Mandya: Dasanadoddi is one of the many villages in Malavalli taluk in Mandya, and one that few beyond the district had even heard of till
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest edition of ‘
Mann Ki Baat’. The man who turned the attention of the whole nation to this hamlet is
Kamegowda, who has created 16 ponds in Dasanadoddi single-handed on a barren land. His singular achievement received praise from
PM Modi in his speech on the broadcast.
Kamegowda, an octogenarian, known as the ‘
Pond Man’, said that he decided to dig all the ponds in order to ensure that his sheep and other
livestock of the residents in Dasanadoddi and nearby villages had enough water. “My efforts have yielded desirable results. There is much more water here now, and it is also helping afforestation efforts. We do not know anything much apart from conserving nature,” said Kamegowda.
Mandya district president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Shambunahalli Suresh hailed Kamegowda’s efforts, dubbing the latter an exceptional man. “We are lucky to have such people around us, and we must strive to emulate them and their deeds,” Suresh added.