Nothing is insignificant in Mother Nature's scheme of things

Good Morning!

If trees spoke a language that humans understood - Ranjan Panda

शोला था जल-बुझा हूँ हवायें मुझे न दो 

मैं कब का जा चुका हूँ सदायें मुझे न दो

जो ज़हर पी चुका हूँ तुम्हीं ने मुझे दिया 

अब तुम तो ज़िन्दगी की दुआयें मुझे न दो...

(Ahmed Faraz)

Our freedom of movement vrs that of the Rivers - A thought by Ranjan Panda

Friendship Day Thought - 5th August 2018: Ranjan Panda

A real friend is like Mother Nature who stays with you forever, bears all your nonsensical attitudes & acts, but can punish you with disastrous consequences when you cross your limits of abusing her. Then, most importantly, helps you cope and rebuild after you have learnt the lesson...

Happy Friendship Day!

Thoughts on World Toilet Day - 2015 (19th November)

Happy Dhanteras!

What's human race in short? Read my today's thought!

Have roads brought distributive justice and decentralized development?

I have always been arguing how expansion of road network has actually not benefitted the interiors of our country. Yesterday in a live TV debate on the Cuttack child death issue, a doctor argued how it was not possible for doctors to stay in village areas and serve poor people. To justify his stance he said thousands of crores have been spent in KBK but roads have not improved to the level which can make doctors stay in that poor region. He also mentioned about other infrastructures but road was what he emphasised upon so forcefully. In reality however roads have improved a lot in KBK region and many places in Odisha. Haven't they?

Quick was a senior social activist in giving the doc a reality check. Participating in that show, she pointed out, "in fact doctors stayed in rural areas more when there was no infrastructure, we have seen in our childhood days." How true.

Truth is no amount of infrastructure can take good doctors to rural areas any more. Lucrative private practices are all there in cities. Cities are where money is. All roads are built to bring resources, both ecological and human, from rural areas to enrich cities. The Smart Cities will accelerate this trend of exploitation further if our planners keep discriminating against rural areas.

We will always see infants in critical conditions being brought from rural areas to cities but will hardly see facilities getting decentralised.

Time to reflect, have roads really brought prosperity?

Good Morning Thought - 26th August 2015!

|| बेहता रहा हूँ, बेहता ही रहा हूँ ||

बेहता रहा हूँ, बेहता ही रहा हूँ

कभी खामोश रह कर , कभी गुनगुनाते हुए

कभी अकेले तो कभी तेरे साथ ये हमसफ़र...

बेहता रहा हूँ, बेहता ही रहा हूँ

कभी पथरीले राहों पे , कभी रेत की गर्मियों पर

कभी फिर उन हरी जंगलों के रस्ते...

बेहता रहा हूँ, बेहता ही रहा हूँ

इन वादियों से लिपटे हुए उन बर्फीले पहाड़ियों के आँचल से 

उन पहाड़ियों के किनारे बहती हुई नदियों के धारो पर...

बेहता रहा हूँ, बेहता ही रहा हूँ

उन झरनो से सटी पेड़ों की तरुओं से

उन झाड़ियों के पत्तो से...

बेहता रहा हूँ, बेहता ही रहा हूँ

इन बागों के बहारों से 

इन खेत खलियानों से...

बेहता रहा हूँ, बेहता ही रहा हूँ!

सुप्रभात!!

======================

Ranjan Panda

Convenor, Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO)

Convenor, Combat Climate Change Network, India

Mahanadi River Waterkeeper (Member, Global Waterkeeper Alliance)

Mob: +91-9437050103

Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com

Greetings on World Photography Day 2015!

A photograph can be read much better than words, you can have many interpretations of one photograph...

Greetings on World Photography Day 2015!

Happy Independence Day 2015 to Fellow Indians!

From water abundance to water scarcity;

From free flowing pure Rivers to dammed and polluted Rivers;

From fearless plunge into a water body to fear of getting unhealthy just by touch of it;

From free water to bottled water;

From demanding water sovereignty to dismantling public control over water....

The 68 year long journey has been from that of seeking water security as a matter of natural Right to that of a fight for Right to Water!

Let's pledge this Independence Day to work towards water security and sovereignty for all of us humans and other species....

Let's also seek Right for the Rivers to flow freely and clean...

Let's pledge to protect all our water bodies and create more of them...

Happy Independence Day 2015!

======= 

Ranjan Panda

Convenor, Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO)

Convenor, Combat Climate Change Network, India

Mahanadi River Waterkeeper (Member, Global Waterkeeper Alliance, New York)

Mob: +91-9437050103

Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com

Skype: ranjan.climatecrusader

Tweet @ranjanpanda

Tweet @MahanadiRiver

Good Morning Thought - 10th August 2015!

From among the people whom you have helped in life, the truthful ones will always recognise your efforts. The rest should be reason enough to strengthen your determination to help more people...

Good Morning!

===========

Ranjan Panda

Sunday Morning Thought - 9th August 2015!

The River has no ego. It flows generously to support all in its path. While helping, it doesn't distinguish between the people who obstruct it and those who let it flow...

Good Morning!

Have a Superb Sunday!!

========

Ranjan Panda

Good Morning Thought - 1st August 2015!

Do you know when 1 minus 99 = Zero? I am sure you have come across situations when you felt a close one forgot about all the 99 times you helped him/her just because you couldn't help on one occasion. You need not worry about it nor should stop helping people. Be what you are...

Good Morning!

Have a Great Weekend!!

Good Morning Thought - 31st July 2015!

यह बादल से ना पूछो, के वोह किस मौसम में खुश है !

जहाँ धूप ना हो, वहां उसका वजूद नहीं, और जब न बरसे तो उसकी कोई पेहेचान नहीं...

गर पूछना है तो धरती से पूछो, और पूछो उस मोर से !

बिन बादल के बरस जाये, तो सब खुश है...

सुप्रभात !

========

Ranjan Panda

Convenor, Water Initiatives Odisha

Mahanadi River Waterkeeper (Member, Global Waterkeeper Alliance)

Mob: +91-94370-50103

Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com

Sunday Morning Thought - 25th July 2015!

Observe the monsoons closely and you will realise how Rain and Earth are in an affaire de coeur to bring happiness and prosperity to you and me...

Good Morning!

Have a Lovely Weekend!!

Happy World Environment Day 2015!

If we can produce Three Earths by 2050, we can continue the way we are pursuing ‘progress.’  If not, let’s live a life that keeps alive the only Earth we have…

Let’s make this promise on World Environment Day 2015!

Ranjan Panda

Water Initiatives Odisha

Combat Climate Change Network, India

Mahanadi River Waterkeeper(Member, Global Waterkeeper Alliance)

Thought on Women's Day - 8th March 2015!

Each woman is a woman of substance, the creator's representative on earth. Respect her if you respect life...

Happy Women's Day!

Good Morning Thought - 7th March 2015!

Blind faith not only kills whatever reasoning ability one is gifted with, but also takes away the sense of judgement...

Good Morning!

Have a Great Weekend!!

Good Morning Thought - 5th March 2015!

A typical Indian family grows the girl child with the sole objective of handing her to another family at marriage. 'She now belongs to you,' say the bride's family to the groom's as if a property is transferring hands. Marriage as an institution needs a lot of reforms if we are serious about empowering women...

Good Morning!