Rejuvenating a lifeline

Agasihonda in Kundagol taluk of Dharwad district is a major source of water for the people of the village of the same name. An old pump shed and the iron pipelines connected to the century-old tank indicate that the water source has been in use for a very long time. The one acre tank has a catchment area of eight acres. Thus, it is also called as 'Nine-acre Tank'.

Rainwater from the village flows to the catchment area through a storm water drain. Old gate valves control the inflow of water to the tank. A huge gate, built in the old times, to check silt and soil from entering the tank, still exists. We can also see an ancient gauge that measures water stored during the monsoons. The instrument is functional even now.    

The teppada theru (car festival) is organised when the tank brims with water. Thousands of people gather to witness this festival. Now the tank has around 12 feet water and it can hold up to 60 feet of water. A village elder says that once the tank is full, it can supply drinking water to the village for 10 years. During summer, over 20,000 people depend on this tank for drinking water.

But the tank has not reached the maximum storage point for the last 10 years. Silting has reduced the storage capacity of Agasihonda as well. Recently, a team of  Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project put in efforts to desilt the tank with the help of villagers.