Detailed Plan: Securing 100 Water Bodies

Detailed Plan: Securing 100 Water Bodies

Celebrating 100 Years of the Mahad Satyagraha (1927–2027)

A Nationwide Campaign for Dignity, Water Justice & Human Rights

 

1. Background & Justification

The Mahad Satyagraha, led by Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in 1927, was not merely a protest to access water—it was a revolutionary assertion of equality, dignity, and human rights. Today, access to clean, safe, and inclusive water continues to be denied to large sections of India’s marginalized communities due to casteism, privatization, neglect, and ecological collapse.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Mahad Satyagraha, this campaign proposes to reclaim 100 public water bodies—symbolically and practically—for the people who are most excluded from them.

2. Core Objectives

1. Secure 100 water bodies for community access and usage, especially in historically marginalized areas.
   
   
2. Build capacities of 100 grassroots organizations (at least 2 from each state/UT) to lead water justice efforts.
   
   
3. Promote community-driven water governance with special emphasis on Dalit, Adivasi, Bahujan, Women, and LGBTQ+ participation.
   
   
4. Connect the campaign with Babasaheb Ambedkar’s philosophy of dignity, rights, and the annihilation of caste.
   
   

3. Key Components & Strategy

A. Selection & Onboarding (Aug–Dec 2026)

• Identify and onboard 100 grassroots organizations, youth mandals, women mandals, and Jayanti Mandals, ensuring diversity.
  
  
• Criteria:
  
  
• Grassroots reach and credibility
  
  
• Presence in water-stressed or exclusion-affected regions
  
  
• Commitment to Ambedkarite values
  
  
• Create regional clusters (5 zones) for coordination and mentoring.
  
  

B. Training, Mentoring, and Visioning (Jan–Sep 2027)

3-Stage Training Program:

1. Understanding Water & Rights
   
   
• History of Mahad Satyagraha
  
  
• Legal and constitutional rights to water
  
  
• Environmental and caste-based exclusion
  
  
2. Planning & Participatory Mapping
   
   
• Identify a local water body (pond, well, river, tank)
  
  
• Map land use, access, ownership, ecological status
  
  
• Identify barriers to community access (social, legal, physical)
  
  
3. Action Planning & Campaigning
   
   
• Design local action plan for securing access and rights
  
  
• Form community committees and monitoring teams
  
  
• Prepare legal documentation and media materials
  
  

Workshops to be held regionally with experts, lawyers, environmentalists, and community organizers.

C. Field Implementation & Local Campaigns (Oct 2027–Mar 2028)

Each participating organization will:

• Launch local Satyagraha-style campaigns to:
  
  
• Reclaim rights to access
  
  
• Restore cleanliness and sustainability
  
  
• Prevent privatization or caste-based exclusion
  
  
• Conduct public meetings, Dalit Mahila Jal Sabhas, street plays, legal clinics
  
  
• Form youth and women-led monitoring bodies to ensure continued access
  
  
• Collaborate with local governments where possible
  
  

D. National Documentation & Digital Dashboard

• All water bodies geo-tagged with photos, maps, and stories
  
  
• Upload case studies and progress reports on a centralized digital platform
  
  
• Weekly updates tracked across 100 sites
  
  
• Prepare and publish “Water Justice Report 2027”
  
  

4. Campaign Structure

Level	Role
National Coordination Committee	Strategy, fundraising, evaluation, media
Zonal Clusters (North, South, East, West, NE)	Regional trainings and mentoring
100 Local Anchors	One per org; lead community action
Community Committees	Inclusive local teams managing the water body effort

 

5. Timeline (2026–2028)

   Phase	Period	Key Activities
   Phase 1	Aug–Dec 2026	Selection of orgs, training module design
   Phase 2	Jan–Sep 2027	Training, mentoring, local planning
   Phase 3	Oct 2027–Mar 2028	Local action campaigns begin
   Launch	March 20, 2027	World Revolution Day Celebration: Stories from 100 Water Satyagrahas shared with the nation

6. Budget (Outline)

   Component	Estimated Cost
   Training & Mentoring (100 orgs)	₹30,00,000
   Documentation & Legal Aid	₹15,00,000
   Awareness Campaigns & Events	₹25,00,000
   Community Toolkits & Materials	₹10,00,000
   National Dashboard & Reporting	₹5,00,000
   Total Estimate	₹85,00,000

    

7. Impact Metrics

• 100 Water Bodies reclaimed or under protection
  
  
• Over 1,000 community volunteers trained
  
  
• Over 10,000 local people directly participating
  
  
• At least 30% women and youth leadership in each site
  
  
• 100 documented stories of resistance and change
  
  

8. Outcome & Legacy

This campaign aims to:

• Reclaim access to water as a constitutional and human right
  
  
• Build leadership in the grassroots, rooted in Ambedkarite vision
  
  
• Create a network of community water defenders across India
  
  
• Launch a five-year cycle of water justice organizing with progress reports every World Revolution Day
  
  

9. Launch on World Revolution Day – March 20, 2027

The campaign will culminate in a national celebration at Mahad on the 100th anniversary of the Mahad Satyagraha:

• Stories from the 100 sites presented on stage and online
  
  
• Youth and women from each state recognized
  
  
• “Water is Dignity” declaration released to the nation
  
  

10. Join the Campaign

Let us make water a tool for dignity once again.
Let us celebrate Mahad not just by remembering—but by acting.

#WaterIsDignity | #Mahad100 | #SamtaSatyagraha | #JalAndolan