MANGALURU: Vast swathes of land in the hilly regions along the Karnataka-Kerala border in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada, once dismissed as barren wasteland, are now lush with arecanut, banana and cocoa plantations, bringing rich dividends to farmers.
Interestingly, these plantations are green even during the harsh and humid summers, due to the traditional water management system called ‘Suranga’ or tunnel system adopted by many hardworking farmers. In this system, tunnels are dug horizontally through the slopes of the laterite hills until a water spring is found. Water that percolates through the hill flows into the tunnel. The water is then channelled to tanks through pipes, and used for horticulture crops through sprinkler and drip irrigation.
Govinda Bhat, a farmer from Manila village of Bantwal taluk, is a proud farmer who has the maximum number of surangas on 17 acres of land, owned by his joint family. The number of tunnels on this property has gone up from four to 22 in the past three decades. The last one was dug about two years ago. Bhat beams with happiness and satisfaction when he says that none of his efforts to dig tunnels have gone waste, and with each success, he has been able to steadily expand his plantation.
A year ago, he extended the plantation to the topmost part of his hilly property. A tank was constructed at the top, and filled by pumping water from three other tanks at the bottom. He now plans to convert the last patch of wasteland in his possession into a plantation. Availability of water is not an issue as there is sufficient water to meet the requirements of his future plantation plans.
Compared to borewells on which farmers these days mostly depend to water their horticulture crops, tunnels are most effective because of their success rate, are sustainable and cost-effective. Since the tunnels are dug in rocky laterite land, there is no risk of mud caving in and blocking water flow.
“Construction of tunnels is a one-time investment and the benefit is everlasting. However, now hardly any tunnel diggers are available, and young labourers are not ready to do the job as it requires hard labour. Unlike borewells, it can’t be done using machines, and is only done manually,” says Bhat.
Amai Mahalinga Naik (73), who was chosen for the Padma Shri for converting his barren land into a lush green plantation, says surangas are sustainable and environment-friendly. “After I dug tunnels more than 40 years ago, I didn’t face any water shortage even when severe drought hit the region,” he said.
Bhat said the surangas have even attracted some researchers, like a student from Nainital, Sudhir Chandra Tripathy, who did his Ph.D titled ‘Traditional Water Resources in Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod with focus on Manila’.
SURANGA COUNTRY
Length 10m - 100m
Height 6m
Width 2m
Origin of suranga system:
May have travelled with sailors from West Asia, as surangas appear very similar to qanat/karez systems.
Tunnels seen in Manila, Kepu, Peruvai, Kanyana, Karopadi in Bantwal taluk, and Nidpalli, Bettampadi, Paduvannuru, Badagannuru etc in Puttur taluk
Tunnels found in Bayaru, Padre, Agalpadi villages, in Kasaragod district, Kerala, bordering Bantwal taluk
One person can walk through the tunnel
Govt support needed
Govinda Bhat said he once got MGNREGA benefit to dig a suranga in 2004. But he had to fight for it as panchayat officials were not forthcoming to support surangas, which appeared like alien work to them. He says the government should support drilling surangas through MGNREGA and other schemes as they are sustainable, don’t affect ground water table and require no electricity.