Characters:

1. Sutradhaar (Narrator): With a Drum.

2. Lallan: A man who washes his buffalo/car in the pond and throws plastic bags.

3. Modern Maya: Throws “Pooja Samagri” (religious waste) in plastic bags into the river.

4. The River/Pond (Jal Devta): An actor dressed in blue looking weak and dirty.

5. The Future Child: A small child carrying an empty bucket.

[OPENING: THE SOUND OF WATER]

(The team enters mimicking the sound of waves: “Shhhhh… Shhhhh…” The drum beat starts slow and builds up.)

Sutradhaar: (Loudly) Suno re duniya waalo! Suno re shahar waasiyon! All: (Clapping rhythmically) “Suno! Suno! Suno!” Sutradhaar: “Ghar chamka liya, rasta saaf kar diya…” All: “Par kya kabhi ‘Pani‘ ka haal dekha?” Sutradhaar “Nadiyan aansu ro rahi hain, talabsookh rahe hain…Kyunki hum ‘Kachre ke dher’ mein apna ‘Amrit’ dhoond rahe hain!”

[SCENE 1]

(Lallan enters with a swag, holding an imaginary pipe. He mimics scrubbing a car with high energy. The Chorus makes “Swoosh-Swoosh” sounds.)

Lallan: “Wah! Re meri ‘Dhanno‘! Kya chamak rahi hai… bilkul shishe jaisi! Nazar na lagetujhe. Ab jab tak gaadi na chamke, tab tak padosiyon ko jalan kaise hogi?”

(He finishes cleaning. He looks at a bucket of imaginary black, oily water and a plastic bag full of car-trash.)

Lallan: “Ab ye sara ganda pani aur ye kachra… iska kya karun? Arre, saamne ye talab (pond) khali hi toh pada hai.!”

(He mimics lifting the heavy bucket and flinging the plastic bag with force. The Chorus makes a loud “SPLASH” sound.)

River (Jal Devta): (Suddenly gasps, clutching his throat. He falls to his knees, his body twisting as if being strangled by an invisible rope.)

“AHHH! Dum… mera dum ghut raha hai! Lallan… tune meri ragon mein ‘Plastic kajaal‘ phenk diya! Main ‘Talab‘ hoon… tera ‘Koodadaan‘ nahi!”

Sutradhaar: (Stepping forward, pointing at the struggling River)

“Dekha? Lallan ke liye wo sirf ek ‘Purana Bag’ tha… par is talab ke liye wo maut ka‘Phanda‘ ban gaya! Lallan ne apni ‘Dhanno‘ toh chamka li, par apni ‘Pyaas bhoojaneka stotr‘ ka qatl kar diya!”

(Lallan enters, whistling. He is carrying an imaginary bucket of trash and mimicking washing a car with a running pipe.)

Lallan: “Wah! Re meri dhanno kya chamak gayi, rahi hai ab ( pointing towards the car ). Then puts all the ganda pani and kachra  filled in a plastic bag in talab (pond)!”

(He throws a plastic bag. The ‘River’ actor flinches and falls to his knees.)

Sutradhaar: “Dekha? Lallan ke liye ye sirf ‘kachra’ tha…par talab ke liye ye ‘Zeher’ ban jayega!”

[SCENE 2]

(Modern Maya enters with a heavy plastic bag full of old flowers and idols.)

Maya: “istemaal ki hui Puja samagri ka kachra hai, ise kachre wali gaadi mein kaise daalun? Paap lagega! Ise toh mai nadi (river) mein hi ‘baha deti hu’ .”

(She throws the plastic bag toward the River. The ‘River’ actor gasps as if being choked.)

River (Jal Devta): (Weak voice) “Rukiye! Mera dam ghut raha hai!”

Maya: (Shocked) “Kaun bola?”

River: “Main… wo Nadi hoon jise tum ‘Maa’ kehte ho. Par Maa ke aanchal mein tumnePlastic baandh diya hai! Ye phool toh mitti ban jayenge, par ye ‘Plastic’ mujhe sadiyon taksaas nahi lene dega!”

[SCENE 3] 

(The high-energy music stops abruptly. The only sound is a slow, rhythmic beat of a single drum, like a ticking clock. The Child enters, dragging his feet, holding a cracked, empty glass. He looks at the “River” actor who is still struggling on the ground.) 

Child: (In a small, dry voice) “Papa… gala sookh raha hai. Gale mein kaante chubh rahe hain. Kya is nadi se thoda pani pee loon? Bas ek ghoot?”

Lallan: (Horrified, snatching the glass away) “Nahi beta! Kabhi nahi! Dekh nahi rahe ye panikitna kaala ho gaya hai? Ismein kachra hai, bimari hai… ise piyoge toh bimar pad jaoge!”

Child: (Looking at the father’s shiny imaginary car, then back at the river)

“Par Papa… aap toh  isi pani se apni ‘gaadi’ ko dhoya tha. Jo kachra gaadi par tha, wo aapne is nadi ki jholi mein daal diya.

Agar aap aaj pani mein kachra daaloge… toh kal jab main bada ho jaunga, toh is glass meinmere liye kya bachega? Kya main bada hokar ‘Kichad‘ piyunga… ya ‘Zeher‘ jo aap log faila rhy ho?“

(Lallan freezes. He looks at his hands, then at the dirty river. The drum beat stops completely. A heavy, uncomfortable silence falls on the stage.)

Sutradhaar: (In a low, haunting whisper to the audience)

“Suniye… ye ek bache ka sawaal nahi hai. Ye aapke ‘Bhavishya’ (Future) ki cheekh hai. Hum apni ‘ghar aur gaadiyan ‘ toh chamka rahe hain… par apne bacho ka naseeb ‘ meinDhool jhonk ‘ rahe hain.“

(A deep silence falls on the stage. The drum beat stops.) 

[SCENE 4 ]

Sutradhaar: “Dosto! Swachh Survekshan mein is baar ‘Water Plus’ rankings hain. Humarashahar tabhi jeetega jab humari nadiyan, naaley saaf honge!”

Maya: “Toh hum kya karein? Pooja ka saaman kahan daalein?”

Sutradhaar: Pooja samagri ko apne hi ghar ke garden area mein khaad bannae ke liyeistemaal kiya jaa skta hai , istemal kiye hue phool dhoop batti se compost bnaya jaa skta hai , , Apne ghar ka ganda pani naaliyon mein bahaane se pehle check karein ki wo treat ho rahahai ya nahi. Talab aur nadiyon ke paas plastic le jana band karein, issey usme rehne waalejevo ki zindgi ko bhi khatra hai , jal stotron ko bhi haani pohchegi !

[FINALE ]

(All actors stand in a line, with the River actor standing tall in the middle, looking healthy again.)

Sutradhaar: “Pani hai toh jeevan hai… aur saaf pani hai toh Swachhata hai!”

All: (In a rhythmic chant)

“Nadiyon ko hum saaf rakhenge… Kal ko hum surakshit rakhenge!” “Kachra nadaalein, Plastic ko tyaagein…” “Apne shahar ko ‘Water Plus’ banayein!”

River: “Main behti rahungi, agar tum saath doge!” All: “HUM SAATH DENGE! HUM SAATH DENGE!”

Sutradhaar: “SWACHH BHARAT! SWACHH JAL! JAI HIND!”

(Fast drum beat. All actors bow and exit.)