Indian Talent, Global Content
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Indian Talent, Global Content |
November 2008: What's in the breeze |
Water Conservation and Harvesting in India
All this changed in the post-independence democratic republic. But water continues to be a source of tyranny and oppression. For some it becomes a means of amassing illegal wealth. As the title of a popular book says “Everyone loves a good drought!” It gives parties in power a chance to announce schemes ostensibly to tide over the drought. It helps them to garner some votes, perhaps, and may also help some to make money on the side! Anna Hazare, the renowned activist and environmentalist once remarked, “These schemes result in more money harvesting than water harvesting!” Mark Tully, one time BBC correspondent and long time observer of the Indian scene, summed it up aptly, “Repeated droughts have made water harvesting fashionable.” Though there is a lot of skepticism while talking about Government schemes, some of them indeed have succeeded. One such success story comes from the district Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh. Over a period of five years more than a thousand check-dams were constructed. Nearly the same number of ponds was also dug. These steps led to ‘drought-proofing’ of the village. Agriculture improved, migration to cities was arrested and the villagers found gainful occupations in the village itself. But such cases are rare and far between. But there is hope yet! There are spectacular success stories coming from several parts of rural India. The common factor that runs through these stories like a golden thread is the initiative and active participation of local people. They have proved the timeless truth in the saying “Apne hath Jagannath!” (Destiny is in our own hands.) With a little help from NGOs, who prefer to call themselves facilitators, these villages have drawn upon ancient wisdom and made use of the present technology with the future in mind. Ralegan Siddhi, a small village in the district of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra is one of the most successful examples of drought-proofing. The transformation took place when Anna Hazare, a retired army driver returned to the drought-hit village on retirement. Under his leadership the villagers restored an old percolation tank that had fallen into disuse and had dried up. Monsoon rains filled the repaired tank and in the following year wells in the village swelled with water even in summer. Voluntary labor and public participation in funding were the highlights of this successful experiment. Villages in the Alwar district of Rajasthan were witness to another kind of pioneering effort. Tarun Bharat Sangh under the leadership of Rajinder Singh, Magsasay Award winner, took it upon themselves to educate the villagers about the wisdom of ancient methods of water conservation. “Pani Yatras” were taken out through the villages. Soon the Sangh had thousands of villagers across hundreds of villages repairing abandoned johads, check dams, and restoring dried up wells. As in the case of Ralegaon, TBS insisted that at least part of the finances required must come from the villagers to ensure greater involvement and interest. Over the years the villagers’ contribution and interest has risen and hundreds of villages have become self-sufficient in water. Miraculously the river Aravari, that had only been a fading memory, started flowing again after about eight decades! Local people who had to migrate to cities in summer looking for employment now stay back to look after their crops. Women freed from the drudgery of trudging miles for drinking water have taken up cash-generating activities like traditional crafts and poultry. More children attend schools. Forest cover and grasslands have increased leading to more milk production. This in turn has led to the revival of the age-old industry of making milk cakes, famous throughout the state in the past. Neemi, a village near Jaipur in Rajasthan also has a similar story to tell. The drought-hit village had turned barren when TBS workers reached there. The villagers built the first earthen dam with the assistance of TBS. Later they were to build and repair many more abandoned tanks and check dams. They succeeded in capturing every drop of rain that fell and today the village supplies truckloads of vegetables and fruits to cities like Delhi. Even in the severest drought, village children can be seen splashing in the water in ponds filled with rainwater from years past. Mahudi village in Dahod district of Gujarat used to face serious water crisis year after year. There was no drinking water in the wells. Farmlands had become useless. A local NGO, N M Sadguru Water and Development Foundation stepped into this bleak scenario. With help from the Foundation the local Bheel population constructed percolation tanks and reservoirs. With constant recharging, rivers that used to dry up after monsoons started flowing throughout the year. Another NGO, Saurashtra Gandhiji Gramodhar Trust has similarly helped Gadhadha village in Bhavnagar district to overcome water shortage. Educating the villagers regarding the importance of water conservation and management was given top priority. Villagers constructed small ponds, percolation tanks and check dams. Water levels improved and crop yields increased. Windmills have been installed for drinking water. The Trust also supplied improved choolhas (stoves) to enable the villagers to save dried cow dung that was earlier used as fuel. This was redirected to the fields as fertilizer and thus led to reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers. The story of the coastal Pallithodu village in the rain fed state of Kerala is somewhat different. There was severe drinking water scarcity in the area due to proximity of the sea leading to increased salination of water. The Alleppey Diocesan Charitable and Social Welfare Society (ADCSWS) have constructed water harvesting and storage systems for households of the village. People are using the rainwater, samples of which have been tested and found safe for human consumption. All the above have been community efforts. There are some glowing examples of individual successes as well. Squadron Leader R K Vyas was left paralysed after a flying accident. He decided to settle down in Vajdi village of Rajkot district. When he purchased half an acre of barren land in Vajdi, the villagers thought him crazy. He studied the land, levels of ground water etc and devised scientific methods of recharging the water table using the scarce rainwater. In a few years he had more than one thousand fruit trees on his land and the villagers who once thought him crazy were flocking to take his advice. Sukhomajri is an example of a village prospering as a result of efforts meant to save a lake elsewhere. Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh was fast silting up and P R Mishra who wanted to do something to save the lake chose Sukhomajri that was in the catchment area of the lake. With the help of the villagers he constructed four check dams and planted trees. This caused increased storage and increased crop yield. Villagers’ interest in the scheme increased and the village became a model for community participation and management of water resources. Their efforts helped restore Sukhna Lake too. Sabdoo village in Gaya district of Bihar is an inspiring example of what can be achieved with community-based management. A local NGO, Institute of Research and Action (IRA), mobilized the people of 40 villages including Sabdoo to revive traditional routes of water conservation. Their efforts were successful. Impressed with the success of community-based action, the people of Sabdoo village decided to take their efforts a step further. Bunds dividing farmers’ lands were dismantled and all the arable land in the village was turned into a huge farm. Part of it was earmarked for floriculture, another area for vegetables and so on. Using modern methods of farming the village is able to get increased yields from the farm and instead of the whole village, only about twenty people are actively involved in farming. The rest are gainfully employed in cattle rearing, fish farming, horticulture etc. Productivity as well as income levels have improved. Income is proportionately distributed based on land ownership. This is indeed a model of the success of community-based management. The success stories recounted above show a silver lining in the otherwise bleak scenario of droughts, floods and failing monsoons. The simple village folk, relying on traditional wisdom have shown us the value of ancient systems. They have also proved that God helps those who help themselves. Perhaps the time has come for communities to take up a more active role in nation building without waiting for the Government to do everything. As John F Kennedy once remarked, let us think of what we can do for the country rather than what the country can do for us. Sources used –
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