By 2016, Guruo Ka Talab in Jodhpur had become a dumping ground. Flowers, idols, books, pictures, plastic and other materials were being discarded into the water.

Jeevraj Shrimali watched it happen in a city where the desert heat can make every drop of water feel precious. He decided to act.

What began at one pond 10 years ago has since grown into a decade-long effort to revive five neglected water bodies in Jodhpur.

Shrimali began by focusing on how people disposed of these materials. He started speaking to people visiting the pond about keeping waste out of the water and worked with the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation on cleaning drives. Separate bins were introduced so flowers, cloth and plastic could be collected rather than thrown into the pond.

He also installed CCTV cameras around the pond and, when he spotted people dumping waste, asked them to clean it up.

The aim was to make responsible disposal part of keeping the pond clean. Biodegradable material such as flowers could be handled separately, while cloth and other items could be sent for reuse or recycling. Some old cloth, for instance, was turned into small bags.

But changing disposal habits was one part of protecting the pond. Preventing the same pollution from returning also required civic and legal intervention.

In 2018, Shrimali and other residents filed a public interest litigation in the Rajasthan High Court, seeking protection for the pond. The petition specifically raised concerns over idol immersion and the dumping of glitter, clothes, coconut shells, bamboo, plastic and Plaster of Paris into the pond.

It also sought restrictions on bathing with soap and washing clothes there. In May 2019, the court disposed of the case after the........

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