Karnataka   

100-year-old tank may disappear soon

ON THE BRINK: B. Katehalli Kere in Hassan is getting destroyed with garbage and granite waste being thrown into it.

HASSAN: B. Katehalli Kere, on the Hassan-Arsikere Road, is a 100-year-old tank, which holds water throughout the year.

The water-table in Sathyamangala and the polytechnic area around the tank has increased in recent times. Earlier, the tank covered a 10-acre area.

But now it has come down to just two acres as most of the land has been encroached upon.

Social worker K.J. Jagadish, in an informal chat with The Hindu, had interesting things to say about the tank.

About 30 years ago, people from nearby villages, including Dudda and Gandsi, used to come to Hassan for their weekly trade.

The cattle fair here was famous then. A smaller fair was also held once a week, while the annual fair was held for one month in December.

People from these villages used to come by bullock cart and stop over for a brief period at this tank.

They also used to bring along food with them. The village people used to assemble here, and after eating, they would proceed to Hassan in groups.

As petty thieves were always on the prowl, they generally travelled together. As they used to camp at the tank, it was called “Butti Kattee Kere”, he said.

In the past 10 years, Hassan has witnessed rapid industrial growth. There are granite factories in the district as well as in the industrial estate.

The factories started dumping waste into the tank, as a result of which it became highly polluted. The granite waste (containing cement and granite powder), when thrown into the water, becomes a cement block, which cannot be removed later, Mr. Jagadish said. The B. Katehalli Gram Panchayat office was constructed on a portion of the tank bed. There is a police residential colony nearby. The office of the Regional Transport Officer is also located in the vicinity. The respective departments have surprisingly not objected to the environmental pollution being caused by these developments.

The Irrigation Department publishes pamphlets to educate people on how to preserve groundwater. It also runs campaigns on rainwater harvesting. But it has not done anything against such callousness.

Mr. Jagadish said Hassan was known for its tanks. There were more than 20 in the city and hence the place used to be cool. Now, as they were being “taken over” to make way for residential colonies, the city could face problems in future. “If we do not protect this tank, we will lose all of them one by one,” he added.

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