The Initiative: Securing 100 Water Bodies - Concept Note

Securing 100 Water Bodies for Dignity, Equality, and Rights

As Part of the 100-Year Commemoration of Mahad Satyagraha (1927–2027)
World Revolution Day Initiative

Background

In 1927, Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar led the Mahad Satyagraha, asserting Dalits' right to access public water sources—a powerful act of defiance against caste-based untouchability. Mahad became a historic symbol of water as dignity, and access as a fundamental human right.

Today, a century later, caste discrimination, privatization, environmental degradation, and social exclusion still deny many communities fair access to clean and safe water.

 

The Initiative: Securing 100 Water Bodies

To carry forward the legacy of Mahad, we propose a nationwide initiative to secure, protect, and democratize access to 100 water bodies—ponds, tanks, rivers, wells, lakes—through community organizing, legal action, ecological restoration, and public mobilization.

Objectives

• Reclaim the symbolic and material power of water as a right, not a privilege.
  
  
• Build capacity among grassroots groups to protect local water bodies from pollution, encroachment, and exclusion.
  
  
• Empower communities—especially Dalits, Adivasis, women, and rural poor—to assert their rights to water and dignity.
  
  
• Use the campaign as a living tribute to the centenary of Mahad Satyagraha and Babasaheb's vision of equality.
  
  

Key Components

1. Training & Capacity Building

• 100 grassroots groups across India will receive structured training, mentorship, and legal guidance.
  
  
• Topics include:
  
  
• Water rights under Constitution & local laws
  
  
• Caste and gender justice in water access
  
  
• Ecological restoration and public health
  
  

2. Water Body Selection

• Each participating organization will identify one threatened or excluded water body in their region.
  
  
• Documentation, mapping, and stakeholder engagement will follow.
  
  

3. Community Planning & Action

• Local planning teams will develop and implement a strategy for:
  
  
• Legal access and protection
  
  
• Public clean-up drives
  
  
• Awareness campaigns (folk media, padayatras, etc.)
  
  
• Youth and women-led monitoring committees
  
  

4. National Network Building

• All 100 organizations will become part of a Water Justice Network for sharing learnings, solidarity, and support.
  
  
• Digital dashboard to track progress and outcomes
  
  

Participation Scope

• 100 Organizations across India
  
  
• Minimum 2 organizations per state/UT
  
  
• Diverse groups: Yuva Mandals, Mahila Mandals, Jayanti Mandals, NGOs, local movements
  
  
• Focus on communities historically excluded from water governance
  
  

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

 

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

 

Management & Monitoring

• National Campaign Coordination Team (5–7 members)
  
  
• Regional Mentoring Clusters (zonal coordinators)
  
  
• Local Community Anchors (org-level facilitators)
  
  
• Digital reporting, storytelling, and impact assessment tools
  
  

Long-Term Vision

This is not just a campaign—it is the reclaiming of Babasaheb’s water revolution. By 2027, we aim to have 100 documented water satyagrahas led by communities, with at least 100 water bodies secured for public and equitable use.

Every five years, during World Revolution Day, this network will report progress and renew its commitment to water justice and social transformation.

Call to Action

Let us unite water and justice.
Let us build a future where no one is denied dignity due to caste, gender, or class—starting from our rivers, wells, and tanks.

Celebrate Mahad by securing water.
Celebrate Ambedkar by securing rights.

Launch: March 20, 2027 — World Revolution Day
Campaign: #WaterIsDignity #Mahad100 #JalSamtaSatyagraha