Nagpur: Rajendra Singh, a well-known water conservationist, who is also as ‘Waterman of India” said, “Participation & involvement of ‘People’ -the Fourth ‘P’, in ongoing under Public-Private- Partnership (PPP) based 24×7 water supply project, is not only essential but is a ‘must’”.
Rajendra Singh was interacting with OCW Team comprising of CEO Sanjoy Roy, Director KMP Singh, Dy. Director Rajesh Kalra, Head: Public Relations/Communications, Sachin Dravekar & Noted environmentalist- Social worker Shyam Pandharipande.
While endorsing Nagpur’s ongoing 24×7 water supply project, Rajendra Singh said, On the lines of “Jal Hi Jeevan Hain and Jeevan Hi Jal Hain” projects like 24×7 water supply must be socio-economic projects involving change in the mind-sets, habits and lifestyle of people. Such projects will help in conservation and saving precious potable water for the future generations.
He further suggested involvement of social work students in community engagement activity and was promptly told that it is already happening. He expressed confidence that honest inclusion of the “fourth P” will be an assurance that our community engagement does not take the ‘meeting-eating-cheating’ format.
It must be mentioned here, Rajendra Singh a well-known water conservationist, who is also known as ‘Waterman of India” has been awarded Stockholm Water Prize Laureate The 2015 for his innovative water restoration efforts and consistent attempts to improve the country’s water security in villages. Singh has earlier been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for community leadership in 2001. He has been working in close cooperation with local residents, and has revived several rivers, bringing hope to a thousand villages and countless people.
On the occasion OCW CEO, Sanjoy Roy briefed that OCW believe that to ensure the success of this life-changing project for the citizens, adding 4th P i.e. People to the PPP is essential. On-boarding citizens and sharing the ownership of the project with them will endear the project and subsequently OCW, as an organization to the People.
OCW has undertaken various initiatives to involve fourth P –the people in 24×7 project like like mohalla sabha (community interaction), consumers as ambassadors (water friends), self-help group meetings, school and college awareness programmes, toll free consumer helpline, NGO networking and health check-ups. These innovative initiatives have helped OCW in establishing a strong bond with the people.
Further OCW has been associating with various schools and Colleges to conduct awareness programs on Water and the Uninterrupted Water Supply Project of Nagpur. The purpose is to raise awareness and make the students Ambassadors for the Project as well as of water conservation. The program is called “Jalsamwad-A conversation about Water”. So far, OCW has conducted the “Jalsamwad” in more than 110 Schools addressing more than 16000 students.
Rajendra Singh heartily accepted OCW CEO Sanjoy Roy’s invitation to specially come to Nagpur especially to meet slum dwellers on water conservation and have a review of 24×7 projects.
