Rivers are nature’s song’, the saying, in the many years it has been around, has never succumbed to being incorrect or even exaggerated. The concept of human civilization would be impossible without the existence of rivers – from the Tigris and Euphrates being the nurturers of Mesopotamia to the Indus feeding the farmlands of Harappa — rivers are an essential source of life.
However, the advent of industrialization in the modern day has caused the health and safety of rivers and riverine ecosystems to take a backseat. With rampant constructions at the expense of riverbanks, the threat of pollution and even pure disappearance of rivers looms large. But some people are not content to sit back and watch as greed destroys the lifeline of many human settlements.
Jeevitnadi, inspired by prominent ecologist Late Prakash Gole, alumni of Ecological Society came together in 2014 to work for revival of rivers in Pune. This was a group of individuals from diverse professional fields who were passionate about environmental conservation and their main focus was on changing people’s perception about the rivers and bringing back the lost connection particularly in the urban areas.
This initiative to protect rivers evolved into Jeevitnadi. In September 2016, Jeevitnadi became a section 8 company, registered under the name Jeevitnadi – Living River Foundation. Among its many initiatives, such as Adopt a River and Riverside Activities, their main output is the River Walks. The organisation takes up the responsibility of gathering interested individuals or groups and walks them through a stretch spanning the Mula, Mutha and Ramnadi rivers, while simultaneously educating them about the history, geography and importance of these rivers.
“I was born in Pune and have lived here all my life, and the rivers are a recurring part of life – be it a landmark on the way to and from school, be it in conversations about traffic or pollution problems, be it ‘visarjan’ during the pomp-filled Ganeshotsav. However, in the river walk conducted by Jeevitnadi, I saw Pune’s various rivers in a completely different light. I’d already known of three of my home city’s rivers – the Mula, the Mutha, and the Mula-Mutha – but had no idea of the 2-3 others,” says Neha, a participant of Jeevitnadi’s river walk.
Another participant noted, “I had never before thought of our rivers in terms of their geological significance in the Pune region, neither had I thought of them as such important geographical monoliths in Pune’s natural and human history. The fact that go about our everyday modern lives alongside a natural formation that is ancient enough to have seen even the formation of the Himalayas, is an awe-inspiring perspective for me. In my opinion, more people should avail of the opportunity to understand our home rivers in a different way, through Jeevitnadi’s river walk experience.”
Rivers are the lifeline of humanity, and it is time we recover this sense of humanity lost in capitalist profiteering, and work together to save our rivers.