Rally For Rivers: An Awareness Campaign to Save Our Rivers

In Indian culture, rivers are not just seen as water bodies but are a dynamic and significant part of the nation’s identity. Yet, Indian rivers are polluted and are drying up at a rapid rate which is a big concern environmentally.

“A river is a river, how is it a goddess?” If you lock up such a person in a room without giving him water for three days and then show him a glass of water, he will bow down to it – not to a river, just a glass of water! What we call water, air, food and the earth that we walk upon are not commodities. We never saw rivers as just geographical happenings. We always saw them as life-making material because over 70% of our body itself is water. Whenever we look for life, we look for a drop of water first!” Sadhguru.

To raise awareness about the rivers in the country, Indian citizens – youth, homemakers, businessmen, celebrities, and social and government leaders – are coming together to Rally for Rivers. This is a nationwide movement to revive India’s dying rivers.

Rally for Rivers is a nation-wide campaign of Isha Foundation to save rivers in the country and would see founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev himself travel about 7,000 km from Kanyakumari, covering 16 states to create awareness on the issue.

This is not a protest. This is not an agitation. This is a campaign to raise awareness that our rivers are depleting. Everyone who consumes water must Rally For Rivers,” Sadhguru.

A 'Rally for Rivers' mass awareness event will take place in over 60 cities across India on September 1. Lakhs of people, sporting “Rally for Rivers” t-shirts, placards, headgear, and stickers, will come together at popular locations in their respective cities.

Three Reasons for this campaign:

1) Make everyone aware of the crisis our rivers are facing

2) Create awareness among all sections of society about the need to Rally for Rivers

3) Garner public support and momentum for the government to implement a positive river policy

People were encouraged to hold or display a ‘Rally For River’ prop between 8:00 am and 11:00 am on September 1. The rally will be flagged off on September 3 and will conclude at Delhi on October 2.

It is a good cause to support and India needs to prioritise protecting the environment.