am happy this step is at least being taken now.
Modern society has lost the connection with the natural world. How can we re-establish it?
Today, we have made everything a transaction, we give money, we buy what we need, it has all become business. But Mother Nature gives everything for free. It is up to us to take care of her well-being. Even at the age of 106, I travel every month to spread this message and plant more trees. Everyone can do their part.
The plight of our rivers, particularly that of Kaveri has been the primary impetus behind the Rally for Rivers initiative launched by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev which has catalysed the nation in a call for river restoration. While most schemes address the challenges of managing existing water resources, Rally for Rivers is drafting a recommendation created by an expert panel on rejuvenating existing resources. The recommendation is tailored for different states and addresses the issues of increasing tree cover in catchment areas, embankments and on soil loss. It will be presented to the government on October 2nd in New Delhi. For more information and ways that you can visit isha.sadhguru.org/rally-for-rivers/.
The dwindling water levels of our rivers are an opportunity for us to rise as a nation and take the steps needed to ensure our future generations will have the joy of beholding flowing water from more than just rusted taps.
