A lion among environmentalists: Dr. Rajendra Singh’s enduring legacy in Chambal
Last month, we spotlighted the community-driven success of Anjanapur. This month, we turn to the individual impact of Dr. Rajendra Singh, aptly dubbed “The Waterman of India.” Dr. Singh is a water conservationist par excellence, a visionary, and relentless optimist. His work in the once lawless Chambal is a sterling case study in environmental entrepreneurship. Beyond mere conservation, Dr. Singh’s initiatives have overhauled the region’s economic and social landscape. By revitalizing water bodies, he has directly contributed to agricultural productivity, rural incomes, and the overall social well-being of the area.
Once a bandit, not always a bandit
Confronting the stark reality of Chambal’s water crisis firsthand, Dr. Singh galvanized the region into action, the lawful and the outlaws alike. Recognizing a potential for change in the dacoits, he opted for a non-confrontational approach. By linking their precarious existence as outlaws to the region’s water crisis, Dr. Singh laid the groundwork for a potential alternative. Through dialogue with the government and with community engagement, he managed to get through to these former outlaws and turned them to a lawful path forward.
A dam for the lawful
Together, Dr. Singh and the reformed dacoits, launched themselves into traditional water harvesting techniques. They focused on building “johads,” earthen dams that capture rainwater and replenish groundwater tables. This shift not only restored water security for the entire region but also offered the dacoits a meaningful purpose. They found a sense of community and responsibility in their newfound role as water protectors.
The Chambal of Dr. Singh’s making
The Chambal ravines, stretching between Agra and Gwalior, present a stark and rugged terrain. Dominated by rolling hills, thorny scrubland, and sparse settlements, the region has emerged from its troubled past and is now on a path to recovery, stability, and agricultural plenty. Dr. Singh had more than water replenishment in mind. His goal was to revitalize entire communities. Under his leadership, hundreds of villages transitioned from water scarcity to becoming paanidaar (water abundant) and izzatdaar (respected). The once lifeless Sherni, Parvati, and Naura Rivers now gurgle with aquatic life, while barren lands have transformed into lush vegetation. His ambitious project was as much a socio-economic endeavor as an ecological one.
Walking the path
The objectives of the Satsang Jal Seva Sangatan (SJSS), an environmental initiative of The Satsang Foundation, align with the model pioneered by Dr. Rajendra Singh. Both recognize the efficacy of indigenous and grassroots-led water management practices.
The Aviral Godavari Mission, spearheaded by The Satsang Foundation and guided by Sri M and Dr. Rajendra Singh himself, is one example of how large-scale transformation may be brought about through the ground-up involvement of multiple stakeholders. This ambitious project is working to rejuvenate the Godavari, India’s second-longest river, by ecologically restoring its source at Brahmagiri and ensuring its perennial flow. Mirroring Dr. Singh’s work in Chambal, the Aviral Godavari Mission emphasizes community involvement, traditional water harvesting techniques, and ecological restoration. Through activities like constructing “bandhaaraas” (loose boulder dams), protecting soil, reviving the green cover, rejuvenating water bodies and ancient tanks, and promoting rainwater harvesting, the mission is building a water secure future while creating sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
Dr. Singh’s work offers a blueprint for sustainable water management. His legacy continues to travel far beyond Chambal, if only for its ingenuity and tenacity in overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. Communities across the world, not just India, must now institutionalize such models to ensure water security as a core imperative of economic and social well-being.
