Mallappa Doddamani, a resident of Balaganura village in Gadag district, has taken up the rare task of protecting the village lake from pollution.
The one-acre lake gets replenished water during monsoon, which is then used by the villagers throughout the year. This lake is the sole source of drinking water in the village.
While Mallappa helps children and women fetch water from the lake, he doesn’t allow people to use it for other purposes, like swimming, washing clothes, bathing and for livestock’s needs, fearing that such activities may pollute the lake. He keeps a constant watch on the lake every day from 6 am to 8 pm.
Mallappa, who earlier worked as a labourer, used to spend time near the lake trying to keep it clean. The Gram Panchayat identified the efforts of Mallappa and assigned him the task of patrolling the lake. Since then, he has been keeping a constant watch on the lake and can be seen on its banks all the time. Mallappa also takes care of another dried-up lake and prevents villagers from using it as a grazing area or for any other purpose.
His wife Durgamma supports her dutiful husband and acts as a substitute whenever he is away. Mallappa gets an honorarium of Rs 3,500 per month from the panchayat.
Though two tanks have been constructed to supply water to the village, the water is not potable and is used for washing clothes and utensils. “Two decades ago, we had to walk miles to get drinking water. Thanks to Mallappa’s dedication and concern, our only source of water is clean and there is no dearth of clean water,” appreciates Hanumanta Gowda Kalmani, a resident of the village.
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