It's all about water, Sri Ranga at Chokkady - India Together

: Soil and water conservation (SWC) have attained utmost importance in recent years. Citizen participation irrespective of social and geographical disparities has become critical for conservation efforts to bear fruit. Farmer-journalist ‘Shree’ Padre is well-known name amongst the farming community in Karnataka. For several years now, he has been writing in Kannada farm journals about the success stories of water and soil conservation. On Oct 27 Shree Padre announced the formation of “Jalakoota”. Jalakoota has been launched as an informal forum for initiating people into soil and water conservation, under the leadership of Shree Padre. The forum plans to bring about public awareness both in villages and cities. And what could be a better venue to launch this forum than the natural amphitheater designed by Pailoor Srinivas Rao? Pailoor Srinivas Rao has been farming for several decades in the village of Chokkady, around 70km from Mangalore. Located adjacent to his home, near Kukkujadka, this amphitheater, called Sri Ranga has a stage of 20ft by 25ft size, three galleries, and can accommodate 250 people. The theater was packed for the inauguration of Jalakoota at 4pm on Oct 27. A surrounding flower garden imparts a pleasant appearance to the locale. The trees around the gallery will provide ample shade on any sunny afternoon. Village associations can organise programmes here free of cost. What’s more, it is hoped by everyone who attended that this new open-air auditorium will play a role to the enhancement of cultural heritage in and around Chokkady. To that end, paintings depicting noted Kannada plays including Nagamandala, Chomana Dudi, Gandhi and Kerege Hara, by artist Mohan Sona were on display at the amphitheater, enlivening the atmosphere. Water conservation doesn’t mean the construction of few check dams. There is no universal formula to apply. The ideal mode of conservation is to choose a method based on the geography and the environment of the respective area and work collectively or individually. Jalakoota plans to work to enlighten people about several issues and techniques that the soil and water conservation methods comprise. The forum will gather information about the success stories in various parts of the world and study if useful factors from those methods can be applied to local conditions. The forum will also act as a link among the like-minded and provide guidance to those wanting to be initiated into conservation activities. The meeting began with Prajavani (a leading Kannada daily) assistant editor Nagesh Hegde releasing four books on water conservation written by Shree Padre. The books are Hanigoodisuva Haadhiyalli (On the way to conserve water), Maththe Rooparel Baththalilla (River Rooparel never went dry after), Baanigondu Aalike (A Funnel to Sky), and Gujaraathina Neera Thijori-Tanka (Tanka - Gujarath’s water treasure). Many success stories of soil and water conservation in India and abroad are documented in these books. Dr L C Soans, a well-known innovative farmer of Moodabidre inaugurated the Jalakoota. The Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts Watershed Development Officer Dr.Manjunath Thambakada also spoke at the meeting. Anitha Pailoor Dharwad November 2001 - Related: Agriculture on India Together.