Every drop matters

He single-handedly set an example for Mumbaikars about the most precious resource we have - water - by fixing plumbing issues in his residential area every Sunday. This weekend, cartoonist and environmentalist Aabid Surti is going to talk about water conservation techniques and why motivating kids to do so is key, while in conversation wi­th Saroj Choudhury and Samir Pasad.

It all started when the 83-year-old Surti tried to promote water conservation with the help of religion. "If you tell someone to grow tulsi, they won't listen. Tell them Lord Krishna says you should, and they will! Rishi munis used religion in a positive way, and so even I made posters using a water conservation quote by the Prophet and posted them in 40 to 50 mosques," Surti says. And the exercise paid off. A mullah later told him that the water usage at the mosque has come down from 80 per cent of the tank per day to 20 per cent. Surti also organised a "dance for water" event - where he invited a group of 25 to 30 kathak dancers to do a flash mob to support water conservation at public places.

Aabid Surti speaks to schoolchildren at Srinagar British School

And while he still walks around fixing leaking pipes in Mira Road, he has no plans to take it to the next level. "It's a one-man NGO. If we expand, I can't tell people 'if I can you can'. The message is that everyone should contribute something because there are so many problems. Do something about the declining number of sparrows. Don't sit idle," Surti elaborates. He's also hoping to curb the overflowing of tanks. "A solution could be to hire two men to drive around the neighbourhood to fine owners of overflowing tanks. This will pay for the fuel, plus two people will get jobs," Surti explains. And so, he's working on a movie script that talks ab­out how to revive dead rivers.

Known for creating the iconic character of Bahadur, Surti's other passion - being a cartoonist - now lies dormant. He explains, "I wanted to create comics on water conservation. But, it's not viable, as we don't get paid much. Comics are easily replaced on any page if an ad comes in! Earlier, there were comics like Phantom that were printed in regular serialisation. Now that is a concept that is lost. And movies based on comic-like characters that don't actually have a base in the comic world, never do well," Surti tells us.

On: February 3, 11 am to 3 pm
At: Worli Seaface.
Call: 7666586430
Cost: Rs 300

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