Weavers employed with Charaka Vividoddesha Kaigarika Sahakara Sangha, a cooperative society in Honnesara in Sagar taluk who display rare dexterity and deftness in preparing fabrics from naturally dyed cotton handloom cloth, are also rendering shramdaan – voluntary and free labour – for the revival of Virupakshana Jaddu tank in the village.
On Monday, K.A. Dayanand, Deputy Commissioner, and Prasanna, theatre personality, took part in the shramdaan. The DC assured cooperation from the district administration for the work.
The tank, spread over two acres, was filled with silt and weeds had grown on its bed. Bhageerathi K.V., coordinator of Charaka Society, told The Hindu that society functions on Gandhian principles and sustainable development of the villages form its main objective. Like other villages in Malnad region, Honnesara was also gripped with the drinking water problem during summer.
In 2016, to end this problem, members of Charaka decided to increase the underground water level in the village by enhancing the storage capacity of the waterbodies in the vicinity. In the first phase, the work of dredging Virupakshana Jaddu tank was taken up. It was decided to execute the work on the basis of voluntary and free labour or shramdaan. After the weeds were cleared and silt removed, its storage capacity enhanced resulting in corresponding improvement in ground water level. The society also uses water from the tank for its activities.
On the deployment of workforce for the work, she said weavers associated with Charaka do the shramdaan for two-three hours a day after discharging their core work to the society. Shramajeevi Ashram where the naturally dyed cotton handloom garments of Charaka are made, attracts many visitors including bureaucrats, students, academicians, and littérateurs, who prefer to stay here and do shramdaan.
The visitors also made donations. Ms. Bhageerathi said more than ₹3.50 lakh has been collected as donation so far.
Hired workers deal with skilled tasks like repair of culverts, metal gates and inlet drains. They are paid wage under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The remaining work was executed on shramdaan basis. From 2016 to 2018, dredging was taken up in summer, she said.
In August 2018, the bund of the tank had breached owing to heavy rain. This summer, the bund is being repaired and strengthened. Ms. Bhageerathi said the society has planned for the revival of more waterbodies through shramdaan.