A Belagavi-based NGO, Pyaas Foundation, will take up a comprehensive watershed development project, including the construction of a lake in Nagarmunoli village near Raibag in Belagavi district.
“We are developing a project that involves creating a reservoir by excavating a suitable depth to provide a water catchment area. The reservoir will be created by barraging a stream of water flowing through the village. This project will not only help augment the groundwater in the region but also double up as a lake. The lake will serve as a water source for devotees visiting the Siddeshwar temple, located in the vicinity of the lake,” Madhav Prabhu, coordinator, said.
The foundation has taken up several watershed development works, but this is the most ambitious of the projects till now, he said.
Meanwhile, foundation members realised the seriousness of the problem faced by Nagarmunoli residents after supplying tanker water to the village in the last few summers. The village near Raibag has around 8,000 residents who are forced to drill for water up to 700 ft.
“The project cost is estimated to be around ₹15 lakh. We are raising funds for this purpose,” Dr. Prabhu said. It is a fast-track project, expected to be completed by June this year. “Work has begun. We are using earthmovers to clear the ground in a low-lying area to carve out the contours of the waterbody,” he said.
Water conservation and management is an area of prime focus for Pyaas Foundation.
The foundation was founded in 2016, when the district suffered a debilitating drought. Using various short-term and long-term methods such as creation of waterbodies and tanker supply, the foundation has supplied fresh drinking water to over 1,00,000 people, especially in rural areas.
