Water, an ultimate natural resource is also a reason for the existence of life on earth; certainly it brought a substantial development and prosperity.

But this (not-so-sudden) environmental change due to exploitation of natural resources including water is pretty worrisome. Many parts of world including Rajasthan are facing lack of water since years which resulting into a poor standard of life and social backwardness, whilst economical development in India is going high every day.

That was the base of Dr. Nicholas Grey’s lecture “Development and Poverty in a changing India” at Vidhya Bhavan Auditorium yesterday.

And Professor Mary Grey in her lecture “Development as the Road to Peace with Justice” explained that, “No human race or society can flourish without giving values and respect for each others. Many states and countries of world are lesson of examples.

Like Rwanda- for its genocides in 1994, Palestine and Israel dispute, war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bosnia, Northern Ireland and many other. Every development strategy will surely fail if the social values were ignored; the rulers and governments often misunderstood this, resulting in downfall”.

Wells for India is a U.K based organization founded by the Grey couple Dr. Nicholas and his wife Professor. Mary Grey, they are working in Rajasthan’s Thar and Aravalli areas to provide water to the poorest people since the year 1987. Their first project was started in Dudu village where Mr. Ramsahai Purohit from Dudu is one who helped Grey couple to get in touch from the conditions of villagers.

In last 27 years, with the dedication of Wells for India, 1 million people got helped in 903 villages.

While the core mission is providing water to the people of rural Rajasthan, Wells for India is also adhered to help people with basic education, health and livelihood.

Both Mary and Nicholas Grey are concerned with four most important social affairs i.e. Human Rights, Justice, Ecology and Equality.

Their views are clear and straight. Water is very precious and we are rapidly losing it, and the condition in India is more dangerous because of varied climatic conditions and improper rainfalls. Although the development process of world looks unstoppable but they are ignoring this dark side of coin. Professor Mary said that “Indians should not copy WEST in terms of using water, western and European countries are still getting good rain but India has different story”

If we talk about Mewar, precisely in Kotra block of Udaipur then 60% of families have their annual income less than Rs. 10,000. This is due to lack of rain which followed by dozens of health outbreaks like malnutrition etc and social imbalance.

5000 children die every day in India due to malnutrition.

If we talk about Govt. run development projects and funds then it’s not so shocking to know that only 15% of government money allotted reaches the village and that too poorly spent.

There are many such statistics hidden in government files because no one is concerned about it, few like Mary and Nicholas Grey are exceptional.

Every life has an equal right to live with all basic needs. But there should also be a bigger space for human mores and their belief. Water is the only reason why some of world’s most important civilizations developed on the banks of river Nile, Tigris and Indus.

Wells for India is trying to make better living standards by helping people and government by teaching different techniques of water harvesting, water recycling and sewerage system.

To know more about Wells For India, check their website wellsforindia.org