Women show the way, here

The women of Basavanahalli in Tumkur district took it upon themselves to rejuvenate the tank in their village. This has in turn changed the socio-economic status of women in the village, who have now become more empowered and confident, writes Mallikarjuna Hosapalya.

It is time for yet another Women’s Day, when rhetoric on women and their contribution to society reaches a crescendo. Notwithstanding the lip-service paid to women at this time of the year, it is a given that women indeed play a crucial role when it comes to the welfare of the community. Take the women of Basavanahalli, a small village in Madhugiri taluk of Tumkur district, who have played a crucial role in rejuvenating the tank in the village.

Water from the catchment area of the tank could not be used because of silting in the tank, growth of weeds and other problems. The women’s group organised themselves and rejuvenated the tank, as part of the Jala Samvardhane Yojana Sangha. District project coordinator M G Padmaprabha noted that “the quality of the civil work is also very good.”

Following the de-silting process, the storage capacity of the tank has improved a lot. Farmers have been able to reap a second harvest after using water from this tank. This is a very significant change that the villagers have observed. Apart from being used for irrigation purposes, water is available in the tank for animals, birds, etc during summer as well. Explaining the timeline of the project, President of the Tank Users’ Group (TUG) Anithalakshmi said, “One day, officials of JSYS landed in our village and offered to fund us if we took up rejuvenation of the village tank. The men agreed and formed a committee for the same. But soon, the committee fell apart owing to a lot of differences of opinions.

It was at that point in time that we women decided to form a committee called Sri Anjaneyaswamy Tank Users’ Group consisting of 19 women. Following registration, we received Rs eight lakh and started tank improvement like de-silting, bund strengthening, waste weir repair, sluice repair, cutting of trenches and command area canal work.”

Kamalakshi, one of the farmers, appreciated the tank development and explained, “We have two acres of land in the tank command area. We grow ragi and paddy. We have one bore well, but in summer, we usually experience severe shortage of water. After the tank was developed, our bore well has plenty of water and we are able to harvest two crops in a year.”

Pointed out Sannarangamma, treasurer of the TUG, “Earlier, we were low on confidence and found it difficult to discuss matters related to the tank, but following the JSYS intervention, we have gained in confidence.” The village has seen a lot of improvement in the socio-economic status of the women. Women in the village feel more empowered to share and exchange ideas,  following the success story of the tank. Even the attitude of the men has changed. Men have now come forward to join hands with the women’s group to ensure the tank’s maintenance.

Today, many officials, including World Bank team members, district commissioners, zilla panchayat presidents and officials from other states such as Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have visited the village and appreciated the work taken up by women to rejuvenate the tank. This Basavanahalli tank has today emerged as one of the model tanks in the region and the over-all development in the village is a shining example of the success of women power.

The achievement of women of Basavanahalli has not gone unnoticed. The group was honoured by the district administration during the recent Republic Day celebrations. Minister Shobha Karandlaje honoured the group and appreciated its commitment.