JOIN USReviving water bodies in Kolar key to combating drought
Water bodies in the district need to be urgently desilted, followed by rainwater harvesting, said Amaranarayana, secretary of the Revenue Department, during the inauguration of an interactive workshop concerned with sustaining marine life and community.
Amaranarayana also warned that only the proper care of existing tanks will allow for the underground water-level to be restored. “A water-related revolution should be started in the district, beginning with youngsters,” he added.
Accordingly, he reported that NSS students had cleaned garbage-filled and muddied temple tanks in Chitradurga and Davanagere districts.
“The level of water in the tanks there have increased after the clean-up and a greater amount of rainwater has been collected in them,” he said. “Water bodies need to be supplemented by canals and encroachment of tanks cleared. This would allow for a natural and easy flow of rainwater.”
He also advised that rainwater harvesting should be implemented across the district, but acknowledged that such a programme would only work with the full consent and involvement of the community.
Deputy Commissioner Dr D S Vishwanath, who made the inaugural address, also said that it was necessary to seriously engage in water preservation before it became too late.
“Otherwise in 25 to 30 years, the district will turn into a desert, like Rajastan. We need to implement postive measures, little by little. Conditions in which rainwater from Nandi Hills flowed down into the Ramasagara tank in the district need to be revisted. All of us need to change our lifestyles in order to achieve this,”he said.
Absentee figures
The workshop, ‘Sustainable Development: Marine Life and Community’ took place at the Chennayya Rangamandira on Thursday. It was organised by the district administration and the Zilla Panchayat.
Zilla Panchayat president Manjula chaired the inaugural function. ZP members A M Lakshminarayana, Mangamma Muniswamy, chief executive officer P Rajendra Cholan, executive engineer Devaraj, Assistant Commissioner Ayesha Parveen, Taluk Panchayat president N Ramadevi, Superintendent of Police Ram Niwas Sepat and City Municipal Council president Nazia were present.
Later, as part of the technical conference, Ayyappa Masagi, director of the Water Literacy Foundation, spoke on ways of water preservation. Suresh Heblikar, environmentalist, spoke on environmental balance and afforestation.
Prof A M Lakshmi Tatachar spoke on water conservation during the Vedic era and water-based Ayurveda. Several farmers who attended the conference also gave their suggestions on water conservation.
Union Minister K H Muniyappa, who was supposed to inaugurate the programme, and District In-charge Minister R Varthur Prakash were conspicuous in their absence. Several legislators too, missed the programme.
Their absence was criticised by several speakers.