The upper classes have taps at home. But a majority of the population is dependent on community taps. Population increase due to rural migrants has resulted in a higher demand for water. This set of a chain of reactions.

Juxtapose this with the unique interplay of caste-religion equation in this little town. It’s an open secret that Bhagalpur is a violently communal and feudal society, and historical wounds still define socio-economic equations. Earlier, different communities lived in ghettos and community taps served their purpose. Growing urbanization led by influx of rural migrants has “diluted” these ghettos. The queues at community taps became longer and tempers flared over controlling the taps. Hindus and Upper Castes wouldn’t let Muslims and Lower Castes touch the community taps and vice versa. Powerful communities installed locks on taps. The weaker communities retaliated by breaking pipes and taps thus disrupting water supply. The city was full of puddles with water leaking from broken pipes creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes resulting in diseases. The conflict’s intensity is reflected in the District Court grappling with 2500 cases of violence related to community taps. To worsen matters, a local water mafia emerged to fulfil demand.

In a communally charged atmosphere, even water was enough to ignite a fire.

As a newspaper brand, we had to address not only the water issue, but also inspire communities to live on harmony.

As a solution, we created a large Water Piggy Bank and went door to door asking people across communities to donate water. This water was redistributed to underprivileged and outcastes with no access to water. The message communicated was “Water has no caste, religion or colour, it can quench anybody’s thirst irrespective of his position in the social order”

- SPREADING HARMONY: We created a large Water Piggy Bank and went door to door asking people across communities to donate water. This water was redistributed to underprivileged and outcastes with no access to water.

- EDITORIAL ACTION : We mainstreamed the issue and created awareness on the rampant corruption, water mafia and shook up authorities.

- AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ON GROUND: We collaborated with an NGO to fix broken pipes and installed new taps.

- APPOINTED 275 WATER GUARDIANS to protect the tap post installation.

- WATER BELL: Hourly workshop in schools on saving water.

- 24 STREET THEATRES organized to stop communal fights over water

- 30,000 PEOPLE PLEDGED to conserve water

- PROMOTION through Radio, Outdoor, Print, Bike Rallies, Morning walks

- 10,000 students participated in painting competition on Water Conservation

- 4000 people participated in Public Awareness rallies

- Organized 10 Seminars with experts

WINNING THE BATTLE FOR THE CITY

- Installed 450 public water supply taps saving 4.5mn litres of water/day

- Replaced 10,324 residential taps saving 0.5 mn litres of water/day

- Replaced 540 taps at Public Drinking places saving 54,000 litres of water/day

- Overall, 5mn litres of water/day was saved. Conservatively, the economic impact of this works out to saving INR 9bn per year

- 7000 litres of water was distributed to the underprivileged and outcastes who had no access to water

AFFIRMATIVE GOVERNMENT ACTION

- Government conducted raids on illegal water bottling plants

- Action taken against 17 unauthorized car washing centres each of which used about 10,000 litres of water every day

- Action taken against people with unauthorized water connections

- Water samples being tested at all ice making factories

WINNING FOR THE BRAND

- Dainik Jagran retained its No.1 position in Bhagalpur District circulation

Violence is never a solution – not even in a communally charged land where the archaic jungle law of “might is right” prevailed.

The district court grappled with over 2500 cases of water related violence.

Protests reached their zenith with people out on streets.

With the community at loggerheads with each other, there was widespread angst.

In an almost anarchic situation, we had to lead the fight for water, we had to set the agenda on communal harmony, and become a co-conspirator in people’s fight to get a basic necessity of life.

Thirst knows no divisions of caste and religion, wand water is a universal human need. Our strategy hinged on galvanizing communities to shed their differences and come together for a larger good.

Bhagalpur, a mean and unrewarding town is situated on the banks of the Ganga river in Bihar – India’s most feudal state. The city’s notoriously known for police brutality and the most violent communal clash in the country. Yet, ironically, the city’s name means “City of Good Luck”.

Bhagalpur is thirsty for water.

With ground water being arsenic-laden, the city is dependent on the river Ganges for drinking water. Water level in the river has dropped, and the river itself is shifting due to heavy siltation, leading to the unique predicament of Bhagalpur. The supply is 35 lakh gallons/day while the demand is 180 lakh gallons/day.

Campaign Objectives

- Conserve water

- Inspire communities to live in harmony

- Get Government to act

- Establish Dainik Jagran as a newspaper that sets the agenda and stands for community