Goa shows how social media can be a force multiplier when the goal is to bring people together for the cause of saving water. Members of a

WhatsApp

group are going about identifying lakes and ponds that can be revived and mobilising locals and stakeholders to search for alternative solutions to their water problem

Can we identify a water body that needs immediate rejuvenation,” asks agriculture scientist Sachin Tendulkar on the ‘Goa Jalyaatra’ WhatsApp group. He suggests that the group can take up water conservation and mobilise local communities in Sattari, Dharbandora or Sanguem . “Government-initiated efforts are cement and money-centric,” he says. The other group members agree and suggest extensive use of social media to mobilise support for reviving water bodies across Goa.While social media draws flak over cases of misuse, people in Goa are using WhatsApp groups to identify, document and revive dying water bodies in the state.“Social media is a boon for finding support for a constructive cause,” says medical practitioner Dattaram Desai who, along with Tendulkar, started the ‘Goa Jalyaatra’ WhatsApp group in 2016. As more members joined, the group started conducting visits to water bodies every Sunday. It has now documented ancient water bodies, temple lakes, ponds and streams across the state. Comprising professionals from all walks of life, its members have cleaned some water bodies and are planning to revive more water bodies in Goa.Spread over 3,702 sq km with nine river basins, Goa receives copious rainfall. But rivers in the state have very low flow in non-monsoon months, resulting in scarcity of drinking water. The narrow spread of the state, steep slopes of the Western ghats, and non-uniform distribution of rainfall cause imbalances in water availability. This also explains the paradox that although Goa is situated in a high precipitation zone, it has one of the lowest per capita availability of fresh water.“The state’s economy is largely dependent on tourism and the inflow of tourists is on the rise. While this is good for the state’s economy, it is putting pressure on water resources. We can’t deny water to tourists, but what about the locals?” asks Desai, adding that in recent times, Goa has witnessed several agitations by locals over water.Last year, over 77 lakh tourists visited Goa. With the mining industry mired in controversy, tourism is crucial to Goa’s economy and, hence, the state can’t afford water cuts to the tourism industry. But water supply to locals has been severely affected in the last few years. The water crisis and a series of agitations led to the formation of the WhatsApp group.“Initially we wanted to connect with people concerned about the water problem. Then we realised that mere discussions on social media wouldn’t help and started making visits to water bodies. We plan to use our data and documentation to revive water bodies and mobilise support. We also want to use social media to raise funds,” Tendulkar said.The group, which has over 70 members, plans to draft a roadmap for the revival of water bodies with the help of locals and wants to involve gram sabhas in the process.