No water shortage, only poor management: Padma Shri Janak Palta McGilligan calls for climate action at grassroots level
“There is no shortage of water; what we lack is proper water management. With effective management of available water resources, many future water-related challenges can be addressed successfully.”
With this message, Padma Shri Janak Palta McGilligan urged citizens to make climate action a part of daily life during a special session on “Climate Action for Sustainable Livelihood” held at Raheja Solar Food Processing Pvt. Ltd. (RSFP), Indore, as part of the 34th Week Long Annual Environmental Discourse.
Addressing students, environmentalists, social workers and community members, McGilligan said environmental protection begins with individual actions rather than large campaigns alone. She encouraged people to adopt tree plantation, rainwater harvesting, energy conservation and the use of solar thermal energy to support sustainable development.
Sustaining livelihoods from the home upward
Referring to the growing environmental challenges, she said climate action starts at home and extends to workplaces and communities. According to her, responsible habits adopted by individuals can collectively contribute to achieving sustainable development goals.
The session was attended by social worker Virendra Goel as guest of honour, while Varun Raheja, director of RSFP, welcomed participants and outlined the organisation's work in promoting solar energy, sustainable development and rural entrepreneurship.
Raheja also reflected on the growth of RSFP and acknowledged the guidance he received from McGilligan during his internship years. He said her mentorship played an important role in shaping the organisation's vision and commitment to sustainability.
An immediate call to curb plastic and noise pollution
Speaking during the discussion, Goel highlighted concerns related to plastic waste, noise pollution and changing consumption patterns. He urged citizens to reduce their use of single-use plastics and adopt environmentally responsible alternatives. He said meaningful environmental change is driven by consistent individual efforts.
Throughout the programme, speakers stressed that climate action is not the responsibility of governments and institutions alone but requires active participation from citizens. The discussion focused on how innovation, local resources and sustainable thinking can create livelihood opportunities while protecting the environment.
Empowering small-scale enterprise
Participants also explored the role of small-scale initiatives in building environmentally responsible enterprises. Speakers noted that limited resources, when managed efficiently, can generate economic opportunities without compromising ecological balance.
The session formed part of a broader series of dialogues aimed at encouraging greater public participation in environmental conservation and climate action. The programme concluded with an interactive discussion and a vote of thanks, with participants pledging to incorporate sustainable practices into their daily lives and contribute towards environmental protection through collective action.
- Resource management framework: Prioritizing immediate local water resource handling over waiting for structural water availability changes.
- Four pillars of individual action: Active scaling of targeted tree plantation, domestic rainwater harvesting, everyday power grid conservation, and clean solar thermal integration.
- Enterprise balancing act: Harnessing solar innovation and strict consumption cuts to safely generate clean rural livelihood opportunities.
- Civic transition: Actively shifting environmental responsibility structures away from purely institutional campaigns down to systematic, daily household habits.