Making use of the severe water scarcity across Dakshina Kannada this summer, the zilla panchayat has been drawing the attention of people to go for rainwater harvesting by digging farm ponds or rejuvenating abandoned ponds at individual plantations.
It has asked gram panchayats to involve people in this mission under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).
N.R. Umesh, deputy secretary of the panchayat, told The Hindu that the sweltering heat across the district had made people to think about harvesting rainwater in one form or the other.
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Using this opportunity, the zilla panchayat asked gram panchayats to ensure that at least 20 persons under each panchayat in their plantations dug up farm ponds or percolation pits or rejuvenated abandoned ponds to ensure that rainwater percolated to the ground.
“Methods could be any. But the objective is to harvest rainwater,” he said.
Mr. Umesh said that the district had 230 gram panchayats. If 20 such farm ponds were dug up in each panchayat, at least 4,600 ponds would be constructed in the district. Letting storm water flow to it might not yield results, but would have a long-term impact.
“We have received 40 applications for digging farm ponds under MNREGA from individuals under Alike (Bantwal Taluk) Gram Panchayat alone,” he said adding that about 10 applications had been received from the Balnad Gram Panchayat in Puttur taluk.
He said that the provision of digging percolation pits and farm ponds under the MNREGA was not new. As many have realised the importance of harvesting rain water due to water scarcity this year the “mission” might click.
The official said that people in groups could also come together for digging up larger ponds from which they could draw water together for farming.
He said that as per a rough estimation by the panchayat a mini-farm pond could be dug up at an estimated cost of Rs. 40,000.
People could make use of the provisions under the MNREGA for creating more farm ponds in their plantations which would help them in summer.
Now, tissue cultured banana saplings can be planted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).
According to N.R. Umesh, Deputy Secretary, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, it is a new provision added under the programme from this year. The applicants could dig up the pits and plant the saplings. Usually the tissue cultured banana saplings are less prone to diseases.
