Sekhar believes that regardless of location and rainfall levels, rainwater harvesting is a natural, beneficial choice. He notes that coastal cities, more than any other areas, ought to implement RWH to guard against losing rainwater that otherwise runs into the sea. He notes that in cities away… Read more
Sekhar believes that regardless of location and rainfall levels, rainwater harvesting is a natural, beneficial choice. He notes that coastal cities, more than any other areas, ought to implement RWH to guard against losing rainwater that otherwise runs into the sea. He notes that in cities away from the coast what is not harvested may benefit towns located downstream. Sekhar also emphasizes that complete dependency on public and private water supply, and mining water from ground and surface without recharging will throw India into further calamity. With this basic premise, Sekhar has developed the following strategy:
• Initiate citizen-based movements in coastal towns to popularize rainwater harvesting;
• Build a volunteer base, including essential technical support from trained masons, plumbers, architects, and town planners;
• Develop campaign material and establish demonstration sites;
• Use the media extensively to disseminate the information; and
• Influence the state to bring in non-threatening and encouraging legal provisions and incentives in support of rainwater harvesting.
Sekhar has started his campaign in Chennai and other coastal cities and towns of Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. Simultaneously, he is building a network of support with other citizen sector organizations and forums working on rainwater harvesting. His aim is to take his movement to interior cities and small towns. He is looking to motivate the government departments to adopt this practice—particularly the departments of water supply and sewage disposal, city and municipal corporations, and public works. Although the basic premise of his work is to raise awareness and facilitate technology transfer, Sekhar understands that obtaining an appropriate legal framework and achieving sustainability of his efforts are critical to his success. As a result, Sekhar moves from house to house, locality to locality, department to department, and city to city to subscribe all to rainwater harvesting.
Sekhar has initiated Seethalakshmi Raghavan Memorial Social Trust (named after his parents) to popularize RWH. Sekhar first set out to motivate the residents of his own neighborhood to appreciate the need for harvesting rainwater but was met with apathy, skepticism, even hostility. “I have been chased out of houses and flats as if I am preaching something which is not relevant,” Sekhar says. He has devoted every Sunday and other holidays for the past twenty years to this part of his campaign.
Sekhar has received assistance from the Indian government’s Ministry of Environment and Forests, to develop handouts and posters for the rainwater harvesting campaign. In the past seven years, Sekhar has conducted hundreds of presentations, workshops, and demonstrations in Chennai and other cities. One great success story is the area of Padmanabhanagar, a suburb of Chennai, where 80 percent of the houses have adopted rainwater harvesting as a result of his efforts. People of Chennai have filled up sumps and tanks and show many other signs of having successfully recharged ground water. Local and national newspapers and magazines have covered Sekhar’s efforts. This publicity has increased public awareness of the good and necessity of RWH and has given Sekhar new contacts for his movement.
Although the High Court of Tamil Nadu dismissed a complaint filed by Sekhar against the construction of a storm water drain in Besant Nagar, the concerned department consulted Sekhar for remedial measures. That resulted in the construction of percolation pits within the drains. Now this successful experiment is being replicated elsewhere. Sekhar’s growing public recognition and credibility has enabled him to build rainwater structures in public places, charitable trusts, and government schools.
Sekhar established his Rain Centre through the Akash Ganga Trust to fulfill a long-held dream of developing a model rainwater harvesting Centre. He is both trustee and full-time volunteer for the center. The center distributes information and maintains a permanent exhibit, while providing demonstrations and training workshops on rainwater harvesting. Sekhar says the center stands as a working model for people to visit and learn from. With appropriate training for masons, plumbers, and unemployed youth, the movement also provides jobs, as it meets the ever-increasing demand for urban rainwater structures. Sekhar also likes to think of his organization as a reminder to the government to take action. As a permanent invitee to several government committees on water management, Sekhar is known for his straight talk and realistic plans.
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