Govt led by Modi implementing Shivakumara Swamiji's teachings on ground: Amit Shah
Tumakuru (KTK)(PTI): The Narendra Modi-led government is treading on the path shown by the late Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt here by implementing 'Trividha Dasoha' (three-pronged commensality) offering free food, education and shelter, Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah said on Friday.
Hailing the services of the pontiff, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 111 after serving the Lingayat Mutt for 88 years, Shah said feeding 10,000 children everyday, imparting free education to them and giving them shelter could be achieved by a 'Karma Yogi', which the Swamiji was.
The pontiff implemented the preaching of 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara on ground and turned the Mutt into a centre for elevating people, Shah said while participating in the 115th birth anniversary of Shivakumara Swamiji.
"No one in this Mutt goes hungry. Everyday 10,000 children from every section of the society get food, education and shelter," the Home Minister noted.
"The BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre has implemented the principles of Shivakumara Swamiji on ground. We are giving five kg rice, given a new dimension to education through the new National Education Policy where anyone can get technical and medical education in their own language and gave roof to three crore people in seven years," Shah said.
He also said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, 80 crore people were given free meals. The Home Minister said the Centre is striving hard to ensure that every section of the society makes progress.
Shah said India is an ancient nation where many pilgrim centres came up based on their geographical locations and the quality.
However, new pilgrim centres too came up due to the good work of some saints and one such centre is Siddaganga Mutt where Shivakumara Swamiji had implemented the preaching of Basaveshwara on ground, the Home Minister explained.
"When a person spends his life to perform his sacred duties in the interest of society and God, an aura around him attracts many to tread on his path and makes others religious. The seer who lived for 111 years had such an aura around him that he would guide many for the coming centuries," Shah said.
Quoting former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had said 'Ganga in the North and Siddaganga in the South', Shah said taking a holy dip in the Ganga absolves sins of many past lives whereas visiting Siddaganga paves way for leading a virtuous life.
He also pointed out that the Mutt in the last 600 years, ever since it came into existence, has been a centre to implement the teachings of Basaveshwara.
The present pontiff of the Mutt, Siddalinga Swamiji, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Bhagwant Khuba, state Ministers including Araga Jnanendra and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa were among those who attended the event.
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Karnataka sees drop in groundwater use, surge in recharge capacity: 2025 report
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka has recorded a significant decline in groundwater usage alongside a notable increase in annual recharge capacity, reflecting the impact of sustained water conservation efforts and good rainfall, Minister N S Boseraju said on Wednesday.
Releasing the 2025 Groundwater Assessment Report at Vikas Soudha, he said the gains are the result of good rainfall, focused policy interventions, and large-scale water conservation initiatives implemented over the past two years under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
According to the report, overall groundwater extraction has reduced from 68.44 per cent in 2024 to 66.49 per cent in 2025, indicating more responsible and sustainable usage patterns across the state.
At the same time, annual groundwater recharge capacity has increased from 18.74 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2024 to 19.28 BCM in 2025, while annual extractable groundwater resources rose from 16.88 BCM to 17.41 BCM, the minister’s office said in a statement.
“This simultaneous reduction in usage and increase in recharge reflects our government’s commitment to long-term water sustainability,” the Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology Minister said.
The improvement has been driven largely by the expansion of water conservation structures (WCS) across the state.
Recharge through such structures increased by 29.11 per cent, from 0.81 BCM to 1.04 BCM within a year, the report stated.
Notably, the number of water conservation works has risen sharply from 3.15 lakh in 2024 to 3.94 lakh in 2025, strengthening the state’s groundwater recharge ecosystem.
The report indicates improvement in groundwater status across 11 taluks, with several regions moving to safer categories.
Highlighting these changes, the minister pointed out that Chamarajanagar taluk has improved from "over-exploited" to "critical".
Similarly, taluks including Athani, Channapatna, Molakalmuru, Ranebennur, Savanur, and Shiggaon have successfully transitioned from "semi-critical" to "safe" status.
Domestic groundwater extraction has also declined by 0.58 per cent, dropping from 1,21,731 hectare-metres (ham) in 2024 to 1,21,023 ham in 2025. Officials attribute this to increased reliance on surface water under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Boseraju said that initiatives such as lake rejuvenation, year-round water supply through treated and surface water, sustained public awareness campaigns, and good rainfall have played a key role in reducing over-extraction and enhancing recharge.
“Instead of depending solely on the 120-day monsoon, we are ensuring water availability throughout all 365 days through scientific management. This has strengthened long-term water security for both farmers and urban residents,” he said.
Announcing a major technological step forward in future governance, the minister added, “To further safeguard our resources, we are rolling out the Digital Water Stack (DWS) initiative. Under this framework, we will soon initiate space technology and AI-based satellite surveillance to obtain real-time data for continuous groundwater monitoring.”
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