Karnataka govt ropes in actor Vasista Simha for water campaign

Bengaluru: The minor irrigation department on Friday announced actor Vasista Simha as its brand ambassador for the upcoming ‘Water is Future’ campaign. 

In a statement, Minor Irrigation Minister N S Boseraju said the actor “will play an active role in awareness drives across the state, including campaigns on lake rejuvenation, rainwater harvesting, and community participation.”

Simha has signed up with the department without any remuneration, Boseraju added. 

The ‘Neeriddre Nale – Water is Future’ campaign will be formally launched on October 9 at the Banquet Hall, Vidhana Soudha, by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar and other Cabinet members. 

Citing the Karnataka Economic Survey 2024–25, Boseraju noted that nearly 60% of the state’s total agricultural land depended on borewells, up from 37% a few decades ago. “This trend highlights the growing dependence on groundwater across farming communities, especially in drought-prone and rainfed regions, where borewells have become the primary source of irrigation,” he said. 

“Water is the foundation of our tomorrow, and through this initiative we seek to inspire collective responsibility for groundwater revival and judicious water use,”  Boseraju added. 

Quote -

N S Boseraju
Minor Irrigation Minister

“This trend highlights the growing dependence on groundwater across farming communities especially in drought-prone and rainfed regions where borewells have become the primary source of irrigation