Shree Padre

This book talks about the practise of soil and water conservation adopted by Dr. Mallanna in Bagalkote. Bagalkote is a district in northern Karnataka, which is known for scanty rainfall. 

Rainwater harvesting is not a new science in India. There are several traditional practices across the country where rainwater was stored safely and used in times of need. One such example is the 'Taankaa' system in Gujarat.

It is an astonishing thing to see the five rivers of Alwar in Rajasthan flowing for more than 6-8 months in a year. This is no miracle though. It is the result of a decade-long effort by Jal Jungle Andolan lead by Dr. Rajendra Singh. 

'Talaparige' is a well known traditional source of water in Tumkur region in Karnataka. These are also seen in Kolar, Bellary and Chitradurga districts of Karnataka. So far, there has been no exhaustive documentation about this source of water.

Mannu Mattu Neeru by Shree Padre gives examples of local knowledge and agricultural practices that have successfully helped overcome a drought situation in the state of Karnataka.

These age-old practices, which have been in use for generations now, have helped families survive in circumstances of accute drought and famine. 

Sharanu Banni Jala Kaayakake is a collection of features on soil and water conservation written by Shree Padre and published by the Akhila Bharata Sharana Sahitya Parishat, Mysore.

This piece of writing is based on interviews with farmers and experiences from the ground. This is one of the 8 books that was published duing the 8th Akhila Bharata Sharana Sahitya Sammelan.

Case Studies on Groundwater Management from Indiatogether.org

Case Studies on Rainwater Harvesting from the popular website Indiatogether.org . Most of the studies pertain to Karnataka and Kerala and are by the development and farming journalist Shree Padre.

"Kokkarni, saviour of paddy", is a case study written by Shree Padre, in Apr 2009, on the revival / restoration of traditional water bodies called Kokkarni (dug-out farm ponds) in Palakkad, Kerala, which benefits paddy cultivators whose farms are situated in rocky hills, not ideal for catchment.

"The root of the solution", is a report by Shree Padre, written in May 2006, on the use of vetiver plants for water purification and conserving water and soil, and the need to increase its adoption in India.

Read the case study