The Satsang Foundation’s Satsang Jal Seva Sangatan (SJSS), in the presence of Sri M, launched a Water Conservation initiative in Delhi-NCR to mark the occasion of World Water Day on March 22, 2022.
India’s water crisis is real and constant. With 16% of the world’s population, and only 4 per cent of the world’s freshwater resources, India has been facing a water crisis for a long time. However, changing weather patterns and repeated droughts have worsened the situation. Notably, according to the most recent Central Ground Water Board data (from 2017), 256 of 700 districts in India have reported ‘critical’ or ‘over-exploited’ groundwater levels. Moreover, India is the world’s largest extractor of groundwater, while nearly 70 per cent of her water sources are contaminated and major rivers are dying due to pollution.
Delhi is among the 21 states where groundwater is almost depleted and supplies come from hundreds of kilometres away. While both Central and State Governments have been doing their bit to resolve the issue, more micro-scale interventions are crucial.
Responding to this call for action, the volunteers of the SJSS began by cleaning the Ram Talaab, an ancient water body part of Sanjay Van, a 433-acre Urban Forest in South Delhi. Years of neglect had contaminated the pond water with visible toxic algae formation. The rejuvenation of the pond through sustainable natural bio enzyme method will be supported by technical partners BINT BIOTECH, DDA and the Guru Gorakhnathji Temple Trust. Bio enzymes are basically natural compounds produced by fermentation, which helps clean water bodies without harming the natural aquatic life.
With the water body cleaned up by the monsoons, vegetation of the adjoining areas will be undertaken by the MyTree team – by removing the degraded topsoil and planting natural grass as well as bushes and flower plants. There are plans for farming pond-fish and growing lotus/water lilies in order to strengthen the natural ecosystem.
The objective is multi-pronged and aims at ensuring clean water throughout the year along with natural recharging of the pond with rain water. Due to the pond’s closeness to Sanjay Van, developing the area as a natural ecosystem is imperative for the sustenance of the habitat around it.
Under Sri M’s leadership, Team SJSS is committed to continuously working towards mitigating the impending water crisis in India. The Ram Talab cleaning endeavour is a decisive step towards that goal.
