Anantapur: The 'Water Man of India' and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh has assured assistance in bringing about a facelift to the Vedavathi and Hagari rivers to overcome desertification at Dargahonnur in Kanekal mandal in the district.
Mr Rajendra Singh on Sunday inspected the sand dunes that were formed near Dargahonnur, Tumbiganur and 10 surrounding villages that resembled the deserts of Rajasthan. He found this to be so especially in Anantapur district.
"But with rainfall here three times more than Rajasthan, this is enough to treat symptoms of desertification in Kanekal mandal," Mr Singh said, referring to his plan to rejuvenate the two rivers that flowed close to the villages hit by the sand dunes.
Mr Singh directed the villagers of the sand dune-affected areas to concentrate on the arrest of water through the water bodies.
Referring to his efforts to revive seven rivers by proper diversion in Rajasthan state, he said that the arrest of rain water had not only been used for recharging ground water, but the rivers had got renewed life and were flowing again after a long gap. He said that the people had to protect the water bodies so that they got recharged.
Chief whip and Rayadurg MLA Kaluva Srinivasulu, who had initiated the process of inviting Mr Singh, sought suggestions to improve the groundwater levels to control the spreading of the sand dunes in Kanekal mandal.
He also said that the state government had sanctioned a special package to stem desertification in Dargahonnur and the surrounding villages. "We want Mr Singh to train the people and also officials to improve the water sources and resist desertification," he said.
Collector Kona Sasidhar had earlier given a presentation on the drought conditions in the district at Gopalapuram in Kanekal mandal.
