Pusad farmer's soak pits raise well water level at Ghanora, offering a model for drought-hit villages

An experiment under the Jaltara project in Ghanora (Singarwadi) village of Pusad taluka is drawing attention. The taluka is regarded as the home turf of Vasantrao Naik, pioneer of the Green Revolution, and Sudhakar Naik, known as the father of the water revolution. A progressive farmer of the village, who is also a social worker and a former Yavatmal Zilla Parishad member, carried out the experiment on their farm.

On their farm, Survey No. 247, they dug a well 20 feet in diameter and 50 feet deep. To raise the water level in the well, the work followed the guidance of the conscientious sub-divisional officer, Shri Bijwal. On the slope above the well, a soak pit 5 feet long, 5 feet wide and 6 feet deep was built as per the Jaltara project guidelines. Half the pit was filled with stones and rubble and the rest with soil.

The work is said to have been completed in very little time. A meeting with several staff members was also held last year, at which farmers were guided with an emphasis on raising the water level and increasing milk production. As a result, even in this year's days of water scarcity, motor pumps of neighbouring farmers empty their wells in three hours, while the situation on the farm with the experiment is different.

In the well of neighbouring farmer Babulal Ramu Chavan, water is 15 to 20 feet deep, yet the well is emptied completely in 3 to 4 hours. On the other hand, with just three soak pits built at the right spot under the Jaltara experiment, the water in Ramrao Hupsing Chavan's well drops only 2 to 3 feet even after a 5 horsepower motor runs all day. A photograph showing the water levels in the two farmers' wells has also been provided.

Ramrao Chavan says the groundwater level has risen. If farmers take this example and build such soak pits on a large scale in every farm, it could help tackle water scarcity. Based on their direct experiment and experience, they have made a public appeal that all gram panchayats and government agencies give special emphasis to this work, saying drought-like conditions can then be controlled.

According to Ramrao Chavan, the Employment Guarantee Scheme also has guidelines stressing productive works, and what is needed is that they be implemented strictly. Eager to understand new experiments, they have also taken farmers on a study tour of the Vasantrao Naik Kitchen Garden in Nagpur.

Shripat Rathod of Gyan Prakash in Nagpur has also voiced his wish. He says the government should take up a campaign at its level to turn Ramrao Hupsing Chavan's experiment into a movement.