Kolar, KGF field trip

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After weeks of data collection, equipment sourcing, research and planning, we finally embarked upon the journey to Kolar. We stayed with a renowned local theatre troupe called Aadima, located at “Teerahalli Bette”, a hill on the outskirts of the main township. We collected samples from the hilly regions as well as from Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), the town thriving around the former mining area.

Conditions: Arid, dusty, dry climate with chances of thundershowers. Daytime temperatures between 28 to 39 degrees Celsius, Nighttime temperatures can drop down to 18 to 23 degrees.

Combination of black volcanic soil and yellow soil, more typical to northern Karnataka.

Sources of water:

  • In the Hills: Rainwater deposits in open tanks, bore-wells.
  • In KGF: Ground water, Pipelines (a lot of which are still under construction), Private Supply (Companies like Bisleri supply cans), Government Tankers, Natural Lakes.

Water Sampling:

On the first day, we were shown around Teerahalli by a couple of Aadima residents. They took us to most of the ponds and bore-wells in the surrounding area, where we collected and labeled samples of water for future testing. Under the circumstances, we were only able to obtain surface samples, not samples from a foot below the surface, which would have provided more accurate results. Aeration and sun-exposure were prevented as much as possible.

On the second day, we took a bus to KGF in the main town. Obtaining samples was a lot harder because of the town’s congestion, time constraints, unwelcoming locals and sheer fatigue. We did collect about 5 samples from restaurants, a home supplying government water tank, public drinking fountains etc. We also spoke to the Environmental Engineer at the Water Supply Board of Kolar, who even offered to drive us around the 70 square kilometer area of the town and take us to lakes, wells and underground channels that were likely to show traces of Arsenic contamination. We weren’t able to collect these samples because of limited time, but it would definitely be worth another visit to Kolar to complete our field research.