100 WATER HEROES: DR. RAJENDRA SINGH
Founder and Chairman of Tarun Bharat Sangh
Widely known as the Waterman of India, Dr. Rajendra Singh is a respected water conservationist and environmentalist from Rajasthan, India. In 1975, Rajendra founded Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), an NGO that focuses on ecological research and land development, aiming to provide fresh, clean water to local inhabitants. Using johad, rainwater storage tanks, check dams, and both traditional and modern techniques, TBS has transformed water access in over 1000 villages, and revived five rivers in Rajasthan, Arvari, Ruparel, Sarsa, Bhagani and Jahaj Wali.
In 2009, Rajendra was awarded the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize for his life’s work of “building social capacity to solve local water problems through participatory action, empowerment of women, linking indigenous know-how with modern scientific and technical approaches and upending traditional patterns of development, resource use, and social norms” (Cele, 2015).
Rajendra is an Ayurvedic medicine graduate, with a postgraduate degree in Hindi literature. He currently serves as Chairman of TBS and is actively involved in a wide range of water-related NGOs and initiatives throughout the world.
Rajendra is one of our #100WaterHeroes for his prolific work in water conservation and environmentalism, and for being the Waterman of India.
Twitter: @watermanofindia
