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.