We are all aware that water crisis is an ongoing issue for all of us. Most of us think water come from dams, canals and tanks. Whereas the reality is that water comes from forests and only forests make rain and store freshwater that feeds streams and rivers. One needs to seed the soil, not seed the clouds. A film has a greater reach and therefore couldn’t be a more effective way to convey a message and remind all of us about its importance.

Where forests grow, rivers flow. And when forests die, rivers go dry. Itʼs that simple. And that difficult. Aptly titled “The Story of Kaveri (and every river, everywhere)”, a film created by reforestindia and cycle Agarbathies has gone viral, for its impeccable timing and relevance, with the limited water resources running dry, the world over.

‘Part mythology and part ecology, this is a universal message of peace and hope. It doesnʼt matter if you havenʼt heard of the Kaveri river. What matters is that the story is true for all rivers, and fresh water bodies, everywhere. The problem is the same. The solution is also the same.” says Arjun Ranga, MD, Cycle Agarbathies.

The film narrative brings to life an Indian mythological tale of a demon who created drought and wrought water wars. The people dying of thirst are saved by a mother goddess who descends on earth in the form of river. The story, like the state of the river in todaʼs times, takes an ugly dystopian turn and portrays the futility of fighting over a dying river. The poignant film lets the viewer decide how the story ends by placing the fate of the river in the viewerʼs hands.

“Freshwater cannot be created by dams and bottling plants. Nor can it be created by wars and bloodshed. All freshwater on earth comes from forests. If we want our children and their children to enjoy freshwater like we did, then we have to stop the deforestation and start reforestation. There is no other way. This is the only, truly sustainable solution for a water secure future.”, says, Vinod Eshwer, the scriptwriter of the film and trustee of ReforestIndia.

“The good news is that itʼs not too late yet. We can still bring back the forests, and bring back the freshwater, one tree at a time. A local solution to the worldʼs most pressing problem.“, says Janet Yegneswaran, President, reforestindia.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/KAvtWcj1kuM