Youth Icon Devir Singh Collaborates for the Greater Good

Ramveer Tanwar & Devir Singh

Noted author, social entrepreneur & documentary filmmaker Devir Singh Bhandari & the famous ‘Pond Man of India' - Ramveer Tanwar met up in Delhi recently to discuss the revival of ponds and water bodies in the national capital and march ahead in collaboration with each other.

Devir Singh Bhandari, VP - DSB Foundation, has been championing the cause of ‘Tree Plantation' through his ‘Tree of Life' campaign under the aegis of his DSB Foundation. The campaign has resulted in hundreds of trees being planted in Delhi and other cities.

Ramveer Tanwar, Lake & Water Conservationist, popularly known as the Pond Man of India, has been foraying into the field of water conservation through his NGO Say Earth, founded along with noted environmentalist Mohit Relan. A noted TEDx speaker, Ramveer, believes that restoring a water body gives new life to birds and provides a source of clean drinking water to villagers residing in the vicinity. Ramveer believed in the cause so strongly that he quit his job and took up the cause of cleaning ponds. His efforts & work were recently appreciated by Honourable PM Shri.Narendra Modi on his ‘Mann ki Baat' radio address.

Devir is very optimistic about this collaboration and sees huge scope for taking this movement to the rest of the country. "So here are some hard-hitting statistics: We all know that water covers about 71% of the Earth's surface approximately. But are you aware that approximately 70% of the surface water in India is polluted? You see how dangerously we are living! The Earth has plenty of time - it is us humans who are at the brink of existential crises! My foundation is actively involved in tree plantation across the country, and we have been actively developing modules for sustainable food resources as well. Water is the next obvious step - it forms the very basis of existence on this planet. While we are busy searching for water on the moon & other planets & I appreciate the effort, there is a growing need for taking care of the water that the Earth has gifted us with! We at DSB are extremely proud to be partnering with Ramveer & Mohit. We are looking at reviving & restoring a lot of old water bodies in the NCR - it is a tedious & time taking process with long term benefits - after all, what better legacy can we leave behind for our future generations than a Green Earth with clean drinking water and healthy rivers to play in!"

Ramveer, who has been working towards his cause tirelessly for years now, feels that joining hands with the DSB Group will infuse the project with fresh energy and will help amplify the message of the restoration of water bodies. Ramveer highlights that cleaning is only one part of the deal. Maintenance is what determines the success of the project ultimately and maintenance is where public involvement and collective responsibility comes in. Whenever a pond is cleaned up & inaugurated, the public is all smiles and claps, but the real adulation comes when the citizens step and make efforts to not dirty it again. Ramveer says, "Ponds are the heritage of our society. They form the most important part of the hydrological water cycle. It is very important to restore our ponds to give a healthy life to the coming generation."

Devir & Ramveer are joined in this endeavour by a very dynamic & dedicated individual, Mohit Relan - also a part of the Say Earth NGO. An IT professional who is extremely passionate about conserving the environment, Mohit made the dramatic move of giving up his cushioned life in the USA and returning back to his soil - to uplift the social & environmental conditions in India. He has since then created five urban forests & revived ten water bodies in Delhi NCR. Mohit seeks to redefine CSR, for he believes that CSR should stand for ‘Citizen Social Responsibility.

While we are eagerly waiting for more announcements from the trio on in this collaboration, one thing we are already looking forward to is the good old national capital, resplendent with lush trees and flowing water bodies. Here is to reviving a humble chunk of our planet!