Octogenarian farmer Kame Gowda from Dasanadoddi village in Mandya district found his name referred to by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat programme on Sunday. Mr. Gowda, who has dug 16 ponds over the past few decades, also spoke to Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Sunday.
The humble shepherd has dug ponds with his savings and converted a barren hillock in Dasanadoddi village of Malavalli taluk into a bed of lakes. On Sunday, Mr. Modi referred to him as one of the “water warriors” in the country.
Terming Mr. Gowda an “ordinary farmer with an extraordinary personality”, Mr. Modi said he had achieved a feat that would leave anyone awestruck. “Mr. Kame Gowda, aged 80 to 85 years, takes out his animals for grazing, but at the same time he has taken it upon himself to build new ponds in his area. He wants to overcome the problem of water scarcity in his area and is engaged in work on constructing small ponds. Today, the entire area has got a new lease of life on account of these ponds,” the Prime Minister said.
