ICAR-KVK, Hirehalli, Tumakuru bagged First Prize in 3rd National Water Award for NICRA Project
The NICRA Village of Tumakuru District, D. Nagenahalli (Yelerampura Gram Panchayat) being implemented by the ICAR – Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Hirehalli, Tumakuru, Karnataka was bestowed with the 1st Prize in the “3rd National Water Awards-2020” on 29th March, 2022 in New Delhi
Dr. N. Loganandhan, Principal Scientist & Head, ICAR-KVK, Hirehalli received the Award from the Honourable President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind ji, in the third National Water Awards and Launch of Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain Campaign 2022 in New Delhi. Shri. P.R.Ramesh NICRA Nodal Officer, President and PDO of Yeleramapura Gram Panchayat also accompanied him during the award function.
The President said that in order to make water everyone’s business and to make the Jal Andolan a Jan Andolan – a mass movement, the Government of India in 2019 launched the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan’. And in the same year ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ was also launched. Last year on 22nd March, on ‘World Water Day’, the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ campaign was launched by the Prime Minister which was taken up in all districts in rural as well as urban areas of the country during the pre-monsoon and monsoon period. He appreciated state governments for their commendable contribution in the success of this campaign amidst the challenges of the corona pandemic. Noting the exemplary work done by the National Water Award-winners for water management in their respective fields, the President said that on the basis of such examples, we could find hope for a water-secure future.
The Yeleramapura Gram Panchayat, Tumakuru District, Karnataka was felicitated with the Award by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India while recognizing the commendable efforts in the area of water conservation and management in the category of the “Best Village Panchayat – South Zone”.
Since, the region is under Semi-Arid with the high variability of rainfall, the various Rain Water Harvesting Structures as part of Technology Demonstration Component of NICRA were constructed/renovated to conserve, store and provide the critical irrigations to the Kharif and Rabi Crops. About 81 Farm Ponds, 13 Check Dams, 13 Percolation Tanks and 53 Open / Bore Recharge Structures were constructed as a part of the TDC-NICRA Programme since 2011. It helped in harvesting of the rain water of 2,03,360 Cubic Meters (20.33 Crore Litres) in the Village. This led to the increase of additional area under the irrigation by 52 ha during the Kharif and 35 ha area during the Rabi Season. The several In-Situ Moisture Conservation Methods like Tree based farming system and dryland horticulture crops demonstrated in 43.5 ha area,Trench-cum-Bunding, Sowing across the slope and improved planting methods were adopted by the farmers resulted in the higher yields upto 35%.
Dr.B.N. Srinivasa Murthy, Director, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru and Dr.V.Venkatasubramanian, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Zone XI, Bengaluru congratulated the Team KVK Hirehalli, Tumakuru and urged them to continue being exemplars and source of motivation. They expressed confidence that these Awards would usher in a water consciousness in the minds of people of India and would help in bringing about a behavioural change.
