Amai Mahalinga Naik

Amai Mahalinga Naik

President Kovind awards Shri Amai Mahalinga Naik the Padma Shri for his contributions to agriculture. A talented farmer from Dakshina Kannada known as “Tunnel Man” is known for creating tunnels to irrigate his arid land and turn it into a lush green field. The 70-year-old Dakshina Kannada miracle worker Amai Mahalinga Naik is scheduled to receive the Padma Shri Award. 

Who is Amai Mahalinga Naik ?

Amai Mahalinga Naik, a pioneering farmer from the Adyanadka village in the Dakshina Kannada region of the Indian State of Karnataka, was born in 1945. He is responsible for creating the farm’s organic farming practices and its micro-irrigation technology, which uses no electricity.

He did this by excavating tunnels deep within the sloping hills on which his farm was situated and using the tunnels to access groundwater trapped inside the hills. Naik actually didn’t succeed until his sixth effort, when he excavated a tunnel 315 feet long. His previous five attempts, during which he built tunnels at least 35 meters long, all failed to find a supply of water. The plants in this area were hydrated using the water that came through this tube.

Six attempts later, he succeeded, and he excavated yet another tunnel to provide water for drinking and household use. He was known as “The Tunnel Man of Karnataka” for his tenacious pursuit of this tunneling activity. In addition, he worked alone to build two revetments, a tank with a 12,000-liter capacity to fill the revetments, and roughly 300 percolation trenches in the hills surrounding the farm. With the help of his efforts, a desolate and bare piece of land was transformed into a verdant oasis with pepper vines, areca nut palms, coconut trees, and cashew trees. Naik’s farm has developed into a showcase farm and receives over 1,000 visitors annually, many of whom are foreigners.