A Podcast with Dr. Bhakti Devi
Dr. Bhakti Devi is an expert in water accounting and systems and solutions for decentralized water management systems in cities and rural areas. In the podcast ‘Such Conversations Matter’ hosted by Mr. Saurabh Nanda where Dr. Bhakti Devi in the interview discusses about Jal Fellowship at Rishihood University at Sonipat in Haryana and about Jal Smruti, founded by her.
During the pandemic, she spent the time trying to sit back, think and reflect, and be clear about what to do. She learnt and did a lot of new things, and finally registered a new NGO; Jal Smruti, with a clear idea in her mind.
Dr. Bhakti Devi is a civil engineer and has done her Masters in Environmental Engineering. She spent 3 decades working in Australia in Sustainable Water Management, and also, she designed a large decentralized water recycling scheme for Sydney for the sustainable impact of water management at the Sydney Olympics 2002. She has also tried applying certain things that she had used in Sydney, to India as well, when she came here. Once she was convinced on what she was going to do, she left her job in Australia and continued what she was doing in India. At first, she didn’t want to create a new NGO, knowing there are many related to water with whom she could work with, but then she realized each has different ideas and its limitations. Only 9 months ago, she registered her own NGO, named Jal Smruti. It not only focuses on water like every other NGO, but also on the relation that Jal (water) has with Jangal (Forests) and Jameen (Land). Additionally, it also focuses on teaching how to capture the grey water in houses and use it for kitchen gardening, which others don’t include in their program. They have programs for cities, communities, campuses and citizens. According to her water is usually an afterthought, and calls it an ‘invisible enabler’ in the process.
Talking about water accounting in India, Dr. Bhakti Devi says water is a state subject and only local government can regulate the details of how to shape up the city for it to be sustainable in terms of water. She believes that managing your own water, by reusing and recycling every drop of water falling on your land, is technically and financially feasible.
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In the 1-month Youth Water Champions Program each youth had to identify an action from one of the themes given (i.e., water policy, water literacy, water accounting and local water cycle restoration), attend a mentoring session where they are guided, and then start working on it. Jal Smruti also engaged with Rishihood University who had a vision of creating Jal Fellows across every district in India, as a leader through whom the change can be brought about. Tools required for the Jal Fellowship was provided to the participants and it also called for few hours of classroom training.
Dr. Bhakti Devi believes in the motto, “Start working, and data will follow.” Evidence of water crisis is clear for citizens or communities to act. According to her, waiting for data or survey results and then working for a solution is impractical.
She also believes that such work can be done at a very early age by doing a lot of voluntary work and start progressing soon. On being asked a line she would like to say that would make the world a better place, she says ‘If you are a young person join the Jal Fellowship, and if you are older, sponsor a Jal Fellow, support a Jal Fellow from your district and make a difference to your own district’.
I found the podcast very informative. It discussed a lot of innovative and unique things. I loved how she believes in the connection of water with the other elements of the ecosystem to make it sustainable.
Listen to the Podcast here:
