Hyderabad City needs water warriors and you can become one

That there is a need to restore, if not create new, water bodies to meet increasing water security in the urban concrete jungle that is ours cannot be enough emphasised. Even the National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently stressed the need of the hour is to save water bodies on a war-footing. One such person striving for the cause of shrinking, err dying, lakes is Kalpana Ramesh, an architect who better understands the ills of rampant concretisation and falling groundwater tables in the city.

Kalpana is pushing water conservation in residential apartments, office blocks through rainwater harvesting to save every drop. Under the Blue Hyderabad Campaign in collaboration with the Rain Water Project and SAHE, she steers efforts to restore well-restoration and lake rejuvenation. She even rallies people with 5k and 10k runs in support of their cause. A rallying cry has been 'Let's run for water, before we run out of it.'

She says funds raised through various campaigns are being used to micro sheds by providing localised solution and, primarily, raise awareness about uses of different types of water bodies and the need to revive them. "The first 5k run would end at a well restoration place and the 10k would cross lake and wells in need of restoration to experience their first-hand. It also helps in fundraising," she shares.

They also reach out to those who cannot or do not have to run. Such people can take part in a 'digital run' and choose to donate. Each gets a rain harvesting bouquet.

As part of Blue Hyderabad initiative, the city is divided into 98 watersheds. Water conservation efforts are initiated in the heart of Hi-Tec City (Kondapur–Masjid Banda basin) with the support of local communities, government agencies, concerned citizens, religious institutions, students, academic institutions, NGOs, corporate groups and others. After demonstrating processes and results in the basin, the Rainwater Project in collaboration with SAHE intends to reach out to all other basins in the city and eventually making the city of Hyderabad water positive.

"If someone wants to protect a lake, we identify such people and help create a community. The community can start raising funds for cleaning the lake and keeping a tab on if there is any garbage being thrown in. We are giving a map on how to approach for funds and for crowdsourcing. We empower them to come together to safeguard lakes and take their plight to the notice of government," she explains.

They are currently working on restoration and rejuvenation of 4 projects in the first basin. A run will be organised connecting water structures like Kondapur Irrigation Well, Kudikunta Lake, Gachibowli Stepwell and Gopi Cheruvu.