Rajasthan Villagers Convert 52 Hectares of Barren Land into Lake, Setting Example in Self-Reliance
The 52 hectare barren land near Bhilo ki Basti in Ramsar was used by the villagers as the dumping ground for garbage. Today, with eight inches of water received during the pre-monsoon showers, the lake is filled up.
The residents of Ramsar village worked very hard for five months and converted a barren land in their village into a lake to conserve water. The 52 hectare barren land near Bhilo ki Basti in Ramsar was used by the villagers as the dumping ground for garbage. Today, with eight inches of water received during the pre-monsoon showers, the lake is filled up.
“There was a water outlet on this land which worked as a channel to Ramsar lake but over a period of time this channel went dry and the land was left barren,” Ram Singh Rawat, a village resident told The Times of India.
The district administration encouraged the villagers to construct a lake there because the land is in a lower area and will be able to collect rainwater from nearby areas during monsoons.
Picture for representation only. Source: Flickr
The administration sanctioned Rs. 8 lakh for the lake, which is now five feet deep and has a capacity of 4.08 TMC (thousand million cubic feet). It is also helping recharge wells in the nearby villages that had dried up during the summers.
“Initially we thought that the administration wanted us to work under MGNREGA and wanted to pay us. We have nothing to do in summer months and so came out to dig the land. But to our pleasant surprise now we have water in our well,” said Kailash Kumawat, a farmer in the village.
The lake will help villagers become self-reliant in terms of their water needs. Farmers have already started sowing seeds because they are confident that they will receive water for irrigation this time.
Story and featured image source: The Times of India
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