MANDYA: Those who traverse the Bengaluru-Malavalli-Kollegal Road to reach temples and hill stations of Chamarajanagar district, have heard of one name spoken of with reverence as they enter Malavalli taluk: Kere Kamegowda Here, Kamegowda is a legend, and it is easy to find his residence, located inside Dasanadoddi hamlet which is full of hattis (traditional makeshift house of shepherds). But it is not so easy to find the octogenarian in his hatti; he is on Kundinibetta on the village outskirts for almost 12 hours a day, grazing his herd of over 50 sheep and caring for the environment, by either planting saplings or digging land for a new lake.This is the story of ecologist Kamegowda, who single-handedly built 14 tanks in Kundinibetta. Till 2017, he had built six tanks, and between 2017 and 2018, he built eight more. ‘Kere’ (lake) was quite naturally prefixed to his name. “In this period, he got money through various awards. Instead of putting it to personal use, he used it to hire labourers and modern equipment, and built many more lakes. He also constructed a small road to take earthmovers to the hill. His children still stay in the small hattis without any facilities, and graze sheep for their livelihood. This shows his commitment to the cause of this hill,” recalls Yoganna, a local shepherd.Kamegowda first started constructing tanks on this hill around 40 years ago. “I would take sheep and goats to the hill to graze. Many a time, they would feel thirsty but there were no ponds for them to drink. Because of this, no wild animals can be found on this hill. So while my sheep grazed, I started digging the land. I would use a wooden stick at first. This gave me an idea about lake construction,” recalls Kamegowda.He got lucky the first time, striking water after digging a few feet. “Later, I decided to construct another lake, interlinked to the first one. Lake construction work was taking months. As I found digging with wooden sticks very difficult, I decided to buy equipment made of iron by selling some sheep. After completing work on the first lake, I realized that it helps animals in a big way. So I decided to continue my work,” he recalls.Lakes became his passion, and he went about it doggedly and alone. Though uneducated, he understood the technicalities of lake construction, and the flow of water. He explains how all the 14 lakes are interlinked, and the importance of water flowing from one lake to another, till they are all full.“Till recently, I was digging the lakes alone,” he said. “Last year, Kiccha Sudeep gave me a cash award in recognition of my service. With that money, I constructed a road to the hill. It helped me give proper shape to all the lakes. This year, I have planted more than 2,000 banyan trees on the hill,” says Kamegowda.He may be unlettered, but is deeply into mythology, and has named his lakes along these lines. “The first lake is called Gokarna. The road connecting these lakes are named after Rama and Lakshmana,” he says with a smile.Even at the age of 82, Kere Kamegowda is healthy, easily trekking up and down the hill. His day starts at 8am. “Recently, I underwent cataract surgery for one eye. Jayaram Patil, a social activist from Mysuru, helped me with this. He also assured me of help for the other eye. Except for my eyes, I am healthy,” he said.For the past 40 years, Kere Kamegowda has been spending at least 12 hours a day on the hill. “He comes to the hatti (hut) only at night. At other times, he keeps wandering on the hill, checking each tree,” says Krishna, his elder son.“After SSLC, I continued with my father’s profession. He is always busy with work on the lakes and trees. He spends all the money he earns through awards and by selling sheep, on protection of the hill. He has never given a single paisa to the family. Ecology is his obsession,” he said.According to Jayaram Patil, the government must announce the hill as a protected zone. “As of now, Kere Kamegowda has been preserving the hill. Finding an answer to what will happen next is also very important,” he said.What makes Kere Kamegowda special is that he spends all his earnings on the trees, lakes and hill. When humans are becoming more and more greedy for money, he is showing us the real path, said Patil.How does he look?Kere Kamegowda looks like a typical farmer/ shepherd of south Karnataka. He can be found inside the hill anytime with a shirt, chaddi and a shawl. Generally, he wears clothes donated by the others. He rarely shaves the beard. He walks with a support stick.HealthAccording to Krishna, his elder son, except cataract, Kere Kamegowda is healthy and active. Two weeks ago he underwent a cataract operation. Even though he is advised strick rest, he is visiting the hill every day.FamilyKere Kamegowda has a wife and two children. He is staying with his elder son Krishna. Kere Kamegowda has written proverbs related to theimportance of the forest, ecology, lake protection on stone poles in the hill with the help of his grandchildren. He has named one of the lakes on his granddaughter.FoodKere Kamegowda prefers finger millet made food items including mudde, ambali and rotti.Other detailsA section of locals alleges that Kere Kamegowda is not allowing them to visit the hill. Their allegation is that he is treating the whole hill as his own property. But others deny this allegation

Stay updated with all the Bangalore Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.