'Dead' lake along Belagavi-Goa highway rejuvenated
THE GOAN NETWORK
BELAGAVI
Reeling under the summer heat and parched land due to dried village wells and tanks, villagers of Prabhunagar, 15 kms along the Belagavi-Goa highway, have found respite in ‘Pyaas’ a foundation recently launched by activists in Belagavi.
A village lake that had long since dried up is being revived and plans are afoot to develop the lake into a picnic spot for Goans travelling along the highway.
The Pyaas team which is engaged in supplying drinking water to parched villages around Belagavi has not only rescued them from the thirst, but has given them relief and a new lease of life. Humanitarian efforts by the foundation have helped villagers in rejuvenating the village lake that had long since dried up.
It all happened when the Pyaas team visited Prabhu Nagar to supply water through tankers. An elderly villager said a lake had existed near the village where he swam and played in his younger days. Over the years, the lake was filled with silt and almost vanished.
“The younger generation was unaware about the existence of this lake. Guided by the elderly villagers, we have excavated the area that was covered with shrubs. JCBs were deployed and deep pit was also dug. To our surprise water started gushing from the depth,” Shailesh Joshi of Pyaas Foundation told The Goan.
The villagers were delighted to see water amid the scorching summer. Charged up with the development and looking at the smile on the faces of the villagers, a team of the foundation comprising Dr Madhav Prabhu, businessmen Shailesh Joshi, Vijay Patil, Prasad Prabhu, Kiran Nippanikar, Dr Aarati Bhandare, Lalan Prabhu, Rohan Kulkarni and others have now taken up the cause.
‘Mission Lake’ has commenced with an intention of reviving and rejuvenating the lake to fuller extent, so that it serves the villagers in all their needs and provides water to their cattle. Local MLA Arvind Patil who also visited the spot on Monday and assured the team of his aid.
“Since the lake is very close to the national highway, we can also develop it as a picnic spot for Goans who are travelling on this highway,” MLA Arvind said.
The foundation has plans to plant flowering trees that attract different species of birds. The lake is spread over 15 gunthas of land and Pyaas Foundation wants all work to be complete before monsoon.
