While many NGOs employ participatory approaches, Tarun Bharat Sangh stands out for its ability to engage even the most challenging communities, including former bandits to work on water conservation.
Bastiaan Mohrmann is a multidisciplinary specialist and thought leader at the intersection of water resources, agriculture, sustainability (ESG), and finance. Since 1992, he has been working on various projects in India, initially with the IFC (World Bank Group) and later on promoting technological and ecological innovations for smallholder farmers and rural landscapes in India, focusing on agro-water sustainability. In these 32 years, he has embraced Indian culture and its love for food. An independent Board member of Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. since 2019, and a long time associate of Rajendra Singh’s NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), Mohrmann was in Delhi last week in connection with his ongoing projects on creating water bodies and rejuvenation of rivers in the Chambal Valley.
Mohrmann talked to Neelam Gupta, a senior journalist known for her coverage of rural development, on how the West has lost connection with nature; how India is central to the emerging spiritual revival in the West and the era of blue revolution in the agriculture sector. He warned that if technology is not improved, farming around the world may dwindle. More importantly, he said it’s time that rural communities set the development agenda instead of the government. He used the example of TBS extensively and explained why its model of creating water bodies should be replicated, not only in India but in other countries as well. Following are the excerpts of the interview:
by Neelam Gupta
19/06/2024
What is Tarun Bharat Sangh and water conservation? // How Tarun Bharat Sangh helps people?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eXXYj59yUQ
23/06/2024