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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
L.C.nagaraj - 24 March, 2009 - 07:29
I will show you fear in a hand full of dust
T.S.Eliot in waste land
Dear Vishwanathji,
Thenk you for your compliments
Dear Rithesh,
Thanks for adding the scientific names for the tree species that i mentioned. I am conemplating on tree crops with diversity for many prime reasons.
1) To decrease the pressure on the existing aquifers,2) to meet the organic carbon requirement of soils.3) To sink atmospheric carbon 4) to meet the renewable energy requirement and 5) to decrease the hydrological impact on the soils and to increase the osmotic pressure in soils so that rain water is percolated in to the rhizosphere of trees.
AS all of you are aware there is 45% malnutrition among Indian children and we are expected to produce quality vegetables to meet the energy requirement of future Indian generation. The pulse consumption in India is on the drastic decline in proportionate with the nitrogen deficiency in soil. This tells us the story of our impoverished farmers and impoverished soils.The farmers have forgotten to cultivate pigeon pea(red gram) and are busy only growing tomato,potato,cabbage and cauliflower. Every summer its the very same story to pump more and more water,to grow tomato and to dump it in the roads. This is a virtual loss to aquifers,to livelihoods and to the ecosystems. We are calculating only liveli hood loss but we are not looking at the environmental cost.
Pigeon pea can grow in rainfed conditions, it can absorb atmospheric amonium and convert it in to nitrogen which is required to in soils. We have forgotten that pulse crops are essential to meet the nutrient requirement of both soils,animals and humans. Farmere cultivate the same crop in the same land repeatedly and hence pathogen infestation is more. Then farmers turn towards the pesticide suppliers to get rid of the pathogens. There are SHYLAKS sitting in the shops who prescribe solvation for the farmers.
Soils in Devanahalli,Doddaballapur and Chikkaballapur are completely depleted and they abound with heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. As one of the Italian chemist had said the organo chlorine based pesticides are radio mimetic in nature; they imitate radiation. Our agriculture fields have become silent HIROSHIMAS. Farmers have developed stereotypic notions on the use of pesticides; spiders have been targetted by the farmers with the thinking that they harm the crops.In fact spiders are carnivorous and they feed on the pests which harm the crops.
Many crop friendly predators,birds,scavenging birds are on the verge of extinction; throught Arkavathi basin i came across the bat habitation only near two lakes.1) Near Kanchganala(Doddaballapur- Nandi hills road), 2) Banavadi (magadi thaluk). In fact each bat feed on nearly 250 grams of insects in its nocturnal journey.
So now its time our farmers go in for tree crops,reduce pressure on aquifers and find time to relax after a futile journey called " green revolution".
To test the hypothesis we from SVARAJ conducted a small experiment on tree crops in Alur of Kundana hobli. The land belongs to Mr.C.Nanjappa who was an industrious farmer with intense potato and grapes cultivation. The grapes failed after few years,the land was left fallow for 6 years. SVARAJ was looking for a piece of land to experiment tree crops for livelihood and to decrese the pressure on aquifers. Mr.Nanjappa agreed to our proposition but water availability was just 6000 litres per day. The bore well was almost gasping for water,after the land treatment the water quality started changing, there was regular water delivery from the bore well.
So now there are 450 drum stick trees yielding. In 2006 with the limiting factor of water we planted only 120 drum stick trees along with papaya to suppress to parthenium. In 12 months drum stick trees yielded an average of 80 pods per tree of 1 metre length, in 2008 it got increased to 300 pods per tree. Now the trees have flowered again and the farmer Mr.C.Nanjappa is expecting nearly 400 pods per tree.
Drum stick plants require water only in the growth stage, the interspace can be utilised for natural rain dependant pulse crops. In fact tomatos grow very well with drum stick trees. We have conserved and propogated a land race variety of tomato called 'cherry tomato'. Many neighbouring chemical farmers ridiculed our beloved cherry tomato. But thats going to be our only future tomato which can grow in rain fed conditions.
Along with tree crops,alley farming method and companion cropping method we can reclaim the river for all of us.
Regards
L.C.Nagaraj
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..
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.
Naveen - 12 March, 2009 - 14:12
Excellent Work being done - & await the final report.
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