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The seventh
paani yatra (water pilgrimage) organised by CSE on August 26 - 31,
to Jhabua, Dhar, Dewas and Ujjain districts of Madhya Pradesh (MP)
was unique. For the first time, government sponsored programmes like,
Rajiv Gandhi Watershed Development Mission (RGWDM) and Paani Roko
Abhiyan (PRA) were highlighted. CSE's audio visual unit also travelled
with the group, organising film shows on water from all across the
country. 24 people from eight different states of India participated
driven by the urge to learn more about water and its different facets.
(See box: as yatris saw)
The yatra began from Dahod. In Jhabua, Datod village, was the first
stop. Here, the works have been done under RGWDM and a Dahod-based
non-governmental organisation (NGO), Action for Social Advancement
(ASA), is the implementing agency (PIA). The process of social mobilisation
that encouraged people to construct the two stone masonry structures
on a seasonal river, Modh, attracted the yatris (participants') attention.
"These works have been done with communities contribution and
have the annual potential of irrigating 90 per cent of the village
fields",Balu Singh Bhuria, president of the village watershed
committee (WDC) told the visitors. The day concluded with an interactive
meeting between the participants and the district collector of Jhabua,
Neeraj Mandloi.
Ghelar Choti village, in Jhabua, was the next stop. The participants
saw the soil and water conservation works (like, field bunding, gully
plugs, contour trenches, etc), check dams and talabs constructed under
RGWDM. As the programmes has already concluded, the yatris were keen
to discuss the issue of sustainable management with the villagers,
once the state phases out its role in 2002. An interactive session
with Akash Tripathi, chief executive officer, Dhar, prepared the yatris
for the rest of the day. With the help of a presentation, he informed
the yatris about the ways in which community-based initiatives in
the region have diversified beyond rainwater harvesting.
The yatra moved on to village Kuradia, to understand the functioning
of PRA. Under this program, a gram jal samiti (village water committee)
is formed. Boori bandh (sand bag check dams) and few dabris (small
percolation pit) were some of the structures which the yatris saw.
They were impressed by the enterprenurial skills of the villagers.
As yatris saw
"Seeing is believing. Paani yatra was an opportunity to
learn about water by actually meeting the people, who are managing
it, intelligently." Savita Gokhale, New Delhi"I have
started looking at water as a base of entire society."Marathe
Prabhakar, Maharashtra |
The fort of Mandu that holds the ruins of a sophisticated rainwater
harvesting system, set up in 10th century charmed the yatris. Plagued
with severe groundwater scarcity, the fort town depended solely on
rain for meeting the water-related needs. The system comprised of
more than 1,200 water tanks and baolis (step wells) harnessing rain
and supplying it through channels and aqueducts. Lack of maintenance
has today put the town at the mercy of supplies from the water tankers.
In Dewas town, the participants had an opportunity to understand urban
water harvesting initiatives. In the beginning, Sunil Chaturvedi from
Vibhavari, a Dewas-based NGO, introduced the participants to the genesis
and spread of rainwater harvesting technique in the region. The town
has about 4,500 borewells, of which about 1,200 have installed rainwater
harvesting system. To understand the injection method of replenishing
the source, participants visited Moti Bangla, a residential colony.
Baloda Lakha village, Ujjain, was the final stop. On a rainy day,
yatris reached the village, where the works that started in 1996,
have revived the drying water tables. "The villagers mobilised
more resources for collecting rain than the project", says Arjun
Rathod, the president of the WDC. Motivated by the communities' initiative,
officials from the State agricultural department (the PIA) donated
Rs 40,000 from their salaries for the works. A pond, which the villagers
call - 'krishi sagar' was constructed.
The participants, here got a glimpse of the strength that water commands
in uniting people in a common bond, irrespective of their socio-economic
backgrounds.
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