Planning and Statistics Minister D. Sudhakar
There was one little known fact about the late Minister D. Sudhakar who generally kept a low profile and stayed away from the limelight.
While plenty of politicians often mention rainwater harvesting in their public speeches, Mr. Sudhakar was one of those who not only vouched for it but also adopted and promoted it. He has installed rainwater harvesting equipment at his house in Challakere in Chitradurga district and also at his residence in Bengaluru.
In a chat with The Hindu some time ago, the minister revealed that he uses only rainwater for drinking as its quality would be better than other sources. Hailing from an arid district like Chitradurga, he believed that rainwater harvesting was the best way to combat water scarcity.
Hydrogeologist NJ Devaraja Reddy, who promotes and consults on rainwater harvesting, said Mr. Sudhakar had installed a 50,000-litre rainwater harvesting facility about 20 years ago. “He understood the value of rainwater harvesting and played a role in encouraging others to adopt such eco-friendly measures. In fact, he took the initiative to install rainwater harvesting structures for two schools in his constituency when he became the Social Welfare Minister in the BJP government in 2008. This, among other things, created awareness about rainwater harvesting,” noted Dr. Reddy.
Published – May 11, 2026 0:21 AM IST
