Rajendra Singh - Pani wale baba, Johadwala Baba or Waterman of Rajasthan

Rajendra Singh known as wale baba or Johadwala Baba or waterman of rajasthan is a winner of 2001 Ramon Magsaysay Award For Community leadership. He leads an organization, Tarun Bhagat Sangh, which is supported by the United Nations, USIAD, and the World bank. He was highly appreciated and recognized for the efforts he made for harvesting rain water water by building check dams in Rajasthan. It is because of this he is popularly known as the 'Jal Pusush' or the 'Water man of Rajasthan' Rajendra Singh Since 1985, Tarun Bhagat Sangh, headed by Rajendra Singh have been working in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, focusing on the revival of Johads, streams and rivers in the area. They were of the opinion that without water in region no other significant development could take place. And with the successful implementation of the programme and with the total dedication of all the team members along with the cooperation of the villagers, today more than 4,500 working Johads dot Alwar and surrounding districts. (Johad is concave structure which collects and store water throughout the year. It is used for the drinking purpose by humans and cattle).
It took 16 years of hard work for him to be acclaimed as Water Man and rewarded. Hailing from an affluent landlord family, he as different from his 3 brothers. The philosophy of social activists Subbarao and JP Narayan inspired him further. The turbulent 70's turned the course of his life for all times to come. His father, a tough man, never approved of his ways, and to him, he was the most Nalayak. The only criteria of respectability for the old man was a Govt Job, which Rajendra Singh took following the pressure put by his father, as a project officer in the Adult Literacy Mission in Jaipur. Rajendra Singh along with his other team members persuaded the villagers to rejuvenate their functioning style, which in turn changed the total life line of Rajasthan. He has plans to cover more of 45 villages in the next one year. He has also decided to take up the project of river Luni, the only flowing water source in western parts of Rajasthan. The condition of the river is getting worst with the day by day increasing pollution from the numerous textile units Pali. Organization of Rajendra Singh has overall 45 full time employees and 230 part time workers.
Need more about Johadwale baba visit:
http://www.tarunbharatsangh.org/