Team YUVAA

Team YUVAA (Team of Youth United for Vigilance Awareness & Action)[1] which has also been referred to as Team Yuva or Bidar YUVAA is a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Bidar, Karnataka, India and is led by Vinay Malge.[2] Established in 2013,[2] the organization is recognized for its remarkable contributions to the discovery, documentation, and preservation of ancient water bodies and water management systems in Karnataka. Their most notable works include the discovery of a 600-year-old well in the village of Hamilapur and the restoration of the 14th-century Naubad Karez water system. They have also been actively involved in rejuvenating old wells and lakes, in response to severe drought conditions in the region. They were awarded the Karnataka State Rajyotsava Prashasti for their social service in 2016. Apart from their environmental and heritage projects, Team YUVAA has also taken part in relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Activities

Historic Water Bodies and Systems

In 2015, Team YUVAA discovered a 600-year-old well in the village of Hamilapur, near Bidar. The well, known as the Baram Bavadi, was built during the Bahmani era and features an octagonal, three-story structure with arches supporting several domes, steps leading to the water level, changing rooms, resting platforms, and a Persian pulley system.[3] Team YUVAA gained recognition for their work on the Naubad Karez water system, a sub-surface water transfer mechanism dating back to the 14th century CE.[4] The system, originally put in place under the rule of the Bahamani Sultanate as a drought management measure, had fallen into disrepair over centuries.[5] This included the desilting and excavation of the Naubad Karez in 2015, uncovering 27 vertical shafts linked to the Karez. These efforts led to the successful rejuvenation of the system for the water-deficit city of Bidar.[6][7] In 2020, their collaborative work on the project won the Runner-up Award at the Rethinking The Future Awards under the category of Public Landscape Project (Concept).[8] In October 2020, Team YUVAA convenor Vinay Malge presented this work to a panel of NGOs and the secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, UP Singh.[9][10]

Karez System - Bidar

In 2016, in response to severe drought conditions, Team YUVAA partnered with the Nirmiti Kendra on a project to preserve and rejuvenate old open wells in public places. They engaged in the cleaning and dredging 70 of 170 public wells identified in the city, with at least half of them yielding water after the effort.[11][12] The group has since successfully dredged over 350 wells and kalyanis, as well as 30 lakes, effectively revitalizing these water sources.[13]

In 2021 Srinivas Jonnakeri, a member of Team YUVAA since its inception in 2013 and the president of Dhupadamahagaon Gram Panchayat in Aurad taluk, Bidar district, was selected for a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on World Water Day.[14] This was due to Jonnakeri's efforts in mobilising his villagers to dredge a local lake, Goggavvana Kere, utilizing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) during the COVID-19 lockdown.[2][13][15]

Cultural Heritage Preservation
Team YUVAA - QRPedia launch (2015)

In 2017, along with students and faculties of Bangalore-based Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Team YUVAA started to digitally archive local traditions in Bidar. The project involved setting up brick-and-mortar museums in the walled city of Bidar. The students explored and documented the cultural and culinary heritage of Bidar, as well as its spatial transformations. The research included the origins of the Dakhini Urdu dialect, documenting the typography and iconography of local houses, and archiving the occupational heritage of the city. They also aim to showcase the life of local communities like the Bidri artisans, Kulsali, and Gawli, among others. Eeshita Kapadiya, a Sahapedia UNESCO Fellow and part of the project was archiving information about the Dalapathi system, an ancient village policing system that existed in Bidar.[16][17]

In 2019, another cohort of film students from Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, under the guidance of Team YUVAA and Deccan Living Labs (DLL) produced several films that reflected their personal experiences and perceptions of Bidar - from exploring the city's sensory experiences, historical legacy, inhabitants' dreams, and religious practices, to highlighting aspects such as class divide, missing female histories, and the struggle of the potters.[18]

Covid-19 Relief Efforts

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, they were in the news for helping a pregnant woman in need, who was unable to afford treatment at a private hospital. They were acting as part of the district task-force on COVID-19 relief efforts[19]

Influence and recognition

References
  1. Trails, Hyderabad (31 July 2016). "The Underground Marvels of Bidar". Hyderabad Trails. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  2. "A little praise to help commoners take it to the next level". The Hindu. 22 March 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  3. "Well and truly forgotten". The Hindu. 19 May 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  4. "The Bahmani remains". frontline.thehindu.com. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  5. Bessette, Jonathan; Niblock, Eric (20 July 2020). "Water Quality Pilot Study for Traditional Water Structure Revitalization Potential in the Deccan Plateau of India". Consilience (22): 6–17. doi:10.7916/consilience.vi22.6739. ISSN 1948-3074.
  6. "Resurrecting the Karez". Deccan Herald. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  7. "The diggers of suranga are vanishing in India - Civil Society Magazine". www.civilsocietyonline.com. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  8. Future, Rethinking The (24 February 2020). "Naubad Karez | Ficus". Rethinking The Future Awards. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  9. 9th Edition ( 10 Oct 2020 ) - NWM presents Water Series Webinar 'Catch The Rain' Campaign., retrieved 23 May 2023
  10. "Session 9 - National Water Mission webinar session on "Catch the Rain: Dialogues with DMs | National Water Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, Government of India". nwm.gov.in. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  11. "Old wells being rejuvenated to meet water crisis in Bidar". The Hindu. 9 April 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  12. "Dredging pays off, waterbodies filled to the brim in Bidar district". The Hindu. 31 July 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  13. "PM talks to water warrior from Bidar". The Hindu. 23 March 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  14. Recording of the Launch Program - Jal Shakti Abhiyan:Catch the Rain, retrieved 23 May 2023
  15. "Memo from Karnataka Legislature Website" (PDF). Karnataka Legislature.
  16. "Archiving the life and culture of Bidar". The Hindu. 22 October 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  17. "The Dalapathi Tradition of Bidar, Karnataka". Sahapedia. 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  18. Polsani, Pithamber R., ed. (24 March 2021). Radical City: Imagining Possibilities for the Indian City (1st ed.). Los Angeles New Delhi: SAGE Publications Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-93-5388-714-8.
  19. "NGO, Bidar district administration save woman and her twin babies". The Times of India. 28 July 2020. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  20. "Karnataka Government list of Awardees by year for Rajyotsava Prashasti Award". karnataka.gov.in. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
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