After having gone through a massive 50-year phase of constructing big
dams and canals, we still do not have drinking water.
The solutions does not lie in the use of hitech technology or in pipelines, pumps or
deep borewells. After all, if there is no water, of what use is a pump or a pipeline?
The solution is to look up – at the sky – at rainwater harvesting. To look at
local water harvesting systems and comunities to cope with the emerging water crisis.
These systems have been engineered by people over the millennia, from the dry cold
desert of Ladakh to the dry hot desert of Rajasthan, from the sub temperate Himalayas to
the tropical heights of the Nilgiris to catch and conserve water. These invisible rural
engineers have succeeded in securing water where there is virtually none. If official
planners flounder on, as they do now and do not conserve and develop these age-old
techniques of water conservation there might be none of us to mourn our passing.
The 3-day exhibition on the potential of water harvesting will be organised by the
Centre for Science and Environment from September 18th to 20 , 2000 as part of
the Water Asia exhibition at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.. (Hall 7 G, Stall no B 126).
You are invited to visit our stall. This exhibition is an answer to meeting the local
water needs not only in thousands of Indian villages at the mercy of vagrant monsoon and
without the comforts of expensive piped water supply but also in Indian cities in grip of
severe water crisis.
Yours cordially
Indira Khurana For more information please contact Indira Khurana at
608-1110, 608-1124
Fax No: 3070505
Ms Shiela Dixit
Chief Minister, NCT
16th September, 2000
Dear Ms Dixit,
The Centre for Science and Environment cordially invites you to visit our stall B
126, in Hall 7 G during the Water Asia 2000 between the 18th and 20th
of September in Pragati Maidan.
Our exhibition informs about successful rainwater harvesting in rural as well as urban
areas. Given your interest in community efforts and in promoting rainwater harvesting, you
would find our stall of interest.
We would be really delighted if you could pay a visit to our stall.
With best regards
Yours sincerely
Indira Khurana
Natural Resource Management
