Walk to raise awareness on rainwater harvesting

PUNE: Lok Biradari Mitramandal Pune would organize a four-kilometre rainwalk on July 17 to raise awareness about the need and benefits of rainwater harvesting.
The association is the city unit of Prakash and Mandatai Amte's Lok Biradari Prakalp and has about 100 volunteers working in its support. Lok Biradari Mitramandal Pune is a set of about 100 volunteers working in support of the "Lok Biradari Prakalp, Hemalkasa"."We have around 80 to 100 people in our team of volunteers.Around half our volunteers are youngsters and students. Our focus is on students because they can inform more people about issues related to rainwater harvesting," said Yogesh Kulkarni, one of the organizers, while addressing a news conference here on Friday.
In their effort to reach out to students, the organizers have partnered with the Deccan Education Society (DES), which runs several colleges and schools in the city including the Fergusson College. They hope the partnership will draw in a large participation.
The rainwalk will start early morning from the New English School on Tilak Road and end there as well after follow a nearly four kilometre route passing through Alka Talkies, FC Road, and back to the starting point through JM Road and Deccan Gymkhana. The city's traffic department has granted permissions for the same.have been taken from the city's traffic department.
"Besides, we have also applied for permission to perform skits and road shows along the route of the rally. There shall be skits about the water harvesting issue at the start and end points," said Shilpa Tambe, of the Lok Biradari Prakalp's city chapter.
Housing societies will also be a major focus of the rally since the organizers believe that they have a great capacity for rainwater harvesting.