Shekhar Kapur supports water conservation
Mumbai : Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has come out in full support to raise the bar on global and water conservation in India.
He joined hands with leading bathroom brand Roca to announce the launch of the ?We Are Water Foundation? at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai on Tuesday.
The launch co-incides with the global launch simultaneously in twenty countries including in Sao Paulo (Brazil), Paris (France), Shanghai (China), Moscow (Russia), Beirut (Lebanon), London (United Kingdom) and many others.
The ?We Are Water Foundation? will promote awareness and debate amongst the public and organizations on the need to create a new culture of water, to permit the fair development and sustainable management of the world?s water resources, in addition to supporting various cooperation projects in collaboration with NGOs and other bodies.
The launch event was attended by Emilio Salazar, Managing Director, Roca Bathroom Products Pvt Ltd; Mr. Don Antonio Bullon, Consul General of Spain; & TV Chalapathi, Director of the Vincente Ferrer Foundation (VFF) who shared their perspective in support of this increasingly important cause.
In India, the Foundation has partnered with VFF to construct a reservoir with a capacity of 80,000 m3 in India?s second lowest rainfall district in Anantpur,in the outskirts of the town of Ganjikunta.
This reservoir will store water and regenerate underground tanks that supply water to the area?s wells. This will benefit the agricultural and livestock activities of Ganjikunta?s inhabitants.
At the function the Foundation also screened its first initiative, a landmark documentary, ?Aral: the Lost Sea,? directed by the prestigious filmmaker Isabel Coixet, with participation by Sir Ben Kingsley and Tim Robbins. The film has already recently been presented at San Sebastian International Film Festival in September.
The documentary is the first activity sponsored by We Are Water Foundation and narrates the dramatic drying out of the Aral Sea, one of the greatest ecological disasters ever. This documentary film initiative represents the collaborative effort of the We Are Water with artists (filmmakers, singers, actors, etc) and NGO?s which share the same interests to raise the consciousness on water issues around the world.
Speaking on the occasion, Emilio Salazar Noguera, Managing Director, Roca India, said, ?We Are Water Foundation is a part of our commitment to sustainability and with communities most affected by the lack of water and its consequences.?
As per the The Second World Water Development Report published by UN in 2008, 1,100 million people do not have access to an adequate water supply. The UN also pointed out the need for coordinated action between the 360 humanitarian organizations ?including those of the UN and NGOs? currently helping the most vulnerable and deprived areas of society.
It is said that management of water resources will provoke one of the 21st century?s greatest social conflicts. Reliable data from UNESCO indicates that, by 2025, demand for water will be 56% above its supply. In view, of the urgency to meet this challenge and play a key role in defining solutions, the launch of the We Are Water Foundation is a step in this direction.