Dear Shri Fadnavisji,
{ devendra.fadnavis@maharashtra.gov.in }
I write to you with renewed urgency on a matter that has occupied my thoughts —
and my keyboard — for nearly a decade: Maharashtra's catastrophic water crisis
and a proven technological solution that remains unutilized.
Why I am writing now:
The Hindustan Times article "Must people of India move to court for water?" has
crystallized what I have documented across multiple blogs and emails to you
since 2016. The article underscores a reality you know only too well: women in
drought-stricken villages are walking 5–10 km in 40°C heat, children are leaving
school, marriages are dissolving within days because brides cannot endure water
scarcity, and armed police are deployed to prevent water-theft from dams.
I am specifically referencing my earlier email to you titled "Water Water
Everywhere? Even in Latur?" (April 2017), in which I highlighted Prof Omar
Yaghi's atmospheric water harvesting technology — a device that produces
2.8 litres of water in 12 hours using only sunlight and a special material, even in
arid environments with humidity as low as 20%.
What Prof Yaghi's technology offers Maharashtra:
The Promise:
- Solar-powered: No grid dependency; works in off-grid villages.
- Scale-proof: A household-level device can meet one person's daily water
- need in under one hour of operation.
- Arid-zone capable: Humidity as low as 20% is sufficient — perfect for
- Marathwada, Vidarbha, and Bundelkhand.
- Cost trajectory: Manufacturing is scalable; unit costs have been declining
- since the 2018 prototype.
The Vision:
What Prof Yaghi calls "personalized water" — imagine 700,000 village ponds (as I
have proposed) paired with decentralized atmospheric water harvesters.
This dual approach combines rainwater capture with air-extraction, creating year-
round water security.
What I am requesting:
Please contact Prof Omar Yaghi immediately:
- Email: yaghi@berkeley.edu or oyaghi@lbl.gov
- Phone: +1-510-643-5507 (UC Berkeley, USA)
- Propose:
- A Pilot Project in Marathwada — say, Latur district — to deploy 100–500
- atmospheric water harvesters in the most water-stressed villages, coupled
- with training for local technicians and transparent monitoring.
A State with 125 million people and a history of bold governance should not
hesitate to explore a technology that can save lives within 18 months.
Why this matters politically and morally:
- Proven technology: Prof Yaghi's work is validated and patented; it is not speculative.
- Labor-intensive deployment: Manufacturing, installation, and maintenance create local jobs.
- Optics and substance: You will be the first Chief Minister in India to leapfrog conventional water infrastructure (which is slow and disputed) and pilot a renewable, decentralized solution.
- Lives saved: Direct, measurable impact on farmer suicides, child schooling, and women's dignity.
Closing appeal:
Sir,
I have written about this for eight years.
The HT article you have seen shows that waiting for perfect, centralized
solutions is a luxury India cannot afford.
Contact Prof Yaghi. Begin a dialogue. Request a technical presentation.
Commission a feasibility study. Even a small pilot will demonstrate proof-of-
concept and position Maharashtra as a leader in adaptive water management.
The women of Latur, the farmers of Vidarbha, and the children leaving school
because of water anxiety are waiting.
Your swift action on this can change lives.
With deep respect and urgency,
Hemen Parekh
Mumbai, India
Mobile: +91-98,67,55,08,08
Email: hcp@recruitguru.com
Website: www.hemenparekh.in
CC:
- Jal Shakti Ministry, Government of India
- Chief Secretary, Maharashtra
- Additional Chief Secretary (Water Resources)
- Prof Omar Yaghi, UC Berkeley
Sources: Hemen Parekh's Blogs on Water Scarcity – Tabulation
| Sr. | Blog Title | Date | Key Theme | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water First. Lives Next. | May 2026 | Village-level water management; farmer suicides; greywater recycling; atmospheric water capture; community stewardship | Blog - Water First. Lives Next. |
| 2 | Ganga drying at the fastest rate in 1,300 years — why this study felt like déjà vu | September 2025 | IIT study on Ganga drying; societal fault lines (livelihoods, cities, ecology); basin governance; decentralized harvesting; wastewater reuse | Blog - Ganga drying... |
| 3 | #Water #Famine #Drought #Kaveri | May 2018 | Per capita groundwater availability projections (1951–2050); water wars; remedial measures; rainwater harvesting | Blog - Water Famine Drought Kaveri |
| 4 | Every Drop of Water? | May 2022 | National Water Policy; river interlinking; 700,000 village ponds with geo-synthetic lining; water supply cuts (25%); water meters; rational usage | Blog - Every Drop of Water? |
| 5 | How long before Water gets sold at Petrol Pumps? | May 2022 | Water demand vs. supply projections (2025–2050); sewage treatment; atmospheric water generators; desalination; technology procurement | Blog - Water at Petrol Pumps? |
| 6 | Water Wars? | April 2016 | Inter-state water conflicts (Krishna, Kaveri, SYL canal); drought-affected states; farmer suicides; women's water burden (10 km walks); constitutional reforms needed | Email/Blog - Water Wars? |
| 7 | Deja Vu? #Latur #Marathwada #Waterwar | February 2018 | Marathwada drought (913 dams below capacity); atmospheric water harvesting technology (Prof Omar Yaghi, UC Berkeley); "personalised water" concept; renewable-powered extraction | Blog - Deja Vu? |
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