STATE WIDE WORKSHOP ON “Conservation of Lakes and Water Bodies”

Organised by Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology & Environment Support Group, supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and in association with St. Philomena's College, Mysore

Date: 19 December, 2015
Time: 10.30 am - 1.30 pm
Venue: St.Philomena’s College Auditorim, Bannimantap, Bangalore -Mysore Road, Mysore- 570015

 

Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology

&

Environment Support Group

in association with St. Philomena's College, Mysore

invite you to a workshop on

“Conservation of Lakes and Water Bodies”

lake- bangalore

 This workshop is organised as part of the efforts in “Networking for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) – Eco Water Literacy Campaign 2011” (Karnataka) and is supported by    the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

 

All are welcome: This workshop is open to all and is particularly useful to officers of Municipal, Taluk and Panchayat agencies, Minor Irrigation department, Forest Department, public health

agencies, teachers, media persons and representatives of voluntary sector. The Mysore workshop is the third workshop in a series that is held across Karnataka. Participants will be provided

with legal, technical and ecological resource materials on conservation of lakes and also about rainwater harvesting. Please confirm your participation by sending an email to

pushpa@esgindia.org or call 91-80-267135560 /61

 

Date and Venue of Mysore workshop: Saturday,19th December,2015, 10.30 AM to 1.30 P.M at St.Philomena’s College Auditorim, Bannimantap, Bangalore -Mysore Road, Mysore- 570015

 

Kindly share this invitation with your colleagues, friends and associates.

 

Kind regards,

A . R. Shivakumar

Senior Fellow

Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology

Indian Institute of Science Campus,

Bangalore – 560012

Tel: +91-080-2334 1652 / 2334 8848 / 2334 8849

E-mail: office@kscst.org.in, office@kscst.iisc.ernet.in

Website: www.kscst.org.in, www.kscst.iisc.ernet.in

 

 

Bhargavi S. Rao and Leo F. Saldanha

Coordinators/Trustees

Environment Support Group®

1572, 100 Feet Ring Road,

Banashankari II Stage, Bangalore 560070

Tel: 91-80-26713560-61

Voice/Fax: 91-80-26713316

Email: esg@esgindia.org

Web: www.esgindia.org

 

Brief Background:

As urbanization increases, demand for water -- Earth's finite freshwater supplies, is increasingly strained. Water is also increasingly contaminated by domestic, agricultural and industrial pollution. Many more live in areas with scarce water resources and lack access to an adequate and safe water supply. This has resulted in serious public health and environmental impacts. It is projected that by 2025 water scarcity will affect nearly two-thirds of all people on the planet. There is, thus, an urgent need to protect our water bodies, rejuvenate them and extend water security for present and future generations.

 

Irrigation tanks (lakes) built across the region over hundreds of years have helped harvest rain water and extend water security during non-rainy seasons. Besides helping irrigation of farm areas, they recharge ground water aquifers and have evolved into a network of wetland ecosystems. Their maintenance and upkeep, and also reverence, has been an intrinsic part of local culture and tradition.

 

Karnataka region was once filled with a network of lakes, ponds and raja kaluves (canals). Bus stands, stadiums, residential layouts, shopping complexes and much more have been raised on these lakes and tank beds. Those surviving in highly urbanized areas are reduced to cesspools due to discharge of industrial effluents, domestic sewage and unregulated dumping of solid wastes. Due to siltation, many lakes are unable to recharge groundwater. Several thousands of lakes have disappeared increasing water insecurity and resulting in hardship for lakhs of people.

There are nearly 38,000 big and small tanks still left in Karnataka. Many of them are under threat from unplanned urbanization and expansion, infrastructure development, due to pollution and lack of upkeep. It is critical that we must enhance our efforts to ensure these lakes remain to ensure health, economic and ecological security of present and futures generations.

 

It is in this context, that Environment Support Group & St.Philomena’s college, Mysore, in collaboration with Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, and with support from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, invite you to participate in workshops and appreciate what steps can be taken to save lakes and ensure water security for present and future generations. These workshops will also assist participants with knowledge of building simple rain water harvesting systems for homes, apartments, public buildings, etc. and thus building water security and public health by harvesting pure rain water. Participants will also be assisted in appreciating implications of the 11th April 2012 directions of the High Court of Karnataka in W.P. 817/2008 (Environment Support Group and ors. Vs. State of Karnataka and ors.) and the consequent establishment of the District Lake Protection Committees to protect lakes from encroachment, pollution and lack of maintenance.

 

The annual rainfall in Karnataka varies roughly from 50 to 350 cm. In the districts of Bijapur, Raichur, Bellary and southern half of Gulbarga, the rainfall is lowest varying from 50 to 60 cm. The rainfall increases significantly in the western part of the state and reaches its maximum over the coastal belt. The south-west monsoon is the principal rainy season during which Karnataka receives 80% of its rainfall. Rainfall in the winter season (January to February) is less than one per cent of the annual total, in the hot weather season (March to May) about 7% and in the post-monsoon season about 12%. The north-east monsoon (October to December) effects the eastern parts of South Interior Karnataka and accounts for about 30% of rainfall in this region. Out of the 14 heavy rainfall stations in India, with annual rainfall of more than 500 cm., four stations are situated in Karnataka. But the last few years even these regions such as Agumbe in Tirthahalli Taluk of Shimoga, Bhagamandala, Pullinoth and Makot in Kodagu districts that normally receive heavy rainfall, have experienced severe water problems. Water scarcity, it appears, is becoming an increasingly common problem across the state.