Ramakrishna and his clarion call
It was 10 in the morning. At the Vedanta Math, Siliguri, a middleaged man came up to me and explained that he runs an NGO to spread awareness about cancer.
The Art of Living claims to have been included in the Limca Book of Records 2019 for the organisation’s effort to resolve the country’s severe water crisis through a major river revival drive across four states.
The NGO founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been included in the Limca Book of Records 2019 – India At Her Best for the ‘Most extensive river rejuvenation by an NGO’ for making more water available to around 50 lakh people in over 5,000 villages by helping in the revival of 40 rivers in four Indian states.
“In January 2013, Art of Living, an NGO, launched a campaign in the river basin of four states (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Odisha) to revive 40 rivers and streams, and 26 lakes and ponds of nine river basins…The project will benefit 5,055 villages and impact 4,993,840 people,” the Limca Book Of Records India stated.
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In a statement, the Art of Living said the NGO’s river rejuvenation project had had far reaching environmental, social and economic impact, claiming farmers’ income had increased manifolds.
Satara District Collector Shweta Singhal said people “have come together and worked for the project”.
“There is a lot of work done in watershed by The Art of Living in Satara where villages dependent on tankers are now tanker free,” she added.
Citing third party impact assessments, the NGO said ground water levels in areas where the Art of Living had worked were 20 per cent higher.
As a nodal agency, The Art of Living says, it collaborates with local communities, corporations and government to get the massive task of river rejuvenation under way.
“An extensive scientific assessment using geohydrological surveys and remote sensing technologies is carried out by geological scientists and environmental experts carry out extensive scientific assessment of the area before Art of Living volunteers construct ground water recharge structures and undertake desilting of pollutants,” says the organisation, adding steps have also been taken to encourage afforestation and shifting to cropping patterns for climate resilient farming practices.
According to the NGO, the mammoth task is carried out through community participation programs, contribution of Art of Living volunteers and over 5000 locals.
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