Asserting a river's right to flow

Jeeva Nadi, a dance-drama recently performed in Bengaluru, depicted the impact of environmental degradation on rivers. Photos by special arrangement

Jeeva Nadi, a dance-drama recently performed in Bengaluru, depicted the impact of environmental degradation on rivers. Photos by special arrangement

Jeeva Nadi, a dance-drama recently performed in Bengaluru, depicted the impact of environmental degradation on rivers. Photos by special arrangement

Jeeva Nadi, a dance-drama recently performed in Bengaluru, depicted the impact of environmental degradation on rivers. Photos by special arrangement

In July 2019, Bangladesh was in the news for being the first country to grant its rivers the same legal status as humans — this meant that rivers would henceforth be treated in the court as living beings and enjoy the rights that come with such recognition. What, then, are the rights of a river?

Have these rights been respected in the history of the numerous rivers that run across our own country?

These are questions that the team behind Jeeva Nadhi sought to answer through the medium of dance-drama. The production was screened recently in Bengaluru, and found great support for its emphasis on the oft-ignored rights of rivers. Conceptualised and organised by the Bangalore Environment Trust, this performance drew from classical dance forms like Kuchipudi, to express contemporary concerns of environmental degradation and sustainable development.

Explaining why art forms provide such an excellent avenue in spreading the word about social and ecological issues, the director of the dance-drama, Veena Murthy, said that art, culture and the environment have always been fused together.

“We are the ones who have been creating a separation between the natural and the artistic, all in the name of development. The amalgamation of art and nature is the very reason we are here today,” she said.

Jeeva Nadhi directly translates to “living waters” or “lifeline” and depicts the stories of rivers the Tunga and the Bhadra by personifying them and following their journey across the land.

As the story progresses, there is a dialogue between these two characters that represents the destructive impact of development and industrialisation initiatives on Karnataka’s rivers.

Ecologists believe that the primary right of a river is for it to be allowed to flow freely.

A N Yellapa Reddy, the Chairman of the Bangalore Environment Trust, agrees. “It is extremely sad to see the state of our great rivers today. We have disrupted the flow of these powerful elements of Mother Nature through irrigation, deforestation and construction.”

One of the most common hindrances to the free flow of rivers is the building of dams.

“By allowing deforestation and mining in our state, we have completely destroyed the catchment areas. Furthermore, when we build a dam or irrigation systems, water is redirected to another area. These structures have not been maintained as well. Look at the silt formation in the Tungabhadra Dam,” he says.

In building dams and other infrastructure projects, the catchment areas of rivers are destroyed. When a catchment area is destroyed, it also leads to the depletion of groundwater.

As a result of destruction of these natural catchment areas, despite the extensive development and irrigation projects undertaken, even people living in water-affluent regions no longer have water security.

In this way, the harmful effects of denying a river of its rights are manifold. It impacts biodiversity, climate change, soil health and water and food security.

He mused, “We have become so focused on economic growth that we are working on that at the cost of the rivers’ rights. In such a system, there is no place for an ecologist, an academic, or even a river. This is the story we need to tell.”

Yet, despite the dire situation of the state’s rivers, Reddy does believe there is still some hope. “I am sure that even as we create awareness, the younger generation will step up and champion the cause to protect our rivers. They have already developed the power to question and express themselves to decision-makers.”

Veena echoes this sentiment. “In addition to the audience being touched and inspired to take action, we also saw our 25 young dancers transform over the course of this production. They felt the pain of the waters, and have become crusaders who will speak up and take the voice of the rivers forward,” she said.

The Bangalore Environment Trust hopes to stage the dance-drama in communities living near catchment areas to raise awareness about water security and the rights of rivers.