JOIN USThis is the last village on the Karnataka border but one of the best villages. Believing in the mantra of self-sufficiency and cleanliness as preached by Mahatma Gandhi, this village is a beacon of prosperity and patriotism. Bekkinkeri, a village with nearly 5,000 population and 711 families, is situated near Belagavi city but is also close to Maharashtra. Due to its geographical location, both Kannada and Marathi-speaking people reside here.
Not long ago, the people here had to struggle to get basic facilities. But every cloud has a silver lining. Thanks to the spirit of the villagers, support of village leaders, officers and elected representatives, the village has turned green and clean with nearly 100% roads, drainage, water facility and toilet. Around 90% of the houses have gobar gas and the villagers involve in chemical-free farming. The village is alcohol-free and encourages women to participate in community activities as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi
Water problem had also loomed large here decades ago. People had to walk over a kilometre to fetch water. When the problem aggravated, the gram panchayat members came together and began brain-storming for solution. Gradually, under the leadership of people’s representatives, the villagers availed a government welfare scheme. Under this, two borewells were dug and a jackwell was set up. Pipes were laid and water reached every doorstep through taps. Fulfilment of one of their basic requirements united the villagers who then began looking towards amelioration. The gram panchayat then sought funds for the construction of roads in the village. The World Bank released majority of the funds and the remaining was contributed by the gram panchayat. Thus, the roads were asphalted.
Water & sanitation
Meanwhile, lack of hygiene and cleanliness was another issue that was haunting Bekkinkeri. Diseases like malaria were fast spreading. Foreseeing the threat, the gram panchayat decided to give top priority to cleanliness and environment protection. To inspire and educate people, a big group of villagers was taken to Ralegan Siddhi, a model village in Maharashtra, where social reformer Anna Hazare worked. There, the villagers learnt about watershed management and cleanliness. Once back home, the gram panchayat took up many projects. “The gram panchayat encouraged people to construct toilets in their houses with personal and government funds. Ensuring that people used the toilets was also a challenge. We formed ‘Good Morning’ teams which kept a check on open defecation. Three teams of 18 members comprising gram panchayat members, accredited social health activists (ASHA workers), anganwadi workers and other enthusiasts were formed. These teams carried cameras with them and wished people in the morning to discourage them from defecating in the open. Women were also educated on hygiene. Civic awareness was created in schools,” explained Rekha Khadarwadkar, former president of Bekkinakeri gram panchayat. Soon, the village became open defecation-free.
The villagers were then suggested to install gobar gas plants in their houses with the financial contribution of gram panchayat, a non-governmental organisation and self. Dairy is a major activity in Bekkinkeri and it has been a major supplier of milk to Belagavi city. The dung produced, along with agro-waste became the raw material for gobar gas plant and the fuel produced was used for cooking. In addition, the digested slurry was used as
organic fertiliser for the fields.
“Presently, 90% of the villagers have gobar gas in their houses. The remaining houses have LPG connections. In this way, the village completely uses clean fuels,” said Mallappa Laxman Gavadi, president of Bekkinkeri Gram Panchayat. In addition to this, the village took up solid waste management project. “Two garbage tanks of 8X12 feet dimension were constructed — one for organic waste and another for non bio-degradable waste.
The one with organic waste produced vermicompost. The other waste was sent to dumping yards. The local MLA distributed red and green coloured garbage bins to each house for segregation of the garbage at source itself. School children too were involved in the cleanliness drive. They were given bags and were asked to collect waste fallen on the streets while on their way to school. The kids were later asked to empty their bags into the bigger garbage bin kept near their school,” explained Nagesh Nandgadi of the village.
After this, drainages were constructed in the entire village and trees were planted by the Forest Department. Each house was entrusted to take care of two plants. “The village lake was cleaned. A walking path was constructed near it. Stones used for washing clothes were fixed near the lake in such a way that the polluted water got diverted. For these efforts in cleanliness, the village also won Nirmal Gram Puraskar awards at the State and national level,” said Ashok Mirji, a former panchayat development officer. He added that plans to implement Nirantar Jyothi scheme and produce electricity from gobar gas plant are in the pipeline. “The secret of success of our village lies in community participation. Gram sabhas are regularly held and people participate in large numbers. At the meeting, people are educated about civic issues,” said Arjun Domble, an ex-serviceman, former president of the gram panchayat and also a proud architect of the transformed Bekkinkeri.
Guarding the nation
Bekkinkeri village can be aptly called as a ‘patriotic village’. Presently, around 500 youngsters from the village are in the defence services. This means one person from almost every house is in defence services. Also, there are houses with all the children serving in the Army. Arjun Domble, an ex-serviceman, said, “I am proud to be an army man and motivate others to serve the nation. We narrate inspiring stories to children to create patriotism. The ‘culture’ of joining the defence services in the village took momentum in the 1990s and those serving there have encouraged more people to join the services.”