A model of the ancient underground water supply system of the Adil Shahi era is among the many eye-catching displays on water conservation set up at ‘Barishpur’ (rain town) in Vijayapura city.
Developed on about two acres near Kendriya Vidyalaya in the city, Barishpur was conceptualised and designed by Nirmiti Kendra, a government-funded agency. The beautiful ‘town’ has many life-size models depicting the importance of conserving rainwater, mainly in parched districts such as Vijayapura, which faces drought almost every alternate year.
Among the models are an inverted umbrella, which sends the message of storing water, and women collecting rainwater in sheets and filling up a tank with it. The models also depict the people’s struggle to fetch water and a picture of drought. Some models display how rooftops can be used to channelise rainwater and store it in underground tanks.
“Conserving water has become an important aspect the world over as many countries are facing acute water scarcity. Considering this, we wanted to create a model that would not only highlight the problems people face in collecting water, but also the importance of conserving rainwater, which is a major source of water in the world,” said G. N. Malaji, planning director of Nirmiti Kendra. He said that after consultation, a decision was taken to get a small town-like model prepared where all these aspects could be presented.
“That is when the idea of Barishpur took shape. The kendra hired a Mysuru-based agency to design and execute the idea. The entire model was inaugurated in 2005 at a cost of ₹7 lakh only. Today, it attracts schools that bring students to educate them about the importance of water conservation,” he said.