Newsroom

Solutions Flow to Rejuvenate the Kumudvathi River Basin

Bangalore, Karnataka, India
March 18, 2013

Concerned with the emergent crisis of water scarcity affecting Bengaluru city and 200 villages in the Kumudvati River belt, The Art of Living launched the ‘Kumudvathi River Rejuvenation Program’ on February 3rd 2013, under the banner of it's initiative ‘Volunteer for a Better India’ (VBI). VBI is a platform for citizens to address crucial social issues through a spirit of volunteerism by giving one hour to the nation by choosing any activity among a range of themes including care and protection of the environment.

Attending the inauguration of the project office on March 18th, 2013, Mr. Krishnappa, Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Panchayat Bangalore Rural District appreciated and supported the initiative. Also present were Mr. Parameshwar, Chief Executive Engineer, Zilla Panchayat Bangalore Rural, and Mr. Ashwathnarayan Gowda, Executive Officer, Nelamangala.

Since the launch of the ‘Kumudvathi River Rejuvenation Program’, over 2000 volunteers have been working in villages, in and around the river basin, spearheaded by Geological scientist Dr. Lingaraju Yale and his team. In the last month volunteers have been working in the Nelamangala taluk in the river basin, in the villages of Kerekattegenoor, Arebommanahalli, T-Beguru, Srinivaspura, Yentaganahalli and Soldevanahalli. Work conducted in this area includes:

  • Cleanliness programs

  • River rejuvenation awareness program

  • Survey and construction of perculation pits, small check dams

  • Cleaning of small lakes

  • Training Panchayat Development Officers (PDO) of Nelmangala taluk regarding water

  • Several meetings with CEO Bangalore Rural and other officials regarding implementation of project before monsoons

  • Yoga and meditation courses for PDOs and members of gram panchayats of Nelmangala taluk to reduce stress

  • Making villages plastic free through school children.

  • Garbage segregation as dry and wet waste with the help of village youth

Speaking on the program Dr Lingaraja said, “the steps that we need to take for the success of this program are Village Level Planning, integrations in micro  and mini watersheds, bringing awareness among the farmers, preparation of action plan with Grampanchayats, implementation of recharge structures, increasing vegetation cover, and motivating people to adopt horticultural plantation for water conservation. We are hopeful that at the current drive of efforts by volunteers, in 3 years all the villages in the Kumudvathi River basin will be free from water scarcity and the river itself will flourish as before.”

Further initiatives that will take place under this program include 1000 perculation pits in more than 100 villages with help of the government, over 1000 small water conversation pits in more than 100 villages by volunteers, planting of 30000 saplings (Atti, Alla, Goni, Ashvatta, Neerale, Basari, Honge etc.) by 3000 volunteers and villagers, yoga, meditation and youth leadership programs for youths of over 100 villages to create youth leaders, educating and training farmers about organic farming and providing marketing facilities for their products, digitization of village maps with all these programs and various cultural programs and sensitization drives.

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