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Arkavathi river cascades
Written By L.C.nagaraj - 12 March, 2009
Infrastructure Bangalore Water environment suggestion Arkavathy
Dear friends,
as all of you probably know Bangalore was receiving 100% of drinking water from Hesaraghatta and T.G.Halli reservior in the olden days. Even after explosive growth of the metro bangalore was receiving 20% of the drinking water from these reserviors. These 2 reserviors are situated in the tank cascade system of 2 river tributories called Arkavathi and kumudhwathi.
Arkavathi river originates in Nandi hills of chikkaballapur district, and Hulukudi hills of Doddaballapura thaluk. Kumudhwathi originates in shivaganga hills of Nelamangala thaluk. The tanks are in a cascading order; there are small tanks in the upper catchment area and as it flows to down streams the area of the tanks increase. These 2 tributories spread across 4351 square kms of catchment area.
We are travelling across the tank cascades of these 2 river tributories for the past 3 weeks to study the status of tanks and water streams. Almost all the 64 tanks we visited out 1250 tanks in the river basin are silt casted for nearly 4 to 5 feets in water holding areas. The convex shape of the tanks have become concave shaped because of heavy siltation. The connecting streams and water courses have been encroached by many people who live in the vicinity. The encroachers seems to be having political nexus to such a daring but shameless act of encroaching the water bodies and streams.
There is about 55% of eucalyprus monoculture plantations across the catchment area of both Arkavathi and kumudhwathi basins. Eucalyptus is called as the MALARIA plant since it is used only in the swampy areas to absorb moisture and to inhibit mosquito breeding. Eucalyptus impacts the soil very badly with release of chemicals and these chemicals suppress the local biological diversity. Eucalyptus is unlike other decideous trees. Decideous trees like pongamea shed their leaves as the summer approaches to retain the moisture in the stems. Pongamea releases glucose to the soil to absorb nutrients,pongamea maintains soil organic carbon and nitrogen equilibrium to sustain the soil biological web.
Eucalyptus is adversely impacting the hydrological cycle and the there is disturbances in the cloud condensation. The rains have become sporadic and the water in flow has drastically reduced;among 64 tanks we visited there was water in only 6 tanks.
Friends
The only way out from this crisis is to take up suitable remedial measures to mitigate the worsening water crisis. 1) Immediate water shed treatment of land with 33% of agroforestry and alley farming with sequential subsistence crops.2) Desiltation of tanks and water stream restoration. This requires some policy changes at the government level and executing the existing acts and policies. The government departments need to work in co ordination with each other with complete community participation.
If we dont take up immediate measures Bangalore is sure to get suffocated not only with water scarcity but also with oxygen scarcity.
We have started our journey through the cascades of tanks; we will come with a deatailed story with facts and data.
Regards
L.C.Nagaraj
COMMENTS
Take help of the Arghyam trust
mcadambi - 12 March, 2009 - 09:57
You are not the only person to make the observation that Eucalyptus trees suck out all the water. When i was travelling to Devarayanadurga in Tumkur district, my friend who was a lawyer in Bihar also travelling with me, observed the same thing.
I believe that Sri Nandan Nilekani (CEO of Infosys) is a patron of a trust called the 'Arghyam Trust'. This trust is involved in revitalisation of local water resources.
I think you should write to them.
http://arghyam.org/
Rithesh - 12 March, 2009 - 10:33
There are few others also working on reviving Arkavathy river.
Mr Mahesh Bhatt - a photojournalist and Mr. Vishwanath (http://www.rainwaterclub.org/) and a few others have been doing a lot of study on how to revive Arkavathy river and Hessargatta Lake (which is fed by Arkavathy).
May be you should join forces with them and take this thing forward.
The other major problem in this region has been sand mining - it has completely destroyed the river beds. Though the mining is officially banned in the whole of Kolar and Chikballapur districts - illegal mining continues to thrive.
Ravi_D - 13 March, 2009 - 04:04
Informative piece. It is encouraging that someone is looking at these things. Loking forward to the details.
Ravi
L.C.nagaraj - 13 March, 2009 - 10:37
Dear friends,
We have been in touch with Mr.Vishwanath of Arghyam and Mahesh Bhat. We are trying to get in touch with the advocates group which is working on Nandi hills and Arkavathi conservation.
SVARAJ the NGO i am working with had started working in one microwatershed. We have started treating the slopy lands. This particulara tank near Chikkarayappanahalli is not just an ordinary tank but it is a natural spring.
The community had formed an organisation called Channarayaswamy jalanayana abhvriddi samithi with close collaboration with SVARAJ. I am requesting all of you to get in touch with SVARAJ.
May be we can meet and contemplate on how to sustain various activities with regard to Arkavathi river rejuvenation.
Last month i have done a transect journey across the basin area and sand mining in
Arkavathi is completely stopped . But in some remote areas there is some sporadic sand mining activities.
I am restarting my journey through Nelamangala to transect Arkavathi tank cascades in Kumudhwathi sub basin in Nelamangala and Magadi thaluk. I am leaving early morning. Any friends in these areas are requested to be in touch with us.
I cant access internet during journey. Friends from Nelamangala and Magadi are requested to be in touch with me directly.
Regards
L.C.Nagaraj
Phone:9880116198
blrsri - 18 March, 2009 - 08:11
Whatever you are doing here Nagaraj is highly commendable..
Coming to the eucalyptus trees..I read above statements only about them affecting the watertable etc..but nothing about what to do there!
I would say we can get these trees cut by the ever hungry tree cutters of blr..atleast here they would help in a cause!
Once these trees are cut, maybe Praja.in can organize a reforestation campaign to plant more nature friendly trees..
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