Mangaluru Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) organised a special boat-based programme titled ‘A Morning by the River’ on Sunday to mark World Rivers Day.
INTACH Mangaluru chapter convener Subhas Chandra Basu said the Gurupura River played a crucial role in Mangaluru’s development, with ports, forts and water transport shaping the region’s history. He said dams and other interventions had led to the disappearance of the phenomenon and the loss of associated traditional knowledge. He, however, expressed concern that the river was increasingly being used as a dumping ground for waste. Social activist Yatish Baikampady recalled that natural debris carried during the monsoon would accumulate to form temporary islands. These served as breeding grounds for fish and provided an important source of income for fishermen when they could not venture into the sea.
Chartered accountant Giridhar Kamath said the river was once an integral part of everyday life, with children swimming and bathing in its waters. The one-and-a-half-hour boat journey offered participants an opportunity to observe the river and its banks. Yatish Baikampady, Giridhar Kamath and artist Kishore were felicitated during the programme.
He noted that people earlier knew how to live with floods and attributed many present-day floods to human intervention.