Jalyukta Shivar triggering innovations in water conservation, recharge



By Kartik Lokhande 
For years, relief packages stunted innovations in agriculture sector, especially those concerning water conservation despite several areas across Maharashtra facing drought-like situation frequently. Things had come to such a pass that refusal to declare packages created a gap between the Government and the farmers. In the process, though several departments were working for water conservation and aiding agriculture, works were done with long-term planning only in isolation.
But, things are changing, thanks to ‘Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan’ taken up by the State Government. Apart from water storage being built up in deepened and widened nullahs and rivulets, and recharge of wells in nearby areas, Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan has triggered innovations. It has also resulted in harmonious working among different Government agencies -- Revenue Department, Agriculture Department, Forest Department, Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA), etc. And, above all, farmers and NGOs and the Government started working to realise long-term vision.
During his marathon visits to different districts across the State to personally inspect the works being done under the ambitious programme, Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister, stated repeatedly that the main objectives of Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan were to arrest maximum rainwater in respective villages, groundwater recharge, using arrested water for irrigation and increasing efficiency of water use, creating decentralised water storages, and increasing peoples participation. Towards achieving these goals, ‘convergence’ was the key-word. Works with similar goals were taken up under ‘convergence’ of various schemes by different implementing agencies. This, in itself, was something new to the Government agencies that often preferred operating independently.
As far as other initiatives are concerned, one is the ‘pitching’ work. Previously, Kolhapur Type weirs were constructed across various big nullahs to arrest water. The weirs had heavy iron gates to be opened to release the stored water. However, as the heavy iron gates fetched ‘good price in market’, those got stolen. Though the nullahs were widened and deepened and straightened, the officials concerned were worried -- what if iron gates fitted at weir-point anew are stolen?
“We thought of doing something innovative. Instead of fitting new iron gates at the weir-point, we decided to opt for stone pitching up to depth of 5 metres at the weir-point. This would arrest enough water and release it at steady pace,” Avinash Katade, Sub-Divisional Officer, Katol, told ‘The Hitavada’. Stone pitching has been done at Zilpa and other nearby villages in Katol tehsil of Nagpur district. It has yielded good results. No one steals the stones, and the purpose also is served. Around 200 wells in the areas along the nullah are getting recharged.
Such innovations and peoples participation have resulted in savings on cost of various works. K K Marathe, President, Centre for Rural Welfare; and Dr Arvind Bondre pointed out that the work that would cost Rs 104 per cubic feet was done at only Rs 29 per cubic feet with participation of farmers. “Precious public fund could be saved at Rajni, Zilpa, Khamli, Mukni, Gondi-Digras and other villages, with participation of farmers and NGOs both. Further, as farmers also worked on the project, they got emotionally attached to it,” said Marathe. At Madni in Wardha district also, as against estimated cost of Rs 9.36 lakh, actual expenditure on nullah widening and deepening and cement nullah bandh (CNB) was Rs 8.40 lakh.
Centre for Rural Welfare, an NGO working in Katol and Narkhed tehsils, also adopted a systematic approach to getting done the works under Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan. The experts with the organisation carried out a ‘Reach-to-Valley’ survey and identified spots in the bed of nullahs to be widened and deepened. At these identified spots, troughs were created. When water was arrested in the nullahs, the trough portions held more water. This deep storage is helpful in groundwater recharge. Besides, water storage in these troughs could be used for pisciculture.
Of course, nullah deepening and CNB and weirs are the works that were being done previously. However, the approach to doing these works is new now. And, it is benefitting farmers. For instance, the simple desilting of nullahs and rivulets yielded huge piles of fertile soil layer. At village Waigaon Nipani in Wardha district, the situation was almost riotous as farmers had made a beeline to get the fertile layer of soil loaded in their trucks and tractors. “In fact, cops had to be called to maintain calm,” said Smita Patil, Sub-Divisional Officer, Wardha.
Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan works have the potential to offer solutions to farmers worried with washing away of fertile layer of soil in the event of excessive rainfall and floods. Ashutosh Salil, Collector, Wardha, recalled that almost 1,00,000 hectare of fertile soil layer got washed away last year in Wardha district. Of that, around 40,000 hectares of soil was lost from farms closer to nullahs. “To prevent such loss in future, systematic works of widening, deepening, and straightening of nullahs has been taken up. Further, at various places, we are going for graded bunding,” he said.
Meanwhile, Forest Department also is carrying out works under Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan. Of a total 214 villages selected under the project in Wardha district, as many as 88 have forest areas. Forest Deptt has done various works in 59 of these villages. “These works include stone weirs, Gabian weirs, nullah bunding, storage tanks for wildlife, deep trenching etc. And, these are yielding positive results in the form of increased water storage,” said Mukesh Ganatra, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Wardha.

Donations for ‘Jal Mandir’
Works are being done at several places, but one question is being raised by many -- Will it sustain? This question haunted the villagers in Katol tehsil also. MLA Ashish Deshmukh, who represents Katol constituency, also pondered over this. “People in rural areas offer donations for building temples or other places of worship. So, we started motivating people in this part of Nagpur district to donate for ‘Jal Mandir’. The ‘Jal Mandir’ is nothing but water conservation work. And, the idea yielded positive outcome. People have donated not only money but also labour for various works under Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan,” he added. This created attachment among people. And, this has led to formation of Loksahabhag Kruti Samiti in Katol tehsil to monitor the progress of works and also to take care of maintenance in longer run.

Plantation
After deepening and widening of nullahs and rivulets, huge piles of soil was dumped along the banks. With increase in water level in the nullahs and rivulets, water flow carried the soil from the bottom of these dumps and silt started getting accumulated in the nullah-bed again. To prevent such soil erosion, an idea came up to plant saplings on these dumps. The idea was not new. In fact, at many places, river-banks are adorned by natural growth of vegetation. But, it was implemented as a concept in a very few such works.

Recharge of failed borewell
At Gondi-Digras, Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA) has taken up a pilot project to recharge a failed borewell through use of ‘siphon’. The borewells are at depth of 120 metres to 300 metres in this part of Katol tehsil that comes under ‘water-stressed’ zone. Here, groundwater has gone dry due to excessive lifting and little recharge. Under the pilot project, water from a nearby well is being carried to very deep ‘jointed massive basalt rock layer’ through a ‘siphon’. The system is very simple and can be operated by a single person. The cost of the project is only Rs 88,000/-. Dr Shivaji Padmane, Senior Geologist, GSDA is executing the project. According to him, the idea is working well and the failed borewell may be revived in next few months.

Enclosures
Usually, farm boundaries are marked by soil dumps or thorny plants. A little thought and implementation of good initiatives adopted by farmers in other parts of the country, resulted in digging of trenches that ‘enclosed’ the farms. Within a few spells of rainfall, these trenches are filled with water. The trenches look like small canals running on all sides of the farms. “This helps in groundwater recharge. Further, in case of flooding of a farm following excessive rainfall, the washed away layer of soil will get dumped in these trenches. As such, farmer concerned may be able to reclaim the fertile soil layer from these trenches. The practice is picking up,” said Ashutosh Salil, Collector, Wardha. 

(08-07-15)

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