Author: Sreenivas Janyala
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: August 13, 2006
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/iep/sunday/story/10448.html
Introduction: Close to 51,000 check dams in
parched Gujarat harvested the monsoon this year. They now promise water security
till the next rains and also feed the water table, luring farmers back from
the cities once again
When the weatherman predicted more rain for
Gujarat in the coming days, BS Rathwa, the mamlatdar of Talaja taluka in Bhavnagar
district, couldn't brush off a feeling of complacence. He took off in his
jeep to witness a rare sight in these otherwise parched parts - check dams
brimming over under a still promising grey sky.
One though played over and over: "Now,
we don't have to worry about rationing water to the people of Talaja. Thanks
to these check dams, we have enough drinking water till the next monsoon.
We may also provide for irrigation later on," he says, pointing to one
of the three check dams on the Shetrunji river.
Dhoraji taluka of neighbouring Rajkot district
is witnessing another rarity. After a gap of 22 years, farmers are ready to
plant a sugarcane crop. Until last year, they planted only less water-intensive
crops. Then, a 200-m long check dam on the Bhadar river near Supedi village
came up. Now, the taluka has enough to irrigate sugarcane plantations and
better still, groundwater levels in a 5-sq km area have been recharged.
Supedi's Sarpanch Subashbhai Patel says this
year, they will have sugarcane across 200 acres in the village. Villagers
do spare a thought for Surat and Anand that have borne the brunt of the heavy
rain but point out their happiness has been long in coming too. All 50,810
check dams in the state are overflowing, recharging some 71 major and minor
rivers besides numerous rivulets and streams on which they are built. About
6,000 of these in the scarcity-prone districts of north Gujarat and Saurashtra
came up only after the last monsoon.
Economist and Professor Emeritus, Sardar Patel
Institute of Economic and Social Research, Dr Yoginder K Alagh, says the check
dams, along with the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) on the Narmada, will have
a widespread impact on Gujarat's agriculture and economy.
"First, cotton, which did badly till
2005 will hold out this year. The crop in China is not doing well so with
a bumper crop, we may even export cotton as we did in the 90s. Revival of
grains in kharif is evident and rice will do well due to availability of water
in plenty," says Alagh. "With water tables recharged, all wells,
ponds and tanks will be full and the moisture content will be high which means
a good rabi crop too. I think, combined with SSP, increase in availability
of water means bumper crops and therefore, a 4 to 5 per cent economic growth
in Gujarat."
If that sounds like the ideal story, take
a worst-case scenario. Dhrol in Jamnagar district faces water shortage throughout
the year. With five check dams on the Und river, this year, it is expecting
regular drinking water supply throughout.
Minister of State for Water Supply Harjivanbhai
Patel says good rainfall combined with the enhanced storage capacity of the
check dams has eased the drinking water situation. "We withdrew water
tankers from many villages in Banaskantha and the tribal areas of Sabarkantha.
The groundwater tables have been thoroughly recharged due to the check dams,"
says Patel. "In fact, where check dams were not possible, bori bunds
(sandbag) have been put up to temporarily halt water flow to allow percolation.
It is making a lot of impact on the water tables."
The Irrigation Department says the water storage
capacity of Gujarat's check dams is about 24,000 million cubic feet. Since
2002, the government has been constructing checkdams across the state with
public participation. "The state government earlier provided 60 per cent
of the cost of a check dam while the panchayats or nagarpalikas bore 40 per
cent expenditure.
Last year, the government increased its share
to 80 per cent," says Agriculture Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma.
"We have irreversibly lost the rainwater
that had flown so far but now, these check dams are doing wonders to the water
table. The water supply and irrigation will improve very much this year,"
says the minister.
Besides, the state is counting the long-term
benefits- thousands of farmers from Amreli and Bhavnagar who migrated to Surat
and Mumbai to work as diamond polish workers are either returning home or
making sure the next generation stays put in the villages.
The check dams too have a diamond connection.
Most check dams in parched Saurashtra have been constructed by the Saurashtra
Jaldhara Trust headed by millionaire diamond merchant Mathurbhai Savani, who
had once left Saurashtra for Surat. "All the trust members belong to
Saurashtra too," says Vipulbhai, chief engineer of the trust. "Many
farmers migrated earlier as their crops failed and they fell into heavy debt
but they are also returning now. Now we want to prevent migration of the second
generation."
With water for at least another year secure
in check dams, that's a new prayer too for Saurashtra.
sreenivas.janyala@expressindia.com
