
Paani Party
The young urban generation today, see water (paani in hindi) as a part of their daily routine. It is often taken for granted, since it is available to many round the clock, at the turn of a tap or in bottled form.
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On the other hand, water is a scarce commodity for a large number of urban dwellers. This story creates an opportunity for the reader to delve deeper into what water can mean for us and how closely we are associated with it as inhabitants of this planet.
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A significant part of the population of Mumbai lives in informal settlements with marginal access to clean drinking water. Let us value water as a resource and celebrate every drop that we receive.
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A SMALL GLIMPSE INTO THE BOOK ...
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In July 2020, a year marked by the pandemic, Mumbai Water Narratives was initiated as a distinct platform aimed at curating and hosting stories on water heritage, cultures and practices in Mumbai. More than 30 professionals - artists, conservation architects, photographers, designers, social scientists and urban planners - came together to document Mumbai’s water journey from heritage to public health, through storytelling, new media design, technology and the arts to engage the youth as our future water keepers.
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This initiative launched its first virtual exhibition Confluence in March 2021 to capture Mumbai’s multifaceted relationship with water, from the rivers to the shores of the sea, from wells and tanks governed by cultural practices to the fishing communities of Mumbai struggling to retain their livelihoods, from the tanker economy servicing high-rise apartments to the everyday water vulnerabilities faced by informal settlements dotting the cityscape.
It raised many important questions around water, one of which being -
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In what small way can we each contribute to the water wisdom we have inherited so that we can ensure a sustainable and just water future for our children?
This picture storybook, attempts to answer this question by reaching out to children, to discover the wonders that exist in water and to celebrate every drop we have.



