Kolar turning into desert: water activist

Magsaysay Award winner and water activist Rajendra Singh has said that unbridled encroachment of water bodies, large-scale pollution and over extraction of groundwater are the bane of Kolar district.

He attributed the water indiscipline among the people of the region as the reason behind driving the district towards desertification.

Mr. Singh, who is president of the Rajasthan-based NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh, was interacting with people’s representatives and officials at a workshop on water management at T. Chennaiah Rangamandira here on Friday.

The water activist explained the changes brought about by managing scarcely-available rainwater in Rajasthan. He laid stress on eviction of tanks and rajakaluves to ensure rainwater flow and increase groundwater level in Kolar and other parts of Karnataka. “The situation at Alwar in Rajasthan and Kolar are similar. However, greenery was brought in Alwar by optimum utilisation of water,” Mr. Singh said.

Lack of political will on the part of people’s representative coupled with people’s disregard towards water bodies is responsible for the acute shortage of drinking water in Kolar, Mr. Singh explained.

Efficient use of water by adopting drip water and other methods of irrigation will solve the shortage problem, he said, and suggested shift in crop pattern in tune with the rain pattern.