'Water man of India' Rajendra Singh bags top prize

[WAJsal]

Rajendra Singh, is known as "the Water Man of India"

An award known as "the Nobel Prize for water" has been given to an Indian campaigner who has brought water to 1,000 villages.

The judges of the Stockholm Water Prize say his methods have also prevented floods, restored soil and rivers, and brought back wildlife.

The prize-winner, Rajendra Singh, is dubbed "the Water Man of India".

The judges say his technique is cheap, simple, and that his ideas should be followed worldwide.

Mr Singh uses a modern version of the ancient Indian technique of rainwater harvesting.

It involves building low-level banks of earth to hold back the flow of water in the wet season and allow water to seep into the ground for future use.

Mr Singh discovered the vital need for solutions to disappearing water while working in a rural village
He first trained as a medic, but when he took up a post in a rural village in arid Rajasthan he was told the greatest need was not health care but drinking water.

Groundwater had been sucked dry by farmers, and as water disappeared, crops failed, rivers, forests and wildlife disappeared and people left for the towns.

"When we started our work, we were only looking at the drinking water crisis and how to solve that," Mr Singh said.

"Today our aim is higher. This is the century of exploitation, pollution and encroachment. To stop all this, to convert the war on water into peace, that is my life's goal."

The Stockholm International Water Institute, which presented the prize, said his lessons were essential as climate change alters weather patterns round the world.

The methods are based on an ancient Indian technique
Its director, Torgny Holmgren, said: "In a world where demand for freshwater is booming, we will face a severe water crisis within decades if we do not learn how to better take care of our water. Mr Singh is a beacon of hope."

In its citation, the judges say: "Today's water problems cannot be solved by science or technology alone. They are human problems of governance, policy, leadership, and social resilience.

"Rajendra Singh's life work has been in building social capacity to solve local water problems through participatory action, empowerment of women, linking indigenous know-how with modern scientific and technical approaches and upending traditional patterns of development and resource use."

The award was applauded by Katherine Pygott, a leading UK water engineer who has drawn on Mr Singh's work to help prevent flooding in the UK.
Nice idea,it is somewhat similar to Turpan water system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nice , @SpArK ,@nair ,@WAR-rior ,@Blue_Eyes ,@levina ,@jamahir ,@OrionHunter ,@Blue_Eyes , @Georgeclark ,@bloo ,@Zebra ,@utraash ,@hinduguy , @IndoCarib ..........

Unknown hero of India !

 

[Georgeclark]

Rajendra Singh, is known as "the Water Man of India"

An award known as "the Nobel Prize for water" has been given to an Indian campaigner who has brought water to 1,000 villages.

The judges of the Stockholm Water Prize say his methods have also prevented floods, restored soil and rivers, and brought back wildlife.

The prize-winner, Rajendra Singh, is dubbed "the Water Man of India".

The judges say his technique is cheap, simple, and that his ideas should be followed worldwide.

Mr Singh uses a modern version of the ancient Indian technique of rainwater harvesting.

It involves building low-level banks of earth to hold back the flow of water in the wet season and allow water to seep into the ground for future use.

Mr Singh discovered the vital need for solutions to disappearing water while working in a rural village
He first trained as a medic, but when he took up a post in a rural village in arid Rajasthan he was told the greatest need was not health care but drinking water.

Groundwater had been sucked dry by farmers, and as water disappeared, crops failed, rivers, forests and wildlife disappeared and people left for the towns.

"When we started our work, we were only looking at the drinking water crisis and how to solve that," Mr Singh said.

"Today our aim is higher. This is the century of exploitation, pollution and encroachment. To stop all this, to convert the war on water into peace, that is my life's goal."

The Stockholm International Water Institute, which presented the prize, said his lessons were essential as climate change alters weather patterns round the world.

The methods are based on an ancient Indian technique
Its director, Torgny Holmgren, said: "In a world where demand for freshwater is booming, we will face a severe water crisis within decades if we do not learn how to better take care of our water. Mr Singh is a beacon of hope."

In its citation, the judges say: "Today's water problems cannot be solved by science or technology alone. They are human problems of governance, policy, leadership, and social resilience.

"Rajendra Singh's life work has been in building social capacity to solve local water problems through participatory action, empowerment of women, linking indigenous know-how with modern scientific and technical approaches and upending traditional patterns of development and resource use."

The award was applauded by Katherine Pygott, a leading UK water engineer who has drawn on Mr Singh's work to help prevent flooding in the UK.
Nice , @SpArK ,@nair ,@WAR-rior ,@Blue_Eyes ,@levina ,@jamahir ,@OrionHunter ,@Blue_Eyes , @Georgeclark ,@bloo ,@Zebra ,@utraash ,@hinduguy ..........

Amazing stories we hear day to day of such people who expect nothing in return and just work for the society. Respect for them.

 

[Levina]

Hats off to this man!!
He has achieved something that govt's have failed to achieve since last so many decades.

It feels so proud that our ancient Indian techniques 've worked well in this century too. we should not give in to the present day westernisation trends. The scientists today look only for the immediate / short term solutions, and ergo the mess we 're in.

 

[Georgeclark]

Hats off to this man!!
He has achieved something that govt's have failed to achieve since last so many decades.

It feels so proud that our ancient Indian techniques 've worked well in this century too. we should not give in to the present day westernisation trends. The scientists today look only for the immediate / short term solutions, and ergo the mess we 're in.

True, as said by Arvind kejriwal (He says good things quote often) Paise ki kami nahi hoti Niyat ki hoti hai


Those who will wonder how I know hindi I have learnt it from my friends now :3

 

[Dubious]

Rajendra Singh, is known as "the Water Man of India"

An award known as "the Nobel Prize for water" has been given to an Indian campaigner who has brought water to 1,000 villages.

The judges of the Stockholm Water Prize say his methods have also prevented floods, restored soil and rivers, and brought back wildlife.

The prize-winner, Rajendra Singh, is dubbed "the Water Man of India".

The judges say his technique is cheap, simple, and that his ideas should be followed worldwide.

Mr Singh uses a modern version of the ancient Indian technique of rainwater harvesting.

It involves building low-level banks of earth to hold back the flow of water in the wet season and allow water to seep into the ground for future use.

Mr Singh discovered the vital need for solutions to disappearing water while working in a rural village
He first trained as a medic, but when he took up a post in a rural village in arid Rajasthan he was told the greatest need was not health care but drinking water.

Groundwater had been sucked dry by farmers, and as water disappeared, crops failed, rivers, forests and wildlife disappeared and people left for the towns.

"When we started our work, we were only looking at the drinking water crisis and how to solve that," Mr Singh said.

"Today our aim is higher. This is the century of exploitation, pollution and encroachment. To stop all this, to convert the war on water into peace, that is my life's goal."

The Stockholm International Water Institute, which presented the prize, said his lessons were essential as climate change alters weather patterns round the world.

The methods are based on an ancient Indian technique
Its director, Torgny Holmgren, said: "In a world where demand for freshwater is booming, we will face a severe water crisis within decades if we do not learn how to better take care of our water. Mr Singh is a beacon of hope."

In its citation, the judges say: "Today's water problems cannot be solved by science or technology alone. They are human problems of governance, policy, leadership, and social resilience.

"Rajendra Singh's life work has been in building social capacity to solve local water problems through participatory action, empowerment of women, linking indigenous know-how with modern scientific and technical approaches and upending traditional patterns of development and resource use."

The award was applauded by Katherine Pygott, a leading UK water engineer who has drawn on Mr Singh's work to help prevent flooding in the UK.
Nice idea,it is somewhat similar to Turpan water system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nice , @SpArK ,@nair ,@WAR-rior ,@Blue_Eyes ,@levina ,@jamahir ,@OrionHunter ,@Blue_Eyes , @Georgeclark ,@bloo ,@Zebra ,@utraash ,@hinduguy , @IndoCarib ..........

Unknown hero of India !

Simple yet Awesome idea!!

 

[jamahir]

is this photo from rajasthan or some place he visited??

It feels so proud that our ancient Indian techniques 've worked well in this century too.

this gentleman must be celebrated for thinking at simple level rather than the often idiotic and college-brainwash ideas of engineers in the indian corporate engineering houses and government departments.

i believe the term "indian technique" was used by the judges to describe a old rajasthani desert techinque, which would be on similar lines to ancient west asian and north/west african techniques like "qanat".

look at other parts of india... total wastage of water and heavy pollution of sources... look at the state of ganga and yamuna rivers.

the below passage from the op describes what happened when rajasthan adopted the traditional farming practices of the rest of the indian farmers.

Groundwater had been sucked dry by farmers, and as water disappeared, crops failed, rivers, forests and wildlife disappeared and people left for the towns.

we should not give in to the present day westernisation trends. The scientists today look only for the immediate / short term solutions, and ergo the mess we 're in.

"westernization" need not mean something wrong... the biggest water suppy project in history was built in the libyan jamahiriya and was called "the great man-made river" project... it used "western" techniques.

big diameter pipelines whose network ran thousands of kilometers from the libyan desert underground natural reservoirs...

below is a pipeline near bani walid town, bombed by nato's puppets in 2012...

 

[Levina]

is this photo from rajasthan or some place he visited??



this gentleman must be celebrated for thinking at simple level rather than the often idiotic and college-brainwash ideas of engineers in the corporate engineering houses and government department.

i believe the term "indian technique" was used by the judges to describe a old rajasthani desert techinque, which would be on similar lines to ancient west asian and north/west african techniques like "qanat".

look at other parts of india... total wastage of water and heavy pollution of sources... look at the state of ganga and yamuna rivers.

the below passage from the op describes what happened when rajasthan adopted the traditional farming practices of the rest of the indian farmers.






"westernization" need not mean something wrong... the biggest water suppy project in history was built in the libyan jamahiriya and was called "the great man-made river" project... it used "western" techniques.

big diameter pipelines whose network ran thousands of kilometers from the libyan desert underground natural reservoirs...

below is a pipeline in bani walid town, bombed by nato's puppets in 2012...

You have some serious problems with the word Indian, don't you?
Why do you try to translate everything as " given to us by some westerner"?
You don't want to believe that we were an advanced civilization.Do you?
So be it!

 

[The Great One]

You have some serious problems with the word Indian, don't you?
Why do you try to translate everything as given to us by some westerner?
You don't want to believe that we were an advanced civilization.Do you?
So be it!

He has problem with Hindus in particular.

 

[jamahir]

You have some serious problems with the word Indian, don't you?
Why do you try to translate everything as given to us by some westerner?
You don't want to believe that we were an advanced civilization.Do you?
So be it!

come on... you are being unfair... i did say he used old rajasthani technique, yes??

and what is wrong with "western" ideas, if they are simple enough??

He has problem with Hindus in particular.

janaab, kyon chedi ladaayi kar rahe hain??

 

[Levina]

come on... you are being unfair... i did say he used old rajasthani technique, yes??

and what is wrong with "western" ideas, if they are simple enough??
?

You said this...

i believe the term "indian technique" was used by the judges to describe a old rajasthani desert techinque, which would be on similar lines to ancient west asian and north/west african techniques like "qanat".

 

[utraash]

A salute to Mr. Rajendra singh for his grateful contribution ......

 

[jamahir]

You said this...

yes, i highlighted "rajasthani" and only objected to the vague word "indian" and gave a logical reason.

 

[halupridol]

the below passage from the op describes what happened when rajasthan adopted the traditional farming practices of the rest of the indian farmers.

not due to "traditional farming practices",,,,but due to rampant use of submersible water pumps,,,blame thm for the water table

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Hats off to this man!!
He has achieved something that govt's have failed to achieve since last so many decades.

It feels so proud that our ancient Indian techniques 've worked well in this century too. we should not give in to the present day westernisation trends. The scientists today look only for the immediate / short term solutions, and ergo the mess we 're in.

On the same subject of Water conservation: here is another person who has delved into traditional methods in India and found workable solutions....... so do take a look at the video-link provided.

Anupam Mishra: The ancient ingenuity of water harvesting | Talk Video | TED.com

BTW; TED Talks has even more interesting subjects under the sun that have been covered, so browse through all the subjects listed on YouTube. One other particular subject that I'd recommend to you is by Sugata Mitra on "the hole in the wall experiment". see that too and get amazed.

 

[jamahir]

not due to "traditional farming practices",,,,but due to rampant use of submersible water pumps,,,blame thm for the water table

i will give example of israel... they too use submersible water pumps, yes?? but they use that modern technique sensibly... when the same pumps are employed by the typical indian farmer, what happens is outrageous wastage, unscientific usage, and the result is what is written in the op passage i quoted.

i just wanted to show the deeper picture.