Retired IAS officer on mission to revive lost Dakshina Pinakini river

BENGALURU: A retired IAS officer has embarked on an ambitious initiative to rejuvenate the Dakshina Pinakini river, which used to flow through Bengaluru, but has now completely dried up. The river originated at Nandi Hills and flowed through Chikkaballapur, Hosakote, Malur and Sarjapura along the city’s eastern side. The river reportedly finds a mention in ancient literature, with many temples dotting its banks.

Former Additional Chief Secretary N Vishwanathan, who was also the Development Commissioner and the Agriculture Production Commissioner when he retired 16 years ago, began the Dakshina Pinakini River Rejuvenation Trust a year ago. He has put together a team of field experts who have been speaking to several villagers near Bengaluru to take up practices which will help restore the river. The trust relies on CSR funding and has approached several firms, many of which, including Tata Group, have given grants or have agreed in principle.

Scientists, geologists, geo-hydrologists, lawyers, financial experts and farmers are members of the 55-member team. Vishwanathan said the principle was to revive the river purely by utilising rainfall in the river basin area. The state government has recently given approval for work on three tanks in Chikkaballapur.

“The project involves informing farmers along the river basin to construct bunds or trenches for watershed development. Farmers who own over three acres should also construct a small pond,” he said. Another aspect of the project is revival of the tanks dotting the basin, and Vishwanathan says there were about 3,000 of them.

Several steps, as part of the project, are aimed at saving water by reducing its consumption. Farmers are being told to switch to the flow irrigation system from the drip irrigation system. Nearly 2,000 borewells along the basin, many of which are completely dry, are being fitted with rainwater recharging structures. 

Another move being taken up to save water is to replace large plantations of eucalyptus trees along the basin with other trees, as these trees absorb high amounts of ground water. The plantation owners will be paid compensation for the same. 

“Indiscriminate use of chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides also leads to high water consumption. Organic farms do not need these chemicals, and farmers have been agreeing to switch to organic farming, provided they get a good price and yield, for which the trust has taken up responsibly,” Vishwanathan said.
The most difficult part of the project, Vishwanathan said, was to ensure entry of clean water into the 200-odd lakes in Bengaluru, so that water from them flows into the river basin. The trust had a stall at the Krishi Mela at University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), where visitors could choose to be a part of the project either as an investor, an employee or a volunteer.