WATER GANDHI
WINNER: Water Literacy Foundation (WLF) and Ayyappa Masagi WHY IT WON: The WLF’s pan-India initiatives have helped farmers with water-conservation techniques
ANATIVE OF THE drought-prone district of Gadag, Karnataka, Ayyappa Masagi, now 62, would, as a child, accompany his mother to fetch water from a distant well. Since 2000, Masagi has been deeply involved in helping poor farmers manage their water. His methods, along with construction of physical structures for water management, have helped farmers reduce the impact of droughts and secure sustainable water sources.
What began as the Jala Saksharatha Andolan in Gadag in 2000 is today the Water Literacy Foundation (WLF), working in 14 states to create awareness and improve water quality and availability by harvesting rainwater and recharging groundwater sources.
Water scarcity, Masagi says, presents a serious threat to the more than 800 million Indians who make a living through farming. “It is estimated that more than half of the rainfall Karnataka receives runs off into the sea. Barely seven per cent of the total annual rainfall makes its way into groundwater supplies. Pollution and increased consumption, along with inefficient management, has made clean water a scare resource in India,” he says.
Over the years, WLF has implemented turnkey rainwater conservation projects at more than 4,200 locations. Masagi’s work has touched so many lives that many call him Water Gandhi. “The real mission is to eradicate water poverty. We have a long journey ahead to become a water-responsible nation,” says Masagi. ■