Rally for Rivers: Unifying India in its fight to save rivers

Our nation's rivers are deteriorating at an alarming rate. A few of these rivers and their dismal state catch our attention at times, while others are simply ignored. Like most news that doesn't directly affect us, we tend to brush such issues under the carpet and wait for the day till it becomes a real threat. Sitting in our homes and offices, we try and comfort ourselves by telling us that there is nothing 'we' can really do. While we may tell ourselves whatever we like, but the harsh reality is that if we don't act now, then over 25% of our beautiful nation would gradually turn into a desert.

Many of us, may think and question if this is really happening, unfortunately though, this is a sad but true fact, and it is happening as we speak. Soon it would become a reality, that we will all have to live with, unless and until we take stock of the situation and act now.

India has always been the land of rivers and many civilizations were born and have flourished along the India's many rivers. Many consider rivers to be holy and they are part of our worship and rituals. In the same breath, we also turn a blind eye to urban waste, industrial pollution and various other human actions that are literally choking the life out of our nation's rivers.

Over the past few years, we have slowly been edging to the point of no return, and some rivers may be lost forever if we don't act now. This is something which since long worried Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of The Isha Foundation, and has compelled him to take matters in his own hands and spearhead a nation-wide movement to Save Our Rivers. Sadhguru strongly believes in nurturing human potential by helping people to be in better touch with their inner selves. Supported by over 2 million volunteers, spread across 150 cities, the foundation promotes unique system of yoga called 'Isha Yoga' and actively conducts activities for the social and economic upliftment of villages. The foundation also offers medical care and education to rural communities, they've also helped plant over 114 million trees restoring 33% green cover in various sections of southern India. Ganga, Krishna, Kaveri, and Narmada are a few of the high priority rivers.

Sadhguru and the Isha Foundation have now initiated the Rally of Rivers movement which aims to highlight this very relevant issue and also suggest and implement a few very real solutions to help solve the problem.

The Rally of Rivers movement aims to create and maintain tree cover for a minimum of one kilometer on either side of each of India's rivers and their tributaries. This is because, trees help rain water seep into the soil making it porous, and thus it creates channels that help rain water to percolate and eventually flow into streams and rivers. Case studies on the Western Ghats, the basins of Lakshman-Teertha, a tributary of Kaveri, clearly showed that rivers whose banks had good tree cover, had water flowing throughout the year. Streams which had lost their forest covers carried water for 4-6 months a year.

A similar study of the Domba River in Jharkhand shows the environmental and human impact of the proposed solution. Villagers in Hesatu around the Domba River used 365 acres to grow 100,000 trees in 2010. By 2017, and the river which used to dry up during summers has now become perennial. There are many such 'miracles' where dying springs and lost rivers have been recovered and they were converted into perennial water bodies, simply by planting more trees on their banks.

Planting such a huge number of trees, requires a strong movement operating at multiple levels. From the top, it needs government support, and on the ground, it needs help from farmers and everyone else who can contribute towards planting and maintaining. It wouldn't be wrong to say that the Rally for Rivers campaign was not only designed to educate people about the cause, but instead allow them to become a part of it and do their bit for persevering the nation's natural wealth.

Today, the campaign has formidable support, from leading politicians to top celebrities and some of Corporate India's biggest names have pledged their support to the cause. Hero FinCorp has also pledged its support to this very noble and important cause. As an organization whose roots are deep-seated in the nation's soil, the Rally for Rivers cause is close to our heart. Over the years, we've had the opportunity to support several people from the remotest parts of India, and work hard towards their success. A movement like this can change help change people's lives today and tomorrow, thereby creating a far more prosperous nation.

The River Revival Through Tree Plantation Policy will be presented to the Government on October 02, 2017. Until then, Sadhguru would be touring India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and aim to raise awareness for this cause.

You can also support this campaign by simply giving a missed call on +91-80009-80009. Each call counts as a vote supporting the cause. The 'vote' will be presented as the 'Citizen's voice to the Government which would help push appropriate policy changes.

It will take just one missed call to help change the fate of India's rivers. Take action now. Give a missed call on '+91-80009-80009' today, and join this noble movement.