Water Conservation in Karnataka


Ambitious Guardians of H2O

Water Conservation in Karnataka

[Briefly Reproduced here for study purpose.]

Archaeological evidence shows that the practice of water conservation is deep rooted in the science of ancient India. Excavations show that the cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation had excellent systems of water harvesting and drainage. India have placed utmost importance to the construction of tanks. The rock inscriptions as well as Kaifiyats confirm this. The Puranas too uphold the significance of tanks. Bronze Age and the Megalithic Age, the people of South India were regarded as leaders in constructing water-harvesting systems, especially at places where rivers were not present Historical evidence indicates that as early as 300 B.C. the communities of Karnataka knew the technique of constructing tanks as well as were aware of the importance of maintaining them. Tank built near the Pranaveswara Temple of Talagunda in Shimoga District.
They provided incentives to build tanks in new settlements, made land grants, and even exempted taxes for people who built tanks Chalukyas (973-1336). Hoysalas, Rashtrakuta, Ganga, Chalukya, and Vijayanagara Empire also gave high priority to the construction of these water bodies. Water is an absolute necessity in the Hindu mode of worship and almost all the rituals use offering of water to the deities.
Madhva Sarovar of Udupi, Mahadevalaya of Kumbashi, Chaturmukha Basadi of Karkala, Anantha Padmanabha temple of karkala. The Chamundi temple near Mysore also celebrates the Teppotsava. A recent press report states that Bangalore once boasted of 596 tanks to provide drinking water to the city, and that this the number has reduced to 64.
In Malnad, at a time when people depended only on tank or stream water for irrigation, agricultural families follow a unique system of water utilisation called as Niru Bari while getting their land shares.  Flow from one field to another is called Niru Bari, meaning availing water turn by turn. Everybody is committed to the unwritten rules of Niru Bari.
Traditionally, with the onset of winter, the farmers of the village erect a mud
embankment to the canal of the plantation by using banana stems and areca strips.
During summer, in order to maintain the greenery in the fields, flowing water is
embanked. This is the fruit of traditional wisdom.
The town of Bhatkal, on the northern bank of Sankadahole, the villagers built
eight mud embankments between November 17 and December 16 every year, by
themselves.
Bunds for the main canals of the plantation and providing water to the areca crop in summer. It is a common practice to construct temples and monasteries and build a tank
next to them.
Neeruganti :The farmers of Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka and Kasargod of Kerala follow the Katta tradition. Till recently, the latter district witnessed the construction of more than 500 small and big kattas, every year. Kattas are ideal to collect water at a very low cost. Under this system, the expense incurred to collect 1000 liters of water is only 40 paise.
Etadka - A unique example of people’s involvement
Etadka is a small town in Kasargod district in the Karnataka-Kerala border.
Bavadis are another term for a well.
Another kind of water body commonly seen in Bijapur are talabs. Talab means a tank  or lake, which are different from the bavadis
The word ‘dhamasha’ means fair and proportionate distribution of water. One of the oldest water sharing methods, this unique system has been traditionally used for agriculture to ensure a good crop to all the f kolar.
Bodampalli is a small village of about 200 families with a population of around 1,200. People of all castes including Muslims and backward communities live here.
In order to hold the rainwater that runs down the slopes, embankments are constructed at different levels. The aim, however, is not to stop all the water.
Once the field is adequately wet, the remaining water is released into the next field. This method of outflow is called holagatti The width of the holagatti is 30 feet and the adjacent stonewalls have a thickness of eight feet.

The highest number of wells and tanks were located in Kolar district, where records indicate that there were more than 60,000 water bodies.
The local bavadis in Bijapur are as famous as the wells. History reveals that the bavadis were constructed for the royal queens where they indulged in luxurious baths and gambolled in the
cool water.
Wells within houses According to the Economics and Statistical Department, Shimoga District has about 4,000 wells, most of which are in private houses.
Sand bore is a partial solution to the problems created by the borewells. It is a water source that does not harm the environment, and is a friend of the farmers in Bellary, Challakere, Pavagada, Madhugiri and Chitradurga
• Hirehalla of Davanagere district
• Kakanur near Channagiri, and Jinagi

A jotte is a traditional device used to lift water from a well using a lever using
human labour. It is a word used for a wide-mouthed copper vessel with a stringed
hook at the center.

In Uttara Kannada, canals also play a major role in groundwater conservation and
moisture retention. Tunnels are sub-terrain passages drilled to tap clean, pure and natural water. These are commonly found in coastal Karnataka, as well as in the Malnad
regions. Tunnels exist wherever tanks are found and together these form a
part of the local culture and tradition.
Thus, water tunnels were dug by the hillside, after assessing the suitability of the task like the gradation of the hill, the type of soil, Though seemingly a lot like tanks and ponds, madakas are in actual fact, quite different from them, in both design and use. Constructed by the community at a very low cost, the utilitarian value of the madaka is unique and is ideally suited for coastal areas Very simply put, a madaka is a large soak pit. Madakas are mostly found in geographical areas that have high terrain on three sides and a shallow area on the fourth. In physical terms, a madaka is a natural formation that has high terrain on three sides and a shallow manmade bank or a barricade on the fourth side. As these mostly make use of natural formations, very little human effort is needed to create a madaka.Madakas enhance the decreasing groundwater level. This ensures rejuvenation of the subterranean water. • Madakas increase the water levels in wells, tanks and borewells.
All over Karnataka, there are small ponds that dot the landscape. Called gokattes, these pools are designed for use by cattle. Gokattes provide water to drink as well as a place to rest for cattle. Fed by rainwater, these pools serve as a perennial source of water for cattle and a community asset as well.Gokattes are plentiful in the plains of Karnataka including Kolar, Tumkur, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Shimoga and Bangalore rural districts.
History records Tipu Sultan as one of the finest generals in South India. Yet it is a little known fact that the well-being of his soldiers was of prime importance toTipu. His focussed efforts to conserve water at the top of the 50 foot tall hill of Bellary bear testimony to the measures that he took to ensure that his soldiers and the royal family were not effected by shortage of water
Sisandra :Built in stone and located on the sides of roads and highways, sisandras can be
commonly seen in selected areas of Karnataka. These intriguing tub-like structures were constructed to provide water to the weary traveller. Built by the rich and the poor alike, the sisandras are a unique practice that has sadly, faded away. 600 years back in Kolar district give evidence of a sisandra built by a trader, who founded the town of Madamangala.
Talaparige: The word talaparige is used for the point where water springs out from sandy
soil. This is a unique water source that gets activated only when the tank dries up. Talapariges were major sources of water supply in the hilly areas of Tumkur, Chitradurga and Kolar districts. Once revered and celebrated by the community, talapariges were focal points of rural culture. Sadly, today talapariges have disappeared.Every village in Karnataka has a kunte, the water, in which, serves several purposes. Situated in or very close to the village, these kuntes also help to
maintain the ecological balance in the area around it. However kuntes are facing extinction today due to land encroachments. A kunte is very similar to a pond. It is normally circular in shape and not very deep. It is structured in such a way that the rainwater directly flows into it  and is collected in it.



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