Thursday, December 27, 2012

Reflections on my CSC experience in Indore, India


Reflections on my IBM Corporate Service experience in Indore, India

The need for education in the area of environmental sustainability and smart water management is dire in most of India and even more so in the dry, hot and dusty plain where we were - - the city of Indore, in Madhya Predesh, India. 

Sciencetech, green industrialists  
Our field work took us to several slums, nascent middle class communities, two prestigious schools and a company where "green" principles are used. All of the communities we visited rely on water drawn from the aquifer. There is water that comes to Indore from the Narmada River pipeline but this source is 70 kilometers away and in demand from many cities in the region.
  
In the more organized slums, the community leaders (women mostly) had to prove that they could maintain a bore well before the municipal corporation would drill a well for them. Otherwise, the poor and vulnerable communities still rely on water deliveries from tanker trucks. This is still true in much of India outside of the biggest cities like New Delhi or Mumbai.
A woman at Rahul Ghandi Negar

For a country that is on the rise in the world economy, it was shocking to see the lack of infrastructure in India for not only water delivery, but also for basic sanitation and garbage removal. Pollution of the water ways is another huge problem. The water we saw was visibly polluted in lakes, rivers and streams.  It is clear that something big needs to be done to address this problem.

Our assignment was to provide a Toolkit for the local NGOs and Green Leaders to use with the citizens of Indore, India. We were asked to provide "Dos and Don'ts."

Through our field work we met leaders in different  communities who already know and practice the dos and don'ts. So, our team, Zack, Maco and me, decided a more meaningful, long term benefit would be derived from a methodology that stresses changing the mind set, behavior and capabilities (MB&C) of the citizens. Maco uses these principles in his consulting work at IBM. It is based on McKinsey Research.

Our guiding theme was this…

As a society we must acknowledge that there is no “quick fix” when it comes to addressing water scarcity. The solution will come with leadership, cooperation and a cultural shift in thinking about water use and water management.

Part I of the Toolkit offered a version of MB&C tailored to the Indore citizens and the NGOs and green leaders who will use is. Part II of the Toolkit provided practical advice that can be immediately used by  individuals, household and/or organizations for water use and management.  Part II activities range from simply turning off the tap when brushing your teeth and grey water reuse, to recharging of bore wells, rainwater harvesting and water treatment.

A large emphasis of the MB&C is on recognizing and cultivating leadership around water management. Our recommendation was that the green leaders and NGOs we met establish a committee, meet regularly and lead the citizenry in the movement for a sustainable environment and water management in Indore. That they follow the MB&C program first, so that they can train others.

We also created a motivational video  produced by the team. The ending quote from Zarathustra is as poignant today as it was thousands of years ago when it was written:

God has given us the fire, the air , the water and the earth – free for our use. We may use them but not abuse them; at no time defile or pollute them.  If we do so in time Nature will wreak a vengeance and life will become unbearable on earth.

In addition to the Green Leaders and NGOs, who work with the vulnerable communities in the city, we met the most remarkable women in the slums. I refer to them as water goddesses. Their courage in the face of what we Westerners consider unimaginable adversity was inspiring. On several occasions we found ourselves moved to tears.

The people of Indore were always welcoming  and generous no mater how much or how little they had themselves. I have fallen in love with them all.

 Indore children 
Our hope for the city of Indore and for all of India is that leaders will emerge and flourish in the citizenry, in the government and in the schools and communities. 

For, as I said earlier,  something big needs to be done. Water is life and, life itself is at stake in India. Water scarcity must be addressed today and everyday. 



Namaste,

Maria