Project Director:Prafulla Sutar/prafulla@saveindianfarmers.org
Region: Choriya Khata village is located in Sapotra tehsil of Karauli district in Rajasthan, India.
Focus Area: Choriya Khata village(Karauli District,Rajasthan)
SIF Partner: Tarun Bharat Sangh
Status: In progress

Objectives

To implement Landscape water harvesting and Water-use-efficient irrigation systems with local farmers for sustainable development and livelihood generation

Current Situation Of Farmers / Challenges

The population of Choriya-Khata is mainly engaged in agriculture and animal rearing (98%). The main source of irrigation in the region is groundwater that is fast depleting. The village faces massive consequences of water scarcity. Their fields are parched, cattle thirsty and lives of women is an endless quest for water. Girls drop-out of schools to take care of the household chores while their mothers spend 4 to 6 hours every day in search of water. Tarun Bharat Sangh along with the villagers of Choriyakhata walked around the village and identified potential locations for construction of RWHS during community meetings. Both men and women, stakeholders of the village and indirect beneficiaries were involved during decision making process.

They are low-tech solutions that require no large equipment or expensive materials to build. The technique skillfully manipulates the micro-environment causing minimum adverse impact on natural and social environment. Unlike the large scale dams, they do not cause displacement of native people, loss of forests and fertile lands and depletion of groundwater downstream. The construction of these two community structures will not only address the immediate problem of water scarcity, by creating a pool of surface water and replenishing the groundwater table, but it will also restore the ecology and build climate resilience. As the community relies on flood irrigation technique for irrigating with whatever resources they have, the groundwater is depleting at a very fast rate. To reduce the consumption of water per unit in agriculture and the time in irrigation, TBS is also proposing the distribution of piped irrigation technique among the 47 vulnerable farmer families. This method of irrigation would not only promote the water-use efficiency but also prevent the crops against pest attacks.

Rainwater Harvesting Structures

Ponds (Johads, Taal anicuts, pokhar) etc. are traditional rainwater harvesting structures that are built with the locally available materials and manual labour. The type and size of a structure depends on various factors like the topography of the site, capacity of the structure, etc. The proposed rainwater harvesting structure will help in building climate resilient communities by ensuring water security for animals and humans during summers. This RWHS will help in recharging groundwater which will further replenish dried wells and borewells. Under this project, 02 such structures with a capacity of atleast 1 Cr. Litre will be constructed. The project will be executed in a participatory manner and driven by the community at each level of planning, designing, execution, operations, maintenance and monitoring. They will have full ownership of the Rainwater Harvesting structures created, and will share the capital cost partially by co-financing or contributing labor, time, tools and machinery.

To ensure agricultural water security and ecosystem restoration,TBS (Tarun Bhagat Singh) plans to construct 2 rainwater harvesting systems in the proposed village of Karauli in Rajasthan. 2 Rainwater Harvesting Structures have been constructed. These structures will help in recharging the groundwater which will ensure drinking water and water for irrigation round the year by directly benefitting 6 families and indirectly 50 families. The rainwater harvesting structures will help in providing water for irrigation during Rabi and Kharif seasons.

Water-Use Efficiency

Water scarcity has emerged due to unscrupulous use of water and no solution can ensure sustainability without making communities water-wise. TBS equips farmers to reduce water consumption in agriculture through the use of micro irrigation techniques. Under this project, technical training and financial support (50%) will be given to 30 farmers for the installation of piped irrigation systems.In our experience, piped irrigation systems save water and time up to 50%. In the proposed region, farmers took additional crops of coriander during April-June and Lady finger due to saving of water by use of an efficient irrigation system. Quality of produce also increases.Experience shows that every farmer shares his sprinkler system with at-least one more farmer, thus increasing the reach under this project to 94 farmers.

To ensure water-use efficiency in agriculture, 47 vulnerable families have been chosen who will be equipped with piped irrigation technique. Currently, 30 farmers have been equipped with piped irrigation technique which would reduce the consumption of water per unit area and labour hours invested.

KPIs

1. Successful Installation of an efficient irrigation system with 30 farmers.
2. Successful Completion of Construction of 03 rainwater harvesting structures.
3. 30% reduction in consumption of water for irrigation per acre land of beneficiary farmer
4. 50% reduction in human labor time required during irrigation per acre land of beneficiary farmer (primarily women)
5. At least 50% barren land of beneficiary farmers will become cultivable.
6. 2 rainwater harvesting structures would directly benefit 06 households and indirectly 85 households as the amount of water holding capacity would increase
7. Approximately 12 cr. liters of water holding capacity through 02 rainwater harvesting structures.

Strategy / Plan/ Approach

1.Find out needy farmers village/baseline survey
2. Find out site of rain water harvesting structure then listed 30 irrigation pipe beneficiaries.

Activities Planned

1.Construction of 03 rainwater harvesting structure
2.Installation of an efficient irrigation system with 30 farmers.(Provided 30 sprinkler set)