Karnataka's Koppal village sets example in water usage

Here’s a village in Koppal district which is showing others the way to tackle water crisis in summer months.
The well in Tuggaladoni village.
The well in Tuggaladoni village.

KOPPAL: Here’s a village in Koppal district which is showing others the way to tackle water crisis in summer months.  For residents of Tuggaladoni, a remote village in Kushtagi taluk, judicious use of water has become a way of life.  The ancient well in front of Sharanabasaveswa Temple in the village has been the main source of water here for the past several years.

The village elderls insist on judicious use of water, besides cleanliness around the well, said residents Basavantappa Angadi and Sharanappa Gatti in one voice.

It all started two years ago after some of the youths “wasted”  water from the borewells. This promoted the village elders to direct the residents to collect the water from the borewells and stored them in the well.

The elders did not just stop with that. They urged the residents to lift water judiciously from the well with the help of a rope tied to pots instead of using an electric pump so that water woes could be tackled effectively in the summer months owing to depletion of underground water table.

The village, with a population of 1,500, has been following this practice for the last two years. According to a Gram Panchayat official, the village hasn’t been facing water woes in summer. The gram panchayat has also extended its cooperation in this regard, said Kamalamma, a resident.

Cleanliness around the well is also ensured as no villager goes near it wearing footwear. Besides, washing of clothes and animals is not allowed. “While lifting water, if a pot slips into the well,  only one person is allowed to go down the steps and bring back the pot without dirtying the water,” a school student said. 

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