A new water harvesting model promises to help Rajasthan’s farmers

In the dry heartland of Rajasthan, a transformative rural water conservation model is set to benefit farmers in the upcoming monsoon. Those behind the initiative, which relies on 50 scientifically designed and climate-resilient farm ponds at Kukas village in the State capital of Jaipur, claim it has a 10-crore-litre seasonal monsoon run-off conservation potential. The village panchayat in Jaipur district’s Amber block is the second place in the State selected for the rainwater harvesting enterprise, following the successful installation of farm ponds in the rainfed land of Dausa district. As many as 250 ponds dug in the agricultural land of Dausa have enabled the farmers to get perennial crops. Nearly 99.4% of the agricultural cultivable land in Jaipur is dependent on groundwater for irrigation. The district extracts 2.22 times the water recharged through rain every year. The project in Kukas emphasises the sustainability and livelihoods of peasants, with a focus on the availability of water for irrigation. The initiative involves constructing 10-foot-deep, plastic-lined ponds on 5% of each farmer’s land, reinforced with fencing. The ponds are designed to capture rainwater, ensuring year-round irrigation for rabi and kharif crops and enabling the return of sustainable livestock rearing and high-value horticulture.