Former Karnataka minister D. Sudhakar, who maintained a low profile, actively promoted and adopted rainwater harvesting for water conservation. He installed systems at his homes and in schools.
D. Sudhakar, the late minister from Chitradurga district, installed a rainwater harvesting facility with a capacity of 50,000 litres at his house in Challakere about 20 years ago. He also set up a similar system at his residence in Bengaluru and used only rainwater for drinking, citing its superior quality.
Hydrogeologist N.J. Devaraja Reddy recalled that Sudhakar took the initiative to install rainwater harvesting structures for two schools in his constituency after becoming Social Welfare Minister in the BJP government in 2008. This step helped spread awareness about the practice.
Hailing from a drought-prone region, Sudhakar viewed rainwater harvesting as an effective solution to water shortages and encouraged others to follow the eco-friendly measure.