One Man's Crusade To Not Let Rain Water Go To Waste

Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh: As a dozen states across the country wait for the rains to deliver them from one of the worst droughts in recent memory, for one man, the answer to the unquantifiable plight lies in becoming "water literate".

Ayyappa Masagi believes that we have all the water we could ever need if we harvested what was given to us by nature.

"On one square metre of road in Bangalore, every year, we are going to lose 1,000 litres of rainwater (if not harvested). On one acre, we are going to lose a minimum 18 to 20 lakh litres water every year," he says.

Ayyappa's passion for water began as a child and was honed by his training as an engineer and on the job.

"My mother, early morning would go at 3 O'clock to fetch water from the stream around two kilometres away. I kept thinking is there any solution to this? That struggle, not only my mother, of thousands of women, was there any solution? I took an oath, once I finished my education, my financial needs are met, I will leave my job and come to the field and find a solution to the water problem," he says.

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And he did quit his job. Despite a worried family, he gave up a monthly salary going of Rs 32,000 and settled for a meagre income of Rs 5,000.

He remembered those challenging times. "I made a mistake - without telling my wife I left my job. If I tell, she would not have allowed. Six months after I left my job I faced a lot of problems - socially, financially, even my relations."

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Ayyappa now makes a living by providing solutions to rural areas, city residences and companies that want to be self-sufficient in terms of water consumption after studying the land, slope, soil structure, average rainfall and the neighbouring land.

He believes that people are more serious when they are spending their own money.  "I have already worked on more than 300 apartments, 10,000 hectares of dry land converted to wetland. 2.5 lakh borewells are recharged. More than 10,000 houses I have implemented rain water harvesting with their own resources," he said.

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In Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur, Ayyappa has partnered others for a project and is working on 84 acres of land and has set himself the challenge to create a forest here - by careful harvesting of available rainwater.

With his belief that people needs to understand the importance of rainwater harvesting, he is also spreading the word through individuals he describes as 'water warriors'. Two students, both volunteers who carry out research and work with him, spoke to NDTV.

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"It is amazing, I am from Delhi - and I don't think so much rain water harvesting is being practised there," said Pallavi Joshi.

Leonard Spaans, from Holland, said, "In Holland I study civil engineering which has a connection with water management. So it is really good to see what they are doing here."

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Ayyappa is a man with a mission - and a belief that the solution to the water crisis is in our hands.

"Those who have the capacity to harvest rain water, to save rain water, only they can survive in this country," he says.