Hazaribag: If one calls 80-year-old environmental activist Jai Gopal Rai on his mobile phone, Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Ekla chalo re’ begins to play as the caller tune — which urges people to walk alone if nobody answers their call. For Rai, the song is symbolic of his mission in life. It has been the philosophy behind his lonely yet determined battle to save one of Hazaribag’s oldest and largest ponds, Okni Talab, from disappearing due to alleged encroachment and rapid urban expansion.The battle has culminated in a major environmental victory. The National Green Tribunal (NGT), while hearing the case last year, set aside the ownership claim of the private parties and also directed the Hazaribag administration to beautify the pond. Rai, a former deputy development commissioner, had filed the case before NGT when no step was allegedly taken by the district administration.Spread over around 14.62 acres in the heart of Hazaribag town, Okni Talab was once considered a significant ecological landmark. Over the decades, however, alleged encroachment, unregulated urbanisation, garbage dumping and continuous discharge of drain water have severely degraded the water body.For Rai, the struggle was deeply personal. “The song inspired me to continue the fight even when I was alone,” Rai said, referring to ‘Ekla chalo re’. “I took up this fight to save one of the oldest and biggest ponds in the city. As my house is situated at one side of the pond, it was painful for me to see it die day by day. I took up the campaign alone to save the pond when land sharks claimed its ownership.”Rai kept meeting officials and pushing for action. Later, residents joined him. A graduate in English from Patna University in 1967, Rai formed the Hazaribag Paryavaran Sanrakshan Trust, intensified his campaign, and filed cases in the NGT and Jharkhand high court. He credited then deputy development commissioner Prerna Dixit for supporting the effort.Rai also led anti-drug awareness after retiring from govt service in 2005. “It’s a matter of solace for me that I managed to save the pond. Initially no one dared to speak, but I showed courage. So I want to tell residents to always raise voice against wrongdoings,” he added.
