Water boy Chandan Nayal, a new hope for Uttarakhand to preserve and enhance underground water level and make our jungles green n cohesive
Keeping in view the increasing global warming, deforestation, environmental pollution, extraction of underground water through water motor pumps and other means on massive scale and other means with under ground water levels badly depleting etc the society require outstanding people with environmental awareness to save our environmentally degrading society, forests and lands suffering from widespread pollution, cutting of trees in the name of the so called anti environment friendly infrastructural development.
We have one such aware young boy of Uttarakhand who has given up doing job for his n family’s survival and instead completely involved himself in increasing the depleting underground water levels by digging hundreds of ponds inside forests n spare lands and planting trees n plants in large numbers to protect environment in Uttarakhand hills making them cohesive and more green.
His name is Chandan Nayal from Kumaun Uttarakhand.
Having been decorated with an outstanding honour as the Water Hero by the Union ministry of Water Resources in the year 2020,highly inspiring youthful Chandan Nayal’s name was also referred by the prime minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio talk MANN KI BAAT on 4 th December, 2020 including mentioning his outstanding contribution as environmental enlightened activists and rain water conservationist.
A highly dedicated soldier of environment protection Chandan Nayal after completing his studies in Poly technique instead of going for job prospects preferred to work in the field of environment having tremendous passion to see Uttarakhand’s hills, forests and agricultural fields prosperous and environmentally upgraded.
His passion was to dedicate himself fully towards the conservation of rain water, protection of forests and land of Uttarakhand.
Today with his ongoing efforts to protect the jungles, n enhancing the greenery of Uttarakhand by constructing hundreds of local ponds in jungles and spare lands to conserve the monsoon water as well as planting thousands of plants in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, there is greenary all around inspiring the present n future generation including increasing the underground water storage which is near depletion.
According to environment lover Chandan Singh Nayal he has so far dug three thousand ponds in the jungles n 12 hectares land of distant Okhalkanda in Nainital district. These ponds built at a distance of 50 to 100 metres will collect rainwater during the monsoons and recharge the underground water level which is expeditiously depleting said Chandan Nayal who has been acknowledging tremendous cooperation of the local populace in his mission to protect environment carried out since the last 16 years.
Strongly believing on improving the water level beneath our earth through rain water collection in self built ponds during monsoons and planting as much as plants we can to make our jungles more cohesive and environmentally healthy, Water Boy Chandan Nayal reveals that he and his fellow beings have till now planted Baanj trees ( Quercus Leocotricophora) in three hectares of forests, which are the main source of water conservation. These plants after they grow will create moisture in jungles leading to conserving n protecting diminishing water sources and jungles becoming more n more green by the emergence of green vegetation. In addition to this, the trees of Cheed which are the major source of spreading jungle fires will be discouraged to inflame the future jungle fires by planting of more and more Baanj trees which create moisture in abundance keeping the jungles wet.
This will also lead to underground n overground water preservation n conservation which gets badly and adversely affected during massive jungle fires of Uttarakhand said Chandan Nayal.
Sunil Negi , president, Uttarakhand Journalists Forum
