During the monsoons, a considerable quantity of rainwater is falling and washing the hilly areas, till reaching the rivers and the seas. A good quantity infiltrates or goes to the dams and other reservoirs of water, mainly lakes and other storage and retention works, to use the water later.
India receives an average annual rainfall of 1,180 mm. However, only 8% of rainwater is harvested in India. Rainwater harvesting can provide up to 70% of the water needed for a household (Met. Dep., May 24, 2023)”. So, there is much to improve in water harvested, such as decentralizing it in each state and UT, obtaining self-sufficiency and keeping water reserves in the underground and storage tanks for times of scarcity.
Two excellent experiences in India clearly show the way. There must be many other initiatives. I had an opportunity to study and write a case study on them, made reality and with outstanding outcomes. They are worth exploring and replicating in many places in India where conditions are favourable. Both are inspiring, and one can ask: if it is so easy, why not do it at my place?
I’ll briefly refer to some characteristics to understand the interest in replicating. One is the Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan; the other is the Global Vikas Trust, based in Mumbai and acting in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
The Barefoot College is a community-based grassroots organization founded by Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy in 1972. “It aimed to address the issues concerning marginalized communities and individuals, including women, the exploited and the impoverished rural poor living on less than $3/day. The work started in practical domains like water, education, solar, health, advocacy, environment, communications and rural livelihoods including handicrafts.”
“In the past decades, many states in India have had continued levels of drought throughout many regions. Even in the areas with adequate rainfall, there are water-related crises because no measures were taken to conserve water. Collecting water when it comes — and storing it for times when rains fail to come- is highly beneficial. Barefoot College’s Rainwater Harvesting Program was piloted in 1986 in response to the growing need for clean water”.
To date, Barefoot has built 1,600 rainwater harvesting tanks in schools & community buildings, benefitting more than 2 million people. Harvesting tanks in schools provide a clean water source for students and staff. It also starts with plantations, supporting a lively environment. Today, Tilonia has a myriad of oases, spreading in all dry areas.
In 2006, Barefoot College installed India’s first solar-powered desalination plant in Kotri village in the Ajmer district. This plant uses Reverse Osmosis technology to purify saline water. (cf. BC on Google) The Global Vikas Trust (GVT). “The summer of 2016 proved challenging as the villages suffered from an acute water shortage. There was no water in the villages. Dedicating my life to change these farmers’ situation seemed the right thing to do, said Mayank Gandhi, the Founder of the GVT.
“The two biggest problems to tackle head-on were poverty and climate crisis”. The Global Vikas Trust (2016) was thus born, its objective being to stir a mass movement to enhance farmer incomes and enrich the natural environment through the extensive plantation of millions of fruit-bearing trees. Sequentially, four steps deserved the attention of the GVK: – Water work; – river Aquashaft; – Mass Tree Plantation, – and Multiplying Farmer Incomes.
“Water Work. Water harvesting and conservation are the fountainheads for any agricultural endeavour. Once established, all agricultural activities flourish, leading to an increased income from land.
In 2018, GVK Trust started its movement by working on water security in Parli villages. We did it through a combination of voluntary and machinery work. “By successfully merging the indomitable spirit of these villagers with modern technology, we successfully created 2220 million litres of water storage, -70 km of deepening and widening of the river and its tributaries, 164 farm ponds, 62 check dams, 5 KT weirs, etc.”
“River aquashaft is a shaft that allows excess water to enter aquifers and replenish the groundwater in a given area. This is done by boring a 100-200 ft deep shaft in a low-lying water logging area in a river. Filters are added around the shaft to prevent the passage of mud and dust into the aquifer. When the water flows in the river, it enters the shaft via holes drilled into them and the aquifers.
The villages can draw more water out for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes by replenishing underground aquifers. The underground water also helps the environment as trees and forests can draw up more water, thus benefiting the ecosystem. So far, GVT has installed 120 GRA-Global River Aquashaft along the Paapnashi River, increasing the water table from 400 ft to less than 50 ft.”
“Borewells that didn’t work for four years are now overflowing with water. The water security woes of Waghala are an issue of the past. Just like their ancestors ensured they had enough water for their needs, the people of Wagala have ensured that their descendants will have enough water for the rest of their lives. The works already done under the auspices of GVT originated 4000 million litres of water storage, making the threat of dryness a story of the past.”
Mass Plantation. The main objective of GVT was to help marginal farmers to improve their earnings per acre. The study of the soils helped farmers make a disruptive innovation, putting aside what they previously cultivated and shifting to plant trees of a great variety, which had much better productivity and sold at excellent prices. The decision to move the traditional crops to the new array of trees was personal to the farmer. Those few initially taking the decision proved that their earnings were now 4 to 10 times the ones before, which animated many others to follow them. There is a specific time until the tree matures and produces good fruits.
The plantation has 50 million fruit trees from 2019 till now, including Lemons, Orange, Papaya and Banana; Guava, Sitafal, Mango, Coconut, Mosambi, Mogra and Mulberry for sericulture. The many trees densely planted anywhere modify the climate, attracting more rain, more shadow protecting the soil and less evaporation.
In this process, which they initiated in 2018, more than 22.000 farmer’s families benefitted. Marginal farmers multiplied more than ten times their earnings with the traditional crops they used to grow. The trees have better productivity, and their fruits sell at much better prices. Already, 4200 villages in M. MP, Gujarat, were impacted till June 2024. And things will go on as many more farmers are looking for such experimentation. (cf.GVK write-up)
A lot of water will be available when the whole country works effectively. Replicating the deeds of Barefoot and GVT in every State and every District of India, we can firmly admit that there will be no need to fear water shortage for human drinking, agriculture or animals. And the earnings will definitively jump many folds.
(The author is professor at AESE-Business School (Lisbon), at IIM Rohtak (India), author of The Rise of India)
