Media Release
Mar 1 : The inauguration of the rain water harvesting components was held on Sunday, 28th February 2021 at Pulinchady near Konaje under the guidance of CODP® Mangaluru.
The project ‘Conservation of Natural Resources and its management’ aims to make the running water walk, walking water stop and thereby enable stopped water to percolate so as to improve the ground water table. CODP has implemented several water harvesting methods at Panela and Saya and among them the gully plug constructed in one of the SHG member i.e., Mrs Severine Dsouza’s compound was inaugurated by Msgr Maxim Noronha, Vicar General, Mangalore Diocese.
Mr. Rajendra Kalbavi, Director of Dakshina Kannada Nirmithi Center Surathkal; Mr. Sheena Shetty, Director of Jana Shikshana Trust Mudipu, Mr Louis Pinto, Secretary of Laudato Si committee; Mr Lawrence D Souza, Konaje Ward Gurkar; Mrs Mary Fernandes, Fajir Grama Panchayath President, Rev. Fr Oswald Monteiro, Director of CODP; Rev. Fr Vincent D Souza, Designate Director of CODP; Rev. Fr Sunil Veigas, Parish Priest of Fajir; Mr. Richard D Souza, President of Fajir Church and Vice President Mr. Victor Monteiro were present on the dais.
Rev. Fr Oswald Monteiro, welcomed the gathering and gave a brief introduction about the project. He said in his speech, in the year 2015, Pope Francis said in his encyclical about Laudato Si “On care for our common home” i.e., we have to take care of our environment and adopt suitable measures to conserve it. Fr. Oswald informed that CODP has taken up water harvesting components at Panela of Fajir Gram Panchayat and at Saya near Adyanadka. The natural resource management project promotes organic kitchen gardens, refuse usage of plastic bags and instead make use of cloth bags, rear goats, sheep, poultry, piggery, preparation of vermicompost manure, implementation of water harvesting components such as trenches, gully plugs, farm ponds, desilting of ponds and wells, percolation pits and also construct eco-bricks benches made out of plastic waste.
Mr. Sheena Shetty in his speech said that water is a gift of Mother Nature. Hence it is a great sin to waste water. We have to make an effort to conserve it. Mother who has given birth and mother earth are equal. Air, water, earth, trees are God’s gift but nowadays, human beings are selling it. It’s our duty to respect and conserve mother earth.
Mr. Rajendra Kalbhavi, Director, D.K. Nirmithi Kendra said we should have concern to conserve water and use water judiciously. We will always extend our full support to CODP for the initiatives taken to conserve natural resources.
Mr. Louis Pinto explained about various activities undertaken by the Laudato Si committee to conserve the environment in Mangalore Diocese.
Rev. Fr Sunil Veigas appreciated the work done in Fajir village and promised his support towards betterment of this project.
Msgr. Maxim Noronha, in his presidential speech shared his experience about rain water harvesting which was done during his period in Ferar church and saw an increase in the ground water table. Hence, he requested all the families of that village to adopt water harvesting techniques in their surroundings.
On the occasion, winners of recent Gram Panchayat elections viz, Mrs Mary Fernandes, President of Fajir Grama Panchayat and member Mrs Florine D Souza were felicitated. Those who gave their land for adopting water harvesting components, those who have already adopted the same in their own land, Sneha Mahasangha which has taken the initiative to construct eco-friendly benches and ICYM youths who laboured to dig trenches were recognized and given Lakshman Phal saplings.
Mrs. Rita D Souza, Coordinator of CODP compered the program and Rev. Fr Vincent D Souza proposed the Vote of thanks.
