SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2007 Edition

 

 

 

 

KATTANABHAVI, a village in Belgaum district, Karnataka, once had dense forests where tigers roamed wild. Then, some 20 years ago it became treeless. Reason? The 160 families who live here were mostly poor. So they started selling firewood to earn a little money. The result was that drinking water became scarce in all five community wells.

Shivaji Kaganekar rescued the village from this crisis. A Gandhian, Kaganekar was born into a poor shepherd's family. He completed his graduation despite great financial hardship. Kaganekar became a teacher in the local night school. He didn't know anything about rain harvesting. But deeply moved by the plight of villagers he started searching for a solution. Some people who had come from abroad met him by chance and encouraged him to find a way out.

They offered to raise money for his efforts. Step by step, Kaganekar started learning about soil and water conservation. Motivating villagers was a formidable task. This redoubtable barefoot activist persisted and succeeded. In one year, he inspired villagers to plant trees and dig trenches to save their environment. Today, Kattanabhavi has 40,000 trees.

All village wells have water. Nobody cuts trees even for their own use. All houses have biogas. Kattanabhavi has become a model for this region. Neighbouring villages have started following in Kattanabhavi’s footsteps. The village has bid goodbye to its earlier poverty. Success hasn’t turned Kaganekar’s head. He continues to live simply and work honestly.

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