Farmers get their own kayaking, boating facility in Kagwad village

CHIKKODI: While tourists seeking some adventure water sports usually head to Dandeli, Karwar or even Goa for whitewater rafting and kayaking, an exclusive kayaking zone has been created for farmers and their children in the Agrani river at Sambaragi village in Kagward Assembly consituency of Athani taluk.

While farmers and their children will not only get to enjoy water sports, they will also be equipped to save themselves and other people in times of floods. On Monday, Kagwad MLA Shrimanth Patil and village elders watched as some farmers enjoyed boat rides and kayaking in the Agrani river.

Earlier, the area was almost barren with no water for irrigation. Now, with the Agrani river flowing full, the Irrigation Department built a bridge-cum-barrage which has made water available for irrigation.

The Shrimanth Patil Foundation has provided 3 kayaks and a paddle boat for use by farmers and their children so that they won’t have to go to distant places for entertainment.

Kagwad MLA Shrimanth Patil said, “This is mostly a barren area and many people are poor farmers. Farmers and their children don’t have any entertainment facility in the vicinity. There are 5-6 bridge-cum-barrages in the taluk where water is stored for about 2 km. If we create boating facilities at these places, it will help poor farmers. If there are proper facilities, children can train and participate in major boat racing competitions. In times of floods, if locals are training in boating and swimming, they can save lives. Our foundation will provide boats at all the barrages and major lakes in the region. We will also set up gyms and garadi manes (traditional gyms).”

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Abdul Mulla, a villager, said, “Ours was a dry area earlier. With the check dam, now we have adequate water. Such an amusement facility is not available anywhere else for farmers. With life jackets on, children can also learn swimming.”