Kalmane Kamegowda dies, K’taka leaders pay tribute
CM Basavaraj Bommai paid tributes to Kamegowda and said: “It was very sad to hear the news of the demise of Kamegowda, the water sage of Dasanadoddy”
Octogenarian Kalmane Kamegowda, who earned praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for engaging in water conservation works by constructing more than 16 ponds, passed away due to age-related issues on Monday, people in the know of the development said.
Kamegowda, popularly known as Kere Kamegowda, came into the spotlight after he built ponds without any government support in the hilly regions of Karnataka. Many animals and birds in the Malavalli region are said to have benefitted from these ponds. He was also acknowledged for his contribution to the rejuvenation of underground water at Kundur hill.
Kamegowda was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava award by the state government, and he even got national recognition after PM Modi mentioned his name during his monthly radio show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in 2020.
“Kamegowda is an ordinary farmer with an extraordinary personality. He has achieved a personal feat that will leave anyone awestruck by digging 16 ponds through his hard work and the sweat of his brow. The entire area has got a new lease of life on account of these ponds. (Sic),” Modi had said.
Kamegowda had expressed his desire to meet Prime Minister Modi but could not due to his illness.
Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai paid his tributes to Kamegowda and called him “the modern Bharigatha”.
“It was very sad to hear the news of the demise of Kamegowda, the water sage of Dasanadoddy in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district, who was involved in water conservation and built more than 15 ponds and became known as modern Bhagirath,” he wrote.
“I pray for his soul. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi also praised Kamegowda’s work in his Mann Ki Baat programme. (Sic),” he added.
Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and state Congress president D K Shivakumar among others have expressed grief over the death of Kamegowda
According to his villagers, Kamegowda was a shepherd by profession, who didn’t attend school but developed a concern towards the environment. According to them, Kamegowda realised the importance of water when he went to graze his sheep around two decades back and spent his life earning money for the environment.
“I had been Kunduru hillock to graze sheep and tired. I searched for water but could not find it. Then he walked far away and drank water from a house. Then I thought that as a human, he got water. But how wild lives and birds quench thirst?,” Kamegowda had said during an earlier interaction.
He also said that two decades back, when he started to dig barren land to construct a pond, most villagers made fun of him. But he did not heed and continued his work.
