Chapter 8: Our Water Heroes

Introduction

• We have a long tradition of conserving water.
• A prime example of that is the Ahar-Pyre system.
• Indians' role in water conservation during British rule is examined in three groups.
• These are "Water Services," "Water Structures," and "Jal Satyagraha."

Jal Satyagraha

• Unjustified and unsustainable tariffs on water consumption led to discontent and a desire among Indians, particularly tribals, to defend "JalJungle-Jameen."
• The Koya Rebellion (1862) began in opposition to the "Muttadars" (zamindars), a network of rent collectors appointed by the colonial lords.
• Under the leadership of Tammanna Dora, the tribals fought the government in 1879. In 1922–1924, this movement synced with the Non Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movement led by Alluri Sitharama Raju in the West Godavari district.
• The Gond revolutionary Komaram Bheem (1901–1940), of Hyderabad State, is credited with coining the phrase Jal, Jangal, Jameen (literally, "Water, Forest, Land"), which expressed opposition to encroachment and exploitation.

Water Services:

• From 1860 to 1920, the Sood community implemented a number of piped-water supply schemes in the Muhin, Garli, and Garh villages in the Kangra Area and surrounding areas of undivided Punjab. These schemes were similar to the modern water supply system.
• Specifically in the southwest, in Multan and Derajat, Maharaja Ranjit Singh dug numerous canals that drew their water from the Sutlej, Chenab, and Indus rivers.
• One of the first Indian explorers to explore the Himalayan region in the 19th century was Nain Singh Rawat (1830–82). His achievements include discovering the Brahmaputra River's source and pinpointing Lhasa on a map. Er Ganga Ram, a distinguished graduate of Thomson College of Engineering, Roorkee, transformed 20,000 hectares of dry, unirrigated land in Montgomery District into cheerful fields, irrigated by water raised by a hydroelectric plant and flowing through 1,000 miles of irrigation channels, all built at his own expense.
• Nizam hired Sir M. Visvesvaraya to create the blueprints for the Khadakwasala Dam on the Mutha River near Pune and its associated reservoir, which is known as Khadakwasla Lake.
• Surveys and studies for the Bhakra Dam Project were done by Er Ajudhiya Nath Khosla.
• Er Kunwar Sain Gupta, also referred to as the father of the Indira Gandhi Canal (IGC), had the idea to construct this canal in 1940.
• The Ganga Canal Grid Plan was created in 1924 by Raja Jwala Prasad, a renowned Thomson College alumni.

Water Structures

• The rulers of the Princely States constructed numerous systems for collecting water and conserving it.
• Southern India was the principal location for the construction of artificial lakes and tanks.
• Before liberation, a lot of "multi-purpose reservoir" projects were developed.