The Hindu : Karnataka News : This government school shows the way

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Saturday, Sep 12, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka

This government school shows the way

Firoz Rozindar

It has successfully adopted rainwater harvesting system

A model: The Government Higher Primary School at Hebballi village in Hosadurga taluk of Chitradurga district.

Chitradurga: From a distance, the Government Higher Primary School at Hebballi village in Hosadurga taluk looks like a small farmhouse.

The school, located some 65 km from here, has already made name by maintaining greenery and growing vegetables for midday meals.

Now, going a step further, the school has successfully adopted rainwater harvesting system to overcome drinking water problem.

Since the system was installed a few months ago, 107 students and faculty members of the school have been using the harnessed rainwater for drinking and preparing the midday meals.

“The school was facing severe drinking water crisis. We used to fetch potable water from outside. But we have no such problem now as the harnessed rainwater is enough to meet our requirements,” says S. Shivalingamurthy, the headmaster. “We use water from the bore well, located on the campus, for maintaining the garden.”

He says that a few months ago representatives of Arghyam, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded by Rohini Nilekani, wife of Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, met the school authorities with a proposal to set up the rainwater harvesting system with their funding.

“We were looking for schools in remote villages that were facing acute drinking water problem, and in the process we came to know about this school. We informed the school authorities about the proposal and they agreed to it happily,” says Devaraj Reddy, founder of the implementing agency Geo Rainwater Board. He says that the NGO invested Rs. 1.2 lakh to install the system and construct an underground tank with a storage capacity of 17,500 litres.

A rain gauge has also been installed in the school. A water testing kit has been provided to the authorities to check fluoride content, according to Mr. Reddy.

To maintain greenery and to ensure cleanliness on the campus, the school authorities have constituted a “cabinet” of four “ministers”. Four students have been made in charge of the four ministries. S. Naveen, who is the minister for rainwater harvesting, said, “My job is to ensure that the roof of the school building and the tank is cleaned regularly.” The school also has a midday meal minister, health minister and school garden minister.

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