JOIN USCommunity efforts all set to revive tanks
People have woken up to the importance of ‘shramadaan’ or labour of love to revive tanks and kalyani’s (temple pond) which have become dry or near dry. This is an attempt to conserve water in the drought-hit taluk.
There are two types of kalyanis - those which are found in the middle of towns and villages and those that are created in the middle of a lake. In times of drought, the kalyanis become useful in providing water for man and animals.
In the past, kalyanis were constructed by engaging in community work referred to as ‘Shramadaan’ or labour of love. One person from a family participated in the shramadaan on a fixed day. Thus, public utility infrastructure like tanks, kalyanis and pushkarnis were created for public use.
Unfortunately, such a practice has slowly disappeared in the last three decades. After the advent of borewells, open wells and kalyanis were neglected.
However, with the decline in the water table, the importance of common facilities like ponds, open wells and kalyanis began to slowly dawn upon the farmers. They came forward to conserve water by harvesting rainwater. But they do need leadership and guidance in this regard.
Sand transport
The illegal quarrying and transport of sand began in a small way five years ago. Today, with the demand for sand in the urban areas, the illegal sand transportation business has grown multifold.
Constant quarrying of sand in villages near Chamakalahalli like Mushtoor, Peddur and Negavara has led to large craters. This can harm the topography of the area.
The initiative taken by the district administration in rejuvenating the kalyanis in the district has given a new hope for the people. A similar initiative was taken in 1991 during the tenure Sanjoy Das as the Deputy Commissioner. Now, the DC is taking a personal interest to supervise the rejuvenation of the kalyanis.