The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Bhoomijal Samvardhan Puraskar for Uthanur Panchayat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 04, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Bhoomijal Samvardhan Puraskar for Uthanur Panchayat

Nagesh Prabhu

50 dry tubewells have become active yielding 700 gallons of water an hour
Household income increased from a pre-project average of Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 40,000

Achievement: Uthanur Srinivas receiving the Bhoomijal Samvardhan Puraskar and the National Water Award 2007 from President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi recently.

BANGALORE: While rainwater harvesting has become the ‘mantra’ for all, a gram panchayat in Kolar district has silently carved a niche at the national level by adopting innovative practices of groundwater augmentation through rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge.

With its feat, the Uthanur Panchayat in Mulbagal taluk, comprising 12 revenue villages and spread across 2,605 hectares of land, got the Bhoomijal Samvardhan Puraskar and the National Water Award, 2007, instituted by the Union Ministry of Water Resources.

The panchayat has been implementing the Sujala Watershed Project since 2004 and has brought positive results to the lives of 1,327 families residing in the panchayat limits.

Uthanur Gram Panchayat and Watershed Subcommittee President Uthanur Srinivas said that the implementation of the community-based integrated and holistic project enhanced water availability, crop productivity and income of all households in the villages.

The household income had increased from a pre-project average of Rs. 12,000 in 2004 to Rs. 40,000 a year in 2006.

Mr. Srinivas, who received the award from President Pratibha Patil, Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, a few days ago, recalled the contributions of the villagers and Sujala Watershed Project Commissioner Sandeep Dave for the implementation of the projects in the last few years.

The panchayat, which falls under the dry zone category, with an annual average rainfall of about 817.90 mm spread over 25 days on an average, has brought 1,248.08 hectares under the project. In all, 510.04 metres of field bunds, 121 metres of boulder bunds, 84 farm ponds, 43 percolation pits, 134 boulder checks and two nala bunds were constructed to harvest water. This is apart from planting 10,053 forestry and 17,986 horticulture plants at a cost of Rs. 56.87 lakh in private lands in the last three years.

Pointing out the assessment impact carried out by Antrix Corporation of ISRO, Bangalore, Mr. Srinivas said “about 50 tube wells that were dry before the project have become active and yield 600 to 700 gallons of water an hour. The success rate for new drills is 7 per cent higher in the treated areas”.

Ten women self-help groups were formed and they provided a revolving fund of Rs. 6.56 lakh to set up micro-enterprises for income-generation as sustainable livelihood options.

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