Hunting Down Water

English/EST/32mins/2003
Producer: Moving Images
Supported by: Winrock International

Subject Focus: Social dimensions of environmental crisis.

Summary: “These things look good only on television… things about economy and saving water and all that” say Nidhi and Madhur looking fresh after a rollicking rain dance party. Or take the case of Somabhai Patel of Memna village in Gujarat who owns 14 borewells on his agricultural land, “The water used to be at 100 feet below the ground just a few years ago, now it has gone down to 500 feet”. Quotes that reinforce the fact that the present water crisis is largely a crisis of our own making. It is not about failing monsoons or the fact that parts of India are naturally dry.
Water is diverted from the rural countryside to meet the unending needs of India’s urban population – not just for drinking, but also, to wash cars, fill swimming pools, to water amusement parks or simply to flush. The Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai reveals startling facts to bear this out The facts are mind boggling!
Hunting Down Water studies the dynamics of this man-made crisis.

Producer’s/Director’s Profile: Sanjay Barnela and Vasant Saberwal are part of a Delhi-based production team with interests in the environment and development. Some of their productions include: Turf Wars, Tales from the Indian Countryside, The Elusive Mountain, Pastoral Politics and Vidyalayam. In addition to this, Vasant and Sanjay are among the very few who have specialized in high altitude filming, having filmed mountaineering climbs at altitudes above 20,000 ft. in the Himalayas.