Human statues to stand tall for water

On Friday —International Water Day — 25 corners of the city will witness a unique sight as volunteers posing as statues will stand numb in a bid to depict people experiencing water scarcity and create awareness on the issue, Ritam Halder reports.

On Friday —International Water Day — 25 corners of the city will witness a unique sight as volunteers posing as statues will stand numb in a bid to depict people experiencing water scarcity and create awareness on the issue.

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Organised by the Forum for Organised Resource Conservation and Enhancement (FORCE), along with United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan and Plan India, the event will be flagged off by chief minister Sheila Dikshit from her residence.

The volunteers will stand at various points, including Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Kashmere Gate, Vishwavidyalaya, Chattarpur, AIIMS and Kailash Colony Metro stations, Ryan School Vasant Kunj, Mandakini Enclave Alakananda, India Habitat Centre (Gate 3), Delhi Secretariat, Jantar Mantar and Lodhi Garden.

According to the organisers, the 25 male and female statues will sport four looks — Rajasthani woman with an empty pot, slum dweller with an empty bucket, a farmer with a sickle and a help washing vessels.

“Each of them will depict a facet of water. They will have a ‘kalash’ and a ‘keep your promise to save water, share water’ petition. Prizes and public acknowledgment will be given to the human statues that fetch maximum support (as signatures on petition) for the cause,” one of the organisers said.

She said politicians, industry and civil society organisations had all promised targeted interventions at high-profile national and international forums to make safe water available. Now, it is high time to reflect whether these promises have been kept, she added.

Titled STOP, THINK….WALK FOR WATER 2013, this event has a second segment in which a brainstorming session —WASH Café — will be organised at Maple Hall, India Habitat Centre.