A group of women members of Thalinji have started reaping the benefits of a community pond developed jointly by the Agricultural Engineering Department, Thalinji village panchayat besides the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).
The pond was set up to check the wastage of rainwater in the village every monsoon with a focus on generating livelihood assistance to the women members, all belonging to the Dalit community.
Prior to the setting up of the pond, it was causing havoc to the residents of Thalinji colony.
The Agricultural Engineering Department dug out the earth for setting up the community pond which is 160 metres in length and three metres in depth. Its water spread area is 1,600 square metres.
The pond has been ensuring assured livelihood assistance to the women members. They have raised the buffalo grass in the periphery of the pond and raised vegetables on the bunds. Poly fish culture activity has also been taken up at the site.
“The villagers have been harvesting fish and vegetables periodically,” says M. Nageswaran, Project Co-ordinator, MSSRF. The villagers have been adopting eco-friendly techniques for realisation of run off water.
The residents have been using the pond for supplying drinking water to the cattle. The villagers have christened the pond after the MSSRF.
Published - September 01, 2010 07:51 pm IST
