In 2014, a father decided not to have a party for his son’s first birthday. Instead, they would go to a dirty stretch of the Mula-Mutha river. Near water weighed down by sewage, he promised his small child that by his tenth birthday, he would be able to play in the river. The father, Niranjan Upasani, named his goal Jeevitnadi.
Pune’s rivers used to be magnificent, with birds such as the pied kingfisher, lapwing, and pheasant-tailed jacana, fish, and trees. However, since the 1990s, the city’s urbanisation has been accompanied by pollution, and rivers have begun to resemble drainage canals.
Upasani’s deadline was simply to motivate himself. Today, the Mula-Mutha water is still not clean enough for a child. “It is going to take 50 to 60 years because the current condition of the river has taken 50-60 years to create. Consistent effort is needed by the people,” says Upasani.
But his vow resulted in a different kind of success—a people’s movement to save the environment. A number of people who had taken a course at the Ecological Society in Pune with Upasani formed an organisation called Jeevitnadi to work at the people and policy levels in various river-related initiatives. Since then, Jeevitnadi has drawn bankers, teachers, factory owners, and techies, among others. They believe it is possible to revive the river without waiting for the government.
How it started
The members had no background in environmental science and no expertise in cleaning the river. Initially, they met with repeated failures. Builders continued to dump huge amounts of construction waste into the streams. People living around rivers kept releasing their household waste into it. Shops involved in powder coating poured red oxide into the water.
“We thought that rejuvenating the river was beyond our capacity. Then, we realised that unless people came together in a big group, there was no way we could restore the river,” says Shailaja Deshpande, an active member of Jeevitnadi and its popular face.
How they did it
One of the spots where Jeevitnadi is making its mark is the Mula-Ram Confluence, a forest on a busy road in Baner. A trench cuts across the entrance. Another trench lies ahead. “The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) created these channels the day after we approached them. These channels will obstruct vehicles coming into the forest to dump construction waste,” says Deshpande.
Pointing to a shrub, Deshpande adds, “The regeneration of the forest is happening automatically. There is nobody planting here. All we need to do is to protect the space.”
On March 21, the Supreme Court pronounced a first-ever judgement on the right to be free from the adverse effects of the climate crisis as a right. For years, Jeevitnadi has been talking about rights — of the people and the river — and they have been doing this through the simple tool of stories. People listen, understand and join the efforts, and the network grows.
A walk with Deshpande is a treat to the senses as she turns trees and birds into protagonists of a jungle tale. “The bird you are hearing is the lapwing. They are shouting because the dogs are coming. They have laid eggs somewhere and they want to protect that,” she says.
One of the organisation’s most successful efforts is the river walk, which is packed with mythology, history and science. It hits student groups, clubs, organisations, corporates and communities. Interestingly, most people don’t go away after an event. They stay to clean up the river banks.
“Once people began to know what is right and wrong, they started to think, ‘This is my responsibility and I must take it up,’” says Deshpande. In November, the organisation conducts a river festival that reaches out to hundreds of people.
The challenges have also grown. Members visit farmers who tell them that they have no choice but to use the polluted river water. Then, the devout throw flowers, incense sticks and food, often wrapped in plastic, into the water. “Religion, superstition and blind faith are the biggest hurdles for us,” says Deshpande.
Giving back
Inspired by Jeevitnadi, organisations such as Inner Wheel Club of Pune, and individuals have adopted stretches of the river. Among the converts is Shrunali Apte, a civil engineer. She attended a webinar by Deshpande on sustainable lifestyles and how they can help rejuvenate our rivers.
“Every day, almost 40 grams of untreated chemicals per person from domestic use is washed away into the river. If you add up the number with the population of Pune, you can understand how we are polluting our rivers. When Shailaja tai spoke about a sustainable lifestyle, it struck a chord in me, and I decided to make an effort,” adds Apte.
She last used detergent, shampoo or conditioner three or four years ago. “Despite the inconveniences, I have returned to what my grandmother used to do. I have found an online store of herbs, powders, and other organic products,” says Apte.
Shailaja Deshpande Jeevitnadi at Ram Mula Confluence on Saturday. (Express Photo By Dipanita Nath) 
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