Expert takes YouTube way to motivate public on benefits of RWH

Dakshina Kannada Nirmithi Kendra Executive Director Rajendra Kalbavi who offers free personal consultation to public and talks to students on the benefits of rainwater harvesting (RWH) since 2004, made use of technology to overcome the hurdles posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, this monsoon.

A practitioner of RWH system, Rajendra had delivered nearly 70 lectures and had assisted more than 300 beneficiaries in installing RWH systems.

Rajendra, presently installing RWH system in Commercial Tax Office (CTO) near A B Shetty Circle, said the mission on creating awareness on rainwater harvesting to replenish groundwater stored in aquifers, did not seem like moving forward due to the uncertainty surrounding the reopening of schools and colleges.

At this junction, Rotary District Governor Ranganath Bhat invited Rajendra to head the District Water Committee as its chairman.

An elated Rajendra used the opportunity to continue his mission online and reach out to a wider section of society.

On Wednesday, Ranganath Bhat launched the YouTube channel, ‘Water is life-Harvest water’, at Hotel Maya International.

Rajendra, with the technical support of Nirmithi Kendra, has decided to upload one video lasting about three to four minutes every week.

Rajendra has planned in all 25 such episodes this year. The first five to six videos will be on how presidents of all Rotary Clubs formed Rotary India Water Mission in 2003 and how this mission was turned into a Rotary India Water Conservation Trust.

The trust had entrusted Rotary Clubs with the task of creating awareness programmes, transforming existing water bodies, efficient use of water and RWH. From then on, videos will be on RWH, on people, NGOs working on water conservation, among others.

Rajendra was even willing to guide people keen on implementing RWH systems, through social media.

Ranganath Bhat, Assistant Governors Dr Shivaprasad Gopal Setty, Anand Shetty and Ekanath Dandakery told DH that there were as many as 3,850 Rotary Clubs across the country.

“To make the YouTube channel more effective, we will share links of videos uploaded onto YouTube with 1.53 lakh members of Rotary Clubs,” said Bhat.