State’s rainwater harvesting scheme gets Ministry award

NEW DELHI: The innovative ‘jal kunds’ project that has been implemented in several rural pockets of Meghalaya has won the Central Board of Irrigation and Power Award.
A.D Shira, Parliamentary Secretary for the Water Resources Department, received the award for ‘Best Implementation Project’ on Thursday for the Meghalaya Government’s exemplary work in making the in situ rainwater harvesting technique a success in the State.
Top bureaucrats from the State were present at the programme in the Capital.
The Jal Kund scheme has helped in livelihood and income generation, recharge of groundwater and springs and creation of awareness on the importance of water harvesting and conservation at the village level.
The scheme is one of the initiatives under the Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Promotion Programme (IBDLP) implemented through communities with support from the Water Resources and the Soil and Water Conservation departments.
Though Meghalaya receives adequate rain, it faces a challenge in other seasons.
Jal kunds are water harvesting structures constructed to collect rainwater in situ or to trap the surface runoff, or natural drainage, and is stored for various purposes like fishery and irrigation. It also facilitates groundwater recharge.
The cost for construction is relatively low and farmers in many cases are chipping in to make the jal kunds even more robust.
The scheme has made significant impact on the lives of small and marginal farmers who were earlier dependent on erratic rainfall during monsoon.
This simple technique has penetrated the entire State and a few international players are also approaching farmers to collaborate with them strengthen their brands.
The government has produced a short film on the jal kund scheme and it is being widely screened to reach out to more people.