With depleting water table in DK and Udupi over a decade, need to build more ‘kattas’ in the coastal belt stressed

P. Dharanendra Kumar, former Zilla Panchayat member, is leading the way to build 'kattas' across Phalguni and its tributaries to store water for summer. College students, NSS volunteers and villagers are joining hands to construct them. The cost of construction is borne by donors, including Mr. Kumar. Statistics reveal that underground water table is depleting fast in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Mr. Kumar is urging people to join hands to build more 'kattas' to overcome water scarcity.

After taking the lead to build about 50 ‘kattas’ (small bunds) across the Phalguni and its tributaries in about a 25-km radius of Venoor town during the late 2019 and early 2020 to store water for summer, P. Dharanendra Kumar, a former Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat member, and Vice-President is geared up again to reconstruct them.

Mr. Kumar told The Hindu that those ‘kattas’ could not be built during 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

College students, especially NSS volunteers, and villagers had joined hands with Mr. Kumar to construct those ‘kattas’ which also recharged ground water.

The ‘kattas’ were built between December 2019 and February 2020 in the jurisdiction of eight gram panchayats on the foot of the Western Ghats in Belthangady taluk. They came up in large numbers in a typical geographical area for the first time in Dakshina Kannada, thanks to the students of Alva’s College, Dhavala College and S.N. Polytechnic in Moodbidri; St. Aloysius College in Mangaluru; Government First Grade Colleges in Vamadapadav, Punjalkatte and Belthangady and the people of the villages under the panchayats.

The community under the leadership of Mr. Kumar, a former member from Naravi zilla panchayat constituency, used sand bags and soil to build them without using any grant from the government. The cost of construction, including the supply of material, food and transportation, was borne by donors, including Mr. Kumar. The ‘shramdan’ saved labour charges.

Of about 50 bunds built, 14 were under Marodi Gram Panchayat, seven in Naravi panchayat, eight under Kashipatna panchayat, five in Andinje panchayat, two each under Sulkeri and Arambodi gram panchayats, five in Hosangady panchayat and six under Venoor Gram Panchayat.

“With water scarcity looming large year after year and underground water table depleting fast, more ‘kattas’ should be built in the entire Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts especially to overcome Summer. Not only farmers, but animals, and birds also need water. Students, voluntary organisations, and people in general should join hand,” Mr. Kumar said.