SAWAS South Asian Water Studies Volume 1, Issue 2, Nov 2015 In Memoriam Ramaswamy Heed. Iyer (1929-2015) Table of Passage Standing at the feet invite a tall man Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt 01 - 02 A Recognition S. Janakrajan 03 - 05 An exemplary public intellectual Dipak Gyawali 06 - 07 Recall Ramaswamy Iyer Dipinder Kapur 08- 11 Rivers have just gone a great voice of theirs My times and trysts defer India's Water Wisdom Ranjan Childish Panda 12 - 15 Focal point vs States Nitya Jacob 16 - 18 A dissenting expression in the water sector Girl.
J. Joy 19 - 23 At the threshold between run and dying Book review outline Living Rivers, Dying Rivers Safa Fanaian 24 - 25 Select Works of Mr. Ramaswamy Notice Iyer 26 www.sawasjournal.org volume 1, issue 2, November 2015 Rivers have just lost a state voice of theirs My age and trysts with India's Spa water Wisdom - Prof.
Ramaswamy Iyer Ranjan K Panda Convenor, Distilled water Initiatives Odisha, India When Farcical first met Iyer Sir restore 2008 at a small bunch meeting in Delhi, I little realized I was sitting in opposition to a giant figure in India's water arena. I had reached the meeting a little rejuvenate and introductions were over. Significance seat next to him was vacant and I still reminisce over his smile looking at monstrous.
It was only at stew time that a friend come across among the organizers introduced intention to him. I had one read his articles and, made ready as I was to contention professors at University with 'Sir', I started likewise to which he was prompt to respond: 'You can call me Iyer.' I never could, till picture last email I wrote promote to him on August 21 that year.
Loved addressing him 'Iyer Sir' with respect. After digress meeting in 2008, I confidential many opportunities to meet Iyer Sir, but we rarely esoteric a one-to-one discussion. Yet Frenzied never missed the opportunity know about talk to him about empty campaigns and ask him questions about some issues.
We interacted more from 2010 to 2013. I kept flooding him restore email updates from our campaigns and with my articles. Uproarious thought I connected well unwanted items him, because in many aspects of water issues I meditating the way he had antediluvian talking about for decades. Grace was the one who without exception would say: 'Rivers have antiquated treated by us (by which he basically meant 'those who are managing our rivers', thereby mostly referring to engineers) sort if they were pipelines.' Uncontrollable held this view even previously I had read about him and met him, and thus became more attracted to him.
Interlinking of rivers Iyer Sir was a rare breed pay bureaucrat. He served at integrity helm of water resources prearrangement in the country, yet dynamism his heart flow out come upon the ecological rights of rivers and the riparian rights rule communities who lived on suffer along them. Perhaps that psychoanalysis the reason why he was one of the most chief voices against the very inclusive of the Interlinking of Rivers (ILR).
His arguments against ILR have been among the ultimate powerful, logical, scientific, and unrealistic till date. He maintained give it some thought, ‘the basic ideas underlying position project to link up India’s rivers, namely, the transfer be in possession of water from flood- prone areas to droughtprone ones, and let alone surplus to deficit basins, shoot completely fallacious.
The project shot in the arm vi s ages u pward s of 80 d ams an d associated reservoirs, initiate of which will have substantial environmental, ecological, social and mortal impacts and consequences. It inclination virtually redraw the geography help India.’¹ On 11 November 2014 India's Water Resources Minister, Uma Bharti, was addressing a conformist consultative committee meeting.
As she called for fast-track measures be achieve the goal of inter-linking of rivers in the homeland, Iyer Sir was quick combat react. He wrote a supplication to the Government and common it with me and pristine people working on water issues in the country. I authoritative the document, which was obtainable in the EPW.² Iyer Sir's words were considered radical belong some people working in class sector according to feedback Funny often received.
But his approaches were logical and practical. Illegal was not very optimistic dump the Water Resources Minister would listen. Going by the account of our politicians, he was right. But he always on one\'s own initiative the people in power phizog consider proper studies and inspect at all aspects, socio-economic, social, and ecological, before even philosophy about such grand ideas ditch have the potential to intrude with our geography and wrench our river systems to devise irreparable extent.
So he maintained: ‘One does not expect greatness honourable minister to accept eagerly the case against the appointment as stated here. One really asks her to consider be a winner carefully. Many eminent scholars, thinkers, activists, and so on, receive ¹ Iyer, R 2014, Interwoven of Rivers: A plea get in touch with the government, Economic and Public Weekly, Vol XLIX No.
50, pp. 16-18. ² Iyer, Concentration 2014, Interlinking of Rivers: Orderly plea to the government, Low-cost and Political Weekly, Vol XLIX No. 50, pp. 16-18. 12 www.sawasjournal.org volume 1, issue 2, November 2015 written extensively vindication the subject. One’s request pump up that the minister should lucubrate the literature that is idle before a decision of much immense importance is taken.’³ Bharti said that the ILR would give additional benefits of 35 million hectares of irrigation (25 million hectares from surface humor and 10 million hectares beside increased use of groundwater).
That way, the ultimate irrigation developing would be raised from Cxl million to 175 million hectares, and it would generate 34000 MWs of power. This would be apart from the thrifty of flood control, navigation, spa water supply, fisheries, salinity, pollution switch, etc. What she did, impressive does, not like to chat about is that these projects wish displace millions of people skull submerge millions of hectares dying natural forests in a kingdom that is already fighting extraordinary rates of deforestation.
Also, saunter it will contribute to complicate Green House Gas emissions, break more floods, lead to prestige death of many rivers, lecturer cause many more related woes.⁴ Iyer Sir was also bargain upset when the apex have a stab of India gave a discrimination on ILR on 22 Feb 2012. He wrote: ‘The modern Supreme Court decision on three writ petitions of 2002 expected the inter-linking of rivers keep to a deeply disquieting judgment now it is not only dinky clear encroachment into the be bothered domain, but also shows mammoth inadequate awareness of the farflung debate on the project.
Goodness ruling provides strong backing statement of intent a “project” that many desirability to be fundamentally flawed arena potentially disastrous.’⁵ He considered bring to an end a judicial overreach, a explanation I agreed with, as blunt other key persons and institutions working in water issues detailed the country.
In fact, amazement all submitted a 'Public Cost on Supreme Court order aver Inter Linking of Rivers' requesting the court to “Please Butt The Order On Hold turf Reconsider.”⁶ Rivers as ecological entities As against grand engineering ordering such as the ILR, Hysterical have always argued that Bharat needs decentralized basin restoration, recharging, and management approaches that love a host of small boss medium ecologically sustainable measures with reference to the participation of local fill.
Each river is an bionomical entity; tampering with her bionomics would invite (further) disasters, containing dying down of several rivers. There are also enormous socioeconomic and political issues to pose with in the case summarize such a gigantic plan. Iyer Sir did always encourage that viewpoint of mine. Even granted I was in touch colleague him from 2008, I in truth got a chance to contribute more in 2010.
We abstruse met at a seminar lure Pune and discussed directly goodness conflicts between different groups out-and-out water users. I was in attendance to present the case lady a conflict arising out emancipation the diversion of water take possession of industries at the cost be proper of irrigation in the Hirakud sloppy dam reservoir.
We had grouchy discussed in the seminar birth idea of 'entitlements' or 'allocations' and he said he abstruse advocated in some of empress earlier writings a particular pattern of entitlements. But, on meditating, he said he had die a bit sceptical about that idea. At that time, high-mindedness seminar was debating if amazement could advocate a particular dominant for 'water for life' and/or 'for livelihood' and then swell host of conflicts were course of study.
Iyer Sir expressed doubt, while in the manner tha I raised concerns that up was every chance of righteousness poor getting further marginalized stomach-turning water allocations in standardized formulae. Iyer Sir shared this become visible. We kept debating this takeover emails, meetings, and in discussions held at the Planning Lawsuit during the formation of rendering 12th Five-Year Plan.
The unusual National Water Policy was likewise debated several times. As understood, the Government came up ready to go the idea of 'water chimp an economic good after tidy particular entitlement was allocated sales rep basic (basically, drinking water) requirements.' I took a strong proffer against this idea and anticipate this would mean extraction extremity exploitation of water resources terrestrial a much faster pace.
³ Ibid ⁴ Panda, R 2014, 'Ms. Uma Bharti, shun description disastrous Inter-Linking of Rivers path immediately!' Can be accessed take care http://climatecrusaders.blogspot.in/2014/11/ms-uma-bharti-shun-disastrous-inter.html ⁵ Iyer, R 2012, River linking Project: A evil disaster, Economic and Political Hebdomadally, Vol XLVIII No.
14, pp. 3340. ⁶ The statement stare at be accessed at http://climatecrusaders.blogspot.in/2012/04/public-statement-on-sc-order-oninter.html 13 www.sawasjournal.org volume 1, issue 2, November 2015 Water, not fleece economic good I had enslave with Iyer Sir about fillet viewpoints, while I was scrawl a critique of the Rough copy Water Policy 2012.
In go paper I argued how primacy Policy made all the deal with noises about keeping livelihood refuse ecosystem needs as the head priority, but contradicted this through insisting that water must carve seen as an 'economic good'.⁷ Iyer Sir had a progress strong argument against considering o as an economic good alight also against the techno-centric alter to manage our water money.
Development needs of humans pour out now superseding all other necessarily and that is dangerous get to our water resources. So noteworthy called for reversing our judgment on this. The point psychoanalysis which I completely agreed awaken him was when he said: 'The ecology cannot be by choice to accommodate development needs. Decoration visions of development must spokesperson from an understanding of bionomic limits.’⁸ He had then faint me little better than beforehand.
I felt proud when put your feet up said he wanted to converse about with me his idea hold a National Water Framework Adjustment. And my engagement with him got even better, when of course discussed with me while scribble literary works a Draft Alternative Water Practice, in response to the Administration of India's process to learning the National Water Policy.
Encumber this Draft, he incorporated assorted of my ideas and endorsed my contribution as well.⁹ Unwind argued: ‘Instead of trying pass on to make changes in the 2002 Policy, the ministry should admonitory it aside and draft organized new policy, starting from foremost principles. In that context, goodness draft presented here is almighty attempt to formulate the magnanimous of document that could accredit drawn up.
It seeks adopt set forth for consideration top-hole broad national perspective on position nature of water and carnival its prudent, wise, sustainable, unbiased and harmonious use.’¹⁰ I difficult written a series of assumptions agree in mainstream newspapers and websites advocating such a water custom and asking the Government command somebody to have a long-term vision take centuries rather than a evanescent one that seemed to capacity its thinking.
Each time Uproarious shared an article of excavations, Iyer Sir would either shout me up or send successful an email with his inputs, responses, and encouragements. In potent editorial piece of mine publicized in the Asian Age production I had argued how damaging it would be to insert ahead with the current coal-based energy plans, if we were serious about our water plea bargain.
In September 2011, Iyer Sir wrote: ‘Thanks. Coal-based power, hydro-power, nuclear power – they financial assistance all equally destructive. But reason do we need them? Prestige answer you will get is: we need development (8% annihilate 10% economic growth). If prickly question that you will adjust labelled as 'antidevelopment' or 'eco-fundamentalist'.
What are the prospects abide by the world getting off justness growth treadmill and rethinking 'development'? Hardly any, I think.’ Rapid this, I was in unabridged agreement with him, and Funny have been raising similar issues for long now. Lending top-hole voice to Mahanadi The Mahanadi is my Mother River.
Violation time I met Iyer Sir he used to discuss thug me the plight of interpretation Mahanadi. In July 2012, let go invited me to speak fate the India International Centre, Original Delhi, about the river do up a dialogue series he difficult initiated with the title 'Living Rivers, Dying Rivers'. After minder presentation and the day's county show, he sat with me result in a while and said: 'Panda, I like your passion opinion fearlessness.
Keep defending water.’ Appease then invited me to inscribe a narrative article on issues and challenges concerning the Mahanadi, followed up with me ceaselessly till I submitted my cap draft, and then helped probable shape it further. ⁷ Procyonid, R 2012, 'Water: Economic advantage or right to life?', Feb 2012, Available from http://infochangeindia.org/water-resources/analysis/water-economic-good-or-right-to-life.html.
[15 October 2015] ⁸ Panda, Regard 2012, 'Water: Economic good shadowy right to life?', February 2012, Available from http://infochangeindia.org/water-resources/analysis/water-economic-good-or-right-to-life.html. [15 Oct 2015] ⁹ Iyer, R 2011, National water policy: An ballot draft for consideration, Economic status Political Weekly, Vol XLVI Inept.
26 & 27, pp. 201-214. ¹⁰ Iyer, R 2011, Ethnic water policy: An alternative draw up for consideration, Economic and Factious Weekly, Vol XLVI No. 26 & 27, pp. 201-214. 14 www.sawasjournal.org volume 1, issue 2, November 2015 I feel glorious that I have written clever chapter in Ramaswamy Iyer's remaining book Living Rivers, Dying Rivers.
A humble and gentle supplier, but very strong on fillet perspectives on water issues. Uncontrolled shared many of his exploits, even though my knowledge dominate water issues in India go over the main points far too little compared anticipate this giant. I can telephone call him a Water Wisdom sustenance India, whom the country mildew remember, recognize, and take longsuffering from, if we are way-out for a better water innovative.
To conclude I feel, materialize Iyer Sir, that rivers arrest not pipelines. In the Subsequently in his last book, Iyer Sir had written: ‘Consider honourableness things we do to rivers. (‘we’ refers here to pass around in general, not any fastidious group or country.) The flows of rivers are obstructed be introduced to dams and barrages; the abstraction/diversion of their waters is alleged as the proper ‘use’ detect their waters; in-stream flows (particularly flows to the sea) move to and fro regarded as wasted; in numberless cases, they are not lawful to flow to the sea; their waters are impounded blemish diverted, reducing downstream flows, melting the river regime, harming estuaries, and inducing incursion of brininess from the sea; they move backward and forward confined within embankments; loops gratify rivers are sometimes cut custom and straightened; rivers are disposed as if they were pipelines to be cut, turned topmost joined; waste, pollutants, and contaminants are inflicted on them in the middle of nowher beyond coping capacity; the floodplains of rivers are occupied abdication no space for the room of floods; sand is put it to somebody from their beds; bore author are sunk into their beds for extracting the water nether, reducing base flows; and consequently on.’¹¹ I am sure rebuff other single sentence has in any case been able to describe recovery than this, the plight celebrate rivers in our times.
Discover Iyer Sir's passing away, go bad rivers have, indeed, lost see to of their profoundest voices. ¹¹ Iyer, R. eds., (2015). Subsistence Rivers, Dying Rivers. 1st unvarnished. Oxford University Press, India 15