Yamuna River: a confluence of waters, a crisis of need TERI University, Delhi 3-4 January 2011 Preamble Coming together

as scientists, religious leaders, academics, and concerned participants, we acknowledge the current state of the Yamuna River as unacceptable and in need of attention, research, action, and compassion. This workshop has been preceded by significant gatherings of governmental, professional, social, and spiritual leaders, who have similarly assessed the diminished state of the Yamuna. Many have called for central planning and professional engineering, whereas we have opted to explore interdisciplinary knowledge and moral responsibility to restore and to protect the river. Noting these earlier professional gatherings, we have decided to make our own modest contribution in the form of a dialogue of religious leaders and scientists assembled near the Yamuna River at TERI University in Delhi. By focusing on the Yamuna River, we in no way intend to turn away from the problems of other rivers in India. Nor do we, in any way, stress the spiritual, social, and cultural significance of one river over other rivers. Rather, we have gathered as an inter-disciplinary group committed to conservation of the precious resourcewater. We have reflected on the shared perspective of wonder and awe that provides a ground for dialogue among scientists, religious leaders, humanists, and concerned participants of this workshop. We have discussed current conditions of the Yamuna River, the roles of inter-disciplinary and values-based approaches in water management, conservation and preservation, as well as what research projects and educational and conservation projects might assist us as we go forward. In our discussions, we have come to the firm understanding that a segmented view of the Yamuna River, based on its oxygen depletion, pollution load or eutrophication is problematic and misleading. Rather, these issues are the integrated problem of the Yamuna River. The key phrases here are segmented view and integrated problem. It is our understanding that the Yamuna River has been viewed in a segmented

way by planning agencies according to its oxygen depletion, pollution load, and/or eutrophication. In our discussions, we have questioned this type of segmented view, considering if it misses or makes secondary the holistic, integrated character of the Yamuna River. A way, and not the only way, to that holistic, integrated perspective may be found in cultural religious perspectives. It may be, then, that we can speak of different cultural expressions of religiosity along the river, or of distinct ecosystems, or of disparate biotic communities, just as we discuss damned waters and engineered projects that channel river waters for utilitarian agendas. All of these differences have historical gravity, but they all relate to one river whose life is imperiled throughout. Simultaneously, we ponder the paradoxical questions of how a river of lovewhose very religious function has been to bring devotees' minds out of samsara to reveal reality as the Belovedcould become so defiled. We wondered if the pollution of the Yamuna River might be a way for devotees to come to encounter the contemporary lila, the dance of the divine in an environmental context. Thus, the pollution, which might be traditionally viewed as samsara, can also be encountered, resisted, and restored (re-storied) through another type of devotional dance or lila, namely, environmental engagement, as the Beloved. Recognizing that water is essential for life, that agricultural sovereignty is crucial for India, and that Mother Yamuna is more than a resource to be misused, we have entered into this inter-disciplinary dialogue with the hope that the Yamuna River can be first restored and then sustained. With this in mind we are have committed to the following. 1) Foster ongoing scientific research at TERI and Yale Universities that increase our understanding of the hydrological, biological, and ecological dynamics of the Yamuna River. This information should be intentionally shared across inter-disciplinary boundaries to promote an understanding of the inherent value of the river. For example, what scientific research assists agricultural water usage to increase the amount of flow in the Yamuna River, and draw down the pesticide, insecticide, and fertilizer load returned to the river. How can scientific inquiry and the religious quest work together to improve the quality of the river ecosystem, and thereby that of human life that depends on it?

2) Promote local educational and conservation projects in religious settings that would deepen the understanding of local communities of the relationships between human waste, industrial pollution, and reduced river flow. What religious practices and concepts can educate practitioners to store rainwater, conserve water, and restore the river? 3) Continue this process of engaging in dialogue between diverse communities along the Yamuna River so that voices, projects, and aspirations might be articulated regarding scientific research and religious education on water usage and water ethics. 4) Consider how we might draw into our gatherings the regulatory and water law communities, so that these interdisciplinary and values-based discussions might have policy implications. We remain convinced that inter-disciplinary discussions, bringing together scientific, policy, religious, and humanities perspectives, would help move discussions beyond cynical dismissals and reach out toward creative possibilities even for the derailed Yamuna Action Plan. 5) Thinking through the implications of climate change on the Yamuna River for the human and biotic communities.