River Godavari should be seen as a resource and not an unending luxury, said water conservationist and environmentalist Rajendra Singh on Wednesday.
He was addressing a meeting at the Ambedkar Learning Centre at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Warangal, where he expressed concern over the state of the river. “It is appalling to see the severity of pollution in the Godavari,” said Mr. Singh, who hails from Alwar district in Rajasthan.
Mr. Singh, who is popularly known as the “Waterman of India”, was here as part of his “Aviral Nirmal Godavari Saksharta Yatra”.
Commenting on the extant water crisis in the 21st century, he said that climate refugees from Asian countries were already forced to migrate to European countries to survive severe water crisis.
Talking about “Aviral Nirmal Godavari Saksharta Yatra”, he explained how this journey was also an endeavour to reawaken the respect, sanctity, hygiene and health of the Godavari. He gave insights into water conservation and lift irrigation.
Cautioning about the impending water problem in India and the world, he emphasised on the importance of initiating rainwater harvesting and hydro-conservation projects.
Earlier, Director N.V. Ramana Rao, who welcomed Mr. Singh, appraised him of the initiatives taken by NIT Warangal towards water conservation. Registrar S. Goverdhan Rao, professor K. Bangaraiah and other faculty members, and students took part.
