Rajahmundry: Noted water conservationist and environmentalist and popularly known as ‘Waterman of India’ Rajendra Singh underlined the importance of conservation of rivers in the country to help sustain human existence.
Taking part in the valedictory session of the three-day workshop held under the aegis of Adi Kavi Nannaya university here on Wednesday, Rajendra Singh expressed concern over the way rivers were getting polluted and river beds were being encroached upon.
He felt the need to protect them for the benefit of the next generation on the lines of how the government and people worked together to conserve the rivers in Europe.
Mr Rajendra Singh was critical about the huge publicity on inter-linking of rivers by spending a lot of money affecting the precarious environmental balance.
The ‘Waterman of India’ claimed credit for setting up 11,800 check dams without spending a single rupee by taking the support of local villagers and said that this was providing more benefit than what was expected from the upcoming Polavaram irrigation project.
He said that construction of such mega projects should not affect the forests, local environment, people and wildlife.
