Kandhamal’s Successful Experiments for Water Conservation Bearing Fruits

Kandhamal: With the intensity of water crisis increasing day by day and a catastrophic situation looming large in the near future, India today looks at various ways to mitigate the situation. There are places where it has already taken a serious proportion and has become a challenge for the government to tackle the issue.

There are situations like drying up off natural springs due to various reasons, decreasing levels of ground water and low precipitation which have called for a rethink on the unabated usage of water resources and adopting new and innovative methods for water conservation. There is a need to conserve water at every level and all should come forward for this immediately so that it’s not going to be too late. An example of the efforts of water conservation in Kandhamal district shows us that a multipronged initiative can work wonders and we can overcome the situation.

The district has a low ground water table and in summers water scarcity is the biggest problem. But, the proactive efforts of the district administration have helped conserve millions of gallons of water and opened up an opportunity to regain the lost sources.

With an aim to arrest water scarcity and rejuvenate the water sources, the Kandhamal administration led by Collector Dr Brundha Devarajan, has taken some ambitious and innovative steps that look simple but far more effective. Using locally available resources and ideas that don’t need much resources, the administration has been undertaking various water conservation efforts that have started paying dividends. As part of its effort to conserve water, the administration started working on the ground many years back. Today, water conservation has become the most priority area for the administration.

Starting from rain water harvesting to household recharge pits, the efforts also include rejuvenating the natural springs and recharging ground water. In Kandhamal district, rain water harvesting efforts by construction of check dams, sub surface dykes, and small canals have helped change the situation.

The administration has also used MGNREGS as a successful tool for water conservation. Manhours devoted to water conservation projects have helped put up a string of rain water harvesting structures. Check dams in various places have helped restrict the flow of rain water and recharge the ground. Individual houses in Kandhamal have rain water harvesting pits. Each of the community tube wells are being equipped with waste water pits so that the water again goes down to the ground. Small ponds in private and government land have been dug up with the dual purpose of rain water conservation and recharging of ground water table. At many places, they are also helping as a good source of water for agriculture today. The hilly terrains of the district have a large number of natural water springs that are also being targeted for conservation of water. Pits have also been dug up near to them to recharge the ground.

The administration’s focus on adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies along with enhanced efforts for recharge of aquifers and introduction of sustainable water conservation practices have been in the right direction and leading a paradigm shift in the way administrations elsewhere have been adopting for water conservation. Water conservation, regeneration of ground water, arresting runoff and providing livelihood options are an integral part of the effort.

According to Collector Dr Brundha Devarajan, Kandhamal’s ground water table is very low and in summer it becomes water scarce. So, the focus of the administration has been more on water recharge pits, construction of check dams and dykes in streams.”

The efforts of the district administration have also caught the attention of the Niti Aayog, which has rewarded Three Crore to the district for better performance in agriculture and water conservation. Certainly the efforts of the district administration in successfully mitigating the most important issue can also be replicated in other areas too.