“Water is everywhere—in the highest mountains, in the deepest ocean, in the Ganga, in sewers, within you, and in the air. But the glass of water in front of you is precious because it requires India’s volatile, varied water to be harnessed and brought to your home.” 

This is one of the main insights of a new book, Watershed: How We Destroyed India’s Water and How We Can Save It, by the author Mridula Ramesh. Ramesh is the founder of the Sundaram Climate Institute, a cleantech investor, and a leading public voice in India’s water and climate debates. 

Milan sits down with Mridula this week to discuss her 360-degree perspective on India’s water woes and how they can be addressed. The two discuss the origins of India’s water crisis, the role of agriculture, and how ordinary citizens and civil society groups can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

1. Chanpreet Khurana, “Mridula Ramesh: "Business leaders exist on a spectrum on 'water/climate awareness',” Moneycontrol, February 20, 2022.
2. “What COP26 Means for India—and the World,” (with Navroz Dubash), Grand Tamasha, November 17, 2021.
3. “How India Can Get to Net Zero Emissions,” (with Jayant Sinha), Grand Tamasha, October 13, 2021.