 Gokak goes green
The people of Gokak have learnt to use a simple, indigenous technique, in an innovative
manner to rejuvenate the environment. As a result, water and greenery has returned to
Gokak, a small industrial township located about 70 km from Belgaum City, Karnataka.
BAIF
|
Water and
greenery has made a home in Gokak |
Gokak is well known for its giangetic waterfalls
and for producing the finest papers in the State. Gokak paper mills, which were set up by
a Britisher in 1885, are now a part of the Tata groups. With the assistance of BAIF, a
Sharadangara-based non-governemental organisation, they decided to improve the environment
around the mill that mainly comprised of the dense patches of the thorny shrubs. The
region receives 50 cm of rainfall and it used to flow out of the region, as the land was
barren. N G Hegde, BAIF president remembers, "In 1983 when we started the work, the
land was totally degraded. Our challenge was to make use of the loose stones abundantly
available to restore the vegetative cover".
Ready to take action
A rainwater harvesting seminar was organised by
department of rural development, government of Uttar Pradesh in April 2002, at Lucknow.
The governor of Uttar Pradesh Vishnu Kant Shastri inaugurated the seminar. The objective
was to chalk out an effective water management strategy.
While addressing the audience during the
inaugural session, the governor expressed his concern over the steady decline of water
level in the state. He rallied for a public awareness campaign to popularising water
harvesting in the state. Speaking on the ocassion, Anna Hazare of Ralegan Siddhi, a model
village in Maharashtra lauded the efforts of the state department. While, emphasising on
the need to popularise watershed programme for making villages self-reliant. Anupam
Mishra’s of Gandhi Peace Foundation, a Delhi-based NGO presentation was an eye opener
for most of the participants. He shared the community-based traditional approach adopted
by villagers of western Rajasthan to overcome their perennial water shortage problems.
During the seminar, presentations were made by
Nafisa Barot, Executive Trustee of UTTHAN an Ahmedabad-based NGO, Robert D’Costa from
WOTR, an Ahmednagar- based NGO, Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based NGO
and officials from Madhya Pradesh, who are actively promoting watershed development works.
The chief development officers from the
districts, secretaries and deputy secretaries from rural and agricultural department had
participated in the seminar. Speakers provided the participants with details on water
conservation as food for thought. It was a step towards making water everybody’s
business. |
The works started first with the collection of the loose stones that
were preventing water percolation and the growth of grass. There were few barren patches
of land, where natural vegetative regeneration was not possible due to poor moisture
stress. It was decided to utilise these stones for the construction of the contour bunds.
The technology applied for wasteland development was simple and indigenous. Subabool, a
fast growing drought provalant species was planted along the contour bunds for ensuring
the adequate supply of fodder, fuel and timber for the local population. Later on other
plant species like bamboo, neem, sheesham and custard awala were also introduced. These
steps facilitated in the regeneration of several grass species and in the better growth of
the trees like, neem. These trees were never watered. They grew fast and started fruiting
within four years. In some patches where, soil was fertile – the fruit plants like,
mango, custrad apple, cashew, jackfruit, tamarind and Indian goseberry have been
successfully planted. Many people have purchased milching cattles to supplement their
incomes. The paper mill is also earning from the sales of the wood.
Within a decade over 340 hectares of wasteland has been brought under tree plantation
with over 8.5 lakh seedlings surviving. The works have successfully generated 1.4 lakh
person days of employment for the local community. People have understood the advantages
of cutting grass without damaging the tree. A P Goeinka Memorial Award acknowledged these
achievements for Environment in 1988.
For further information:
BAIF – Institution for Rural
Development,
Tiptur Hassan Road
Sharadangara - 572 202 ,
Tel: 08134-51337, 50659 |
