Vishwesha Tirtha Swami, of Pejawar Mutt at Udupi, who passed away on Sunday, had visited the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir near Srirangapatna on August 18, 2019, and had expressed pleasure over the reservoir brimming with water with a full storage level of 124.80 ft.
Officials at Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd. (CNNL) told The Hindu on Sunday that he had said then that ‘brimming reservoirs are solutions to water sharing/farming related problems’.
The seer had stressed upon the judicious use of water to prevent escalations of water-sharing disputes [between states and districts]. He also wanted the farmers to adopt advanced irrigation practices, recalled CNNL officials.
According to them, however, he was saddened by continuous drought [in previous years] and crop loss by farmers, because of which many even ended their lives.
Vishwesha Tirtha Swami had inspected the KRS, collected information about the storage and also gathered information about the functions of sluice gates/other structures of the reservoir, an officer said. He had said that he had always wished there would be sufficient rains and crops raised every year so that farmers lived happily, added the officer.
The Pejawar seer had also visited the district in January 28, 2013, to participate in the ‘Punyaradhane’ of Balagangadharanatha Swami at the Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Mutt at Bellur in Nagamangala.
Meanwhile, Nirmalananda Swami of Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Mutt, in a press release, condoled the demise of Vishwesha Tirtha Swami.
