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Rain Water Harvesting, Percolation Wells and Check Dams in Gujarat (India)

With a desire to increase agricultural productivity, farmers in Gujarat, India decided to use High Variety Yielding (HVY) seeds for their main crops. They began to use HVY seeds, chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides, mechanization and monoculture farming practices. However, this created some unforeseen environmental and social problems. HVY seeds require more water than is usually used for traditional seeds. As a result, sources of surface and ground water were overused. The depletion of ground water levels has allowed for the ingress of saline waters from the sea. This phenomenon not only affected agricultural crops, but also reduced the amount of safe drinking water due to chemical contaminants.

Aga Khan Rural Support Program in India (AKRSP(I)) has been attempting to alleviate this problem through:

• promotion of its soil and water conversation strategies,
• introduction of appropriate and mixed cropping patterns that efficiently use water as well as the construction of check dams, and
• percolation wells which conserve water.

AKRSP(I) has been initiating many programs in order to combat the problem of salinity ingress. For instance, it has initiated saline-resistant chiku plantations in the saline areas to provide some relief to farmers. In addition, AKRSP(I) has introduced salt resistant and semi salt resistant crops such as sugar beet, date, carrot, as well as crops that require less water such as bajara and jowar.

Percolation Wells: AKRSP(I) has been experimenting with the method of percolation wells since 1990. Open percolation wells are built in streambeds so as to expedite the recharge of ground water tables. The water flow of the stream is distributed by the open percolation well through a round structure, which allows water to permeate directly to the ground, thereby recharging the ground water table. The whole village has been able to benefit from the percolation wells built by AKRSP(I), which makes sweet water available to the villagers. Women were able to access the water at their own convenience. Even women who work during the day can collect water at night. The increased availability of water has raised awareness among women about the necessity of involving themselves in the development process.

Roof Rainwater Harvesting: To solve the problem of drinking water, AKRSP(I) has tried to provide sweet water right at people's houses through the construction of Roof Rain Water Harvesting Structures. Rainwater is collected in these structures through pipes on the edge of the room, which channels the water into an underground tank. This can then be utilized through out the year. People are trained in the maintenance of the structures and in keeping the water clean.

View a real life story of how women in an Indian village worked with AKRSP(I) to construct Roof Rain Water Harvesting Structures.

Gujarat, India. Water cascades down the spillway steps of a check dam as farmers tend the fields in the background. Check dams slow down the run-off after storms and help to recharge the ground water and raise the water table. They are an important element of the Sadguru Water and Development Foundation (an AKF grantee) strategy for increasing rural incomes by building lift irrigation schemes that enable farmers to grow second and third crops after the traditional rain-fed monsoon crop.