Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003 |
| Southern States | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Southern States
-
Karnataka
By Our Special Correspondent
Speaking at the second interactive session on the first day of his seven-day tour of the State here on Sunday, Mr. Rajendra Singh said that if dried-up tanks could be rejuvenated in his home State of Rajasthan, there was no reason why it could not be done in Karnataka. In fact, factors here were more congenial than in Rajasthan, he said. The exercise could succeed only if people participated in it in a big way. In Rajasthan, thanks to the work done by him, his associates, and the people, many dried-up rivers now had water. And so was the case with ponds and tanks, which had brought about a change in the lives of the people, he said and added that all the work was done by the people themselves without depending on the Government for assistance. People, who had migrated elsewhere due to poor rains, had started coming back to their villages. The difficulties faced by the people of Karnataka, which had been affected by drought for the second successive year, could be overcome if people understood the importance of water, learned to manage it properly, and worked on rejuvenating water sources, he said. Criticising the water policy of the Union Government, the implications of which prompted him to take out the "Jal Chetana Yatra", Mr. Rajendra Singh said the water policy was an affront to the people. It sought to turn water, which was an asset of the people and the community, into an instrument of commercial exploitation. This should not be allowed. Mr. Rajendra Singh termed the water policy as "anti-people" and "anti-farmer". Water should be equitably distributed. Maharashtra was facing water shortage mainly because the sugarcane lobby had appropriated a major quantity of it, he said. Mr. Rajendra Singh said the time had come for the people to assert their rights over water and frustrate the plans of the Government to privatise it. Thanks to the sustained agitation by the people, he said, a move by the Chattisgarh Government had been frustrated. Mr. Rajendra Singh lauded the steps being taken in Karnataka to ensure people's participation in the management of water. Basavaraj Shivannavar, Congress MLA and former Minister of State for Forests and Environment, who inaugurated the "Jal Chetana Yatra," spoke of the schemes planned by the State Government to safeguard the interests of the State on water and land by involving people. Rajashekar Sindhur, President of the Savanur Municipality and practitioner of the organic farming, replied to questions from people on the benefits of organic farming. S.L.Pawar, President, Navodaya Educational and Environment Development Services (NEEDS), who presided over the function, said that village forests committee, tank development societies, and mini watershed development programmes were functioning well in the district, and natural regeneration of forests was being taken up. It was for the people to protect the natural resources, he said. V.B.Patil, Chief Executive Officer of Haveri Zilla Panchayat, released a book, "Regeneration of natural forests," written by Samad Kottur of NEEDS. Mr. Rajendra Singh was felicitated <243>on the occasion. S.D.Baligar proposed a vote of thanks.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | Home |
Copyright © 2003, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
