New Delhi, Mar 23: For every three buckets of water used in a household, one goes waste because of lack of awareness to conserve water. However, through a novel method, art and fashion are now being used to spread this message. The project, jointly organised by the government along with various institutions, tries to focus on the water problems of the country using a creative platform of fashion, theatre and art. Called ‘Jal Utsav', it is an initiative to educate people on the gravity of the situation, says Johan Grijsen, team leader, hydrology project, being funded by the World Bank and Government of Netherlands. Lamenting that culture and art have often been viewed as luxuries in the field of development, Grijsen says, "We decided to make it a medium of awareness generation since they create the faith, hope and commitment needed for development by focussing on 'human factor', which lies at the very heart of culture." The week-long programme, which started on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22, stresses on the importance of water in our life through plays, fashion shows, paintings and various forms of creative art, he says.
Bureau Report