KOZHIKODE: It was a rare donation that the district panchayat asked for about 16 years ago. And Sudhakaran Nambeesan, a retired high school teacher, donated the big pond of Kavil Subrahmanya temple, ‘KavumKulam’ at Kavunthara near Naduvannur. The District panchayat has asked for the pond to cater to the water needs of the surrounding areas and Mr Nambeesan, the authority of the temple who had a say in the matter, responded positively.
Sixteen years down the line, the decision of Sudhakaran Nambeesan has largely benefited Kavunthara village as it has not been drought-ridden or even have arid areas. “The realization that the destruction of the pond would affect the drinking water source of scores of people prompted me to take the decision,” says a 67-year old Nambeesan. During the recent drought, neighbouring villages had collected water from the pond in tanker lorries for distribution. After the government takeover, the three sides of the pond was reconstructed using granite stones. The State sports council has built a platform to give swimming lessons to students.
“It was a good Samarian decision of Mr Nambeesan. No wells in the nearby households ever experience a dip in the water level. He was felicitated by the district panchayat then for the noble gesture,” recalls E. Narayanan Nair, a local resident. The place surrounding the pond is a wetland which is the habitat of different types of species. Besides, the pond is the lifeline of the canal which flows across the paddy field nearby.
