Water crisis: Why solutions imposed from above may end up causing more problems instead of resolving existing ones
As the water-crisis spreads to many areas, it is important to have an understanding of the crisis that encourages participative, people-centered solutions. Without such an understanding solutions that are imposed from above may end up causing more problems instead of resolving the existing ones. This is certainly true of a region like Bundelkhand in Central India which has been frequently in news due to water scarcity faced by people. However leaving aside special drought years, the problem here is often not so much of overall less rainfall as it is of not being able to conserve rainwater or of not managing the available water properly.
This situation can change with participative, people-centered solutions which can unfold the great potential of the creativity of common people based on their understanding of local situations. The possibilities of this have increased as due to several recent efforts at grassroots, volunteers and activists capable of taking forward participative solutions in very capable ways have emerged. To give just one example, the jal saheli initiative has created a tremendous potential of hundreds of women water volunteers making very important contributions in terms of participative solutions. Although their contributions have already been recognized and appreciated officially, including at high levels, making the entire water effort more participative and responsive to people’s real needs will make it possible to create conditions in which such volunteers and activists can make much better and effective contributions.
Despite its frequently experienced water scarcity, in fact Bundelkhand can also be seen at a different level as a water-abundant region - it has adequate rainfall, plenty of rivers and a rich traditional system of collecting rain water.
● Bundelkhand normally receives about 900 to 1000 mm. annual rainfall.
● Bundelkhand has a network of seven major rivers - Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Dhansan, Ken, Tons, Yamuna, ten smaller rivers - Pahuj, Paisuni, Baghein, Sonar, Vyarma, Mahuar, Urmil, Lakheri, Jamni, Bina, and their numerous tributaries.
● This region had also been rich in traditional water collection sources.
A report titled 'Problems and Potential of Bundelkhand with Special Reference to Water Resource base' was prepared by the Centre for Rural Development and Technology (CRDT) and Vigyan Shiksha Kendra (VSK). This report (CRDT-VSK Report) noted several special features of Bundelkhand. (Extracts) -
"The rainfall is capricious and erratic in amount, pattern, intensity and distribution. Extreme deviations from the normal are quite common. About 90 percent of the total rainfall is received during four months, July to September. The high intensity of rain hardly leaves any time for the water to infiltrate into the soil; and the deforestation has left little scope to capture the rainwater and transport it to ground-water levels."
"Among the regions to the south of the Himalayan Foothills, Bundelkhand has a larger share of rocky formation with slopy terrain. Because of the Vindhyan plateaus flanked by high steep cliffs, this region has an unusually high rate of water run-off gushing towards the north, creating deep gorges and rapids. This has meant greater problems of water retention."
Following this overview of the water situation in Bundelkhand we present here some effective, mostly low-cost solutions for water-scarcity in Bundelkhand.
(i) Revival of Traditional Water Sources
In recent decades many traditional sources of water have suffered from neglect so that their potential for quenching the thirst of this region and its people is not being realized.
Adequate resources should be made available for repair, cleaning and maintenance of traditional water sources. As the CRDT-VSK Report says. "Notably, the reservoirs constructed at the foothills by the Chandelas between the ninth and thirteenth centuries and by the Bundelas later, are still existing, partially fulfilling the need for irrigation and even drinking water in their respective areas. All these reservoirs seem to have been scientifically designed with provision of spillways for surplus water. Some reservoirs are found to have been connected with canals which were used as recharging sources for the down-stream irrigation wells and/or for irrigating the fields directly. In addition, check dams, weirs, barrages, wells, step-wells (bavdis) and artesian wells were constructed. Bundelkhand has, thus, a glorious tradition of reservoirs, tanks, ponds, wells, which have gone into disuse in certain parts of the region." Adequate efforts should be made to protect the traditional water sources and their catchment areas, whenever this is possible.
Efforts should be made to understand how the traditional system works, particularly in the case of series of inter-linked water-sources, and renovation work should be carried out on the basis of this understanding. Local people should be closely involved not only in the actual work but also in the planning.
(ii) New Water-Harvesting Work
In addition, learning from the traditional well-constructed structures which have lasted for so long, new tanks, check dams, field-ponds, wells need to be created whenever feasible. In Patha or plateau areas, there is good scope for creating very low cost drinking water sources by tapping small natural springs and creating small well-like structures around them to keep water clean.
MG-NREGA has provided a good opportunity for water-harvesting and water-conservation work on a significant scale.
In a paper titled 'Solving water problems of Bundelkhand', P.R. Pisharoty, well-known expert on water-related issues has made some specific recommendations,
" ● Contour bunding on gently sloping terrain.
● Construction of a large number of water ponds three to four in each village, each of the ponds being at least 8 meters deep. The surface area of each pond can vary from a tenth of a hectare to one or two hactares. They should be so located that each has a catchment area fifty to hundred times its surface area. A depth of 8 meters at least is necessary, since the average evaporation over the Bundelkhand area is two to three meters of water per year. Water from some of these tanks can be pumped into deep wells as a method of recharging ground water.
● Individual houses or housing complexes should have underground, cement lined "reservoirs" into which the rain water falling on the roofs of the buildings and the open spaces around them can be led through suitable closed pipes or channels.
● Shallow broad area percolation tanks. Due to the heaviness of our rainfall, it is less penetrating in proportion to quantity than in those countries where much of it falls in a state of fine division. The rate of penetration over Bundelkhand area is likely to be 10 to 15 percent of the monsoon rainfalls. Hence the need for special efforts to increase the ground water recharge.
● It will be useful if water in the river courses are pumped into deep wells a kilometre or so away from the river channels. Small check dams across the river would provide small pools from which the water can be pumped."
To get more resources for small projects of direct benefit to villagers, very costly projects whose benefits are highly suspect should be avoided.
iii) Need to Protect Forests, To Plant New Trees
As forests of this region have been badly depleted in recent years, there is a clear need to protect whatever is left and to plant many more trees.
A massive effort for afforestation of the hills which can be successful only with the close involvement of people particularly the weaker sections. As afforestation is not easy on denuded hills, soil and water conservation efforts have to be made to first create conducive conditions for plants and trees to survive.
The CRDT-VSK Report emphasizes the role of grasslands. "Development of grasslands, as sources of fodder for cattle is necessary to prevent cattle grazing in the hills slopes. Grasslands, apart from providing fodder and contributing to the success of afforestation of hills, will help soaking of the rain and recharging groundwater.”
iv) Need to Impose Restrictions on Practices which Increase Water Scarcity
At least three such restrictions may be emphasized here (a) restrictions on excessive groundwater extraction (b) restrictions on destructive mining practices and (c) restrictions on highly water-intensive crops. In particular it is very important to curb reckless, destructive mining practices at several places, including highly excessive sand mining in rivers.
v) Need to encourage local innovations like Mangal Turbine (water wheel).
Such innovations can play a very important role. Mangal Singh, a farmer scientist of Bundelkhand, has invented a Mangal Turbine which can be very useful.
This technology is described by Mangal Singh in the following words, - "The water wheel turbine machine consists of a water wheel which is firmly mounted on a steel shaft and supports on two bearing blocks fixed on foundation supports. The shaft is coupled with a suitable gearbox through universal couplings for stepping up speed of rotation. Output shaft of the gear box is coupled on one end with a centrifugal pump for lifting water and the other end is mounted with a suitable pulley for deriving power for operating any machine. Design of the water wheel turbine is simple. It is available in different size to meet the varying requirements. Operation of water Wheel Turbine Pump-cum-P.T.O. Machine is very easy as anyone can operate the machine by opening the wooden or steel gate valve, the machine is stopped by stopping the flow of water through the gate."
Thus apart from lifting water the Mangal Turbine can also be used for several additional tasks. In the words of Mangal Singh, "This is used for pumping water from the rivulets and water streams on which it is installed. The machine can be used for several rural works such as operating atta chakki, sugarcane, crushing, threshing and winnowing, oil expelling, chaff cutting, etc. The machine provides a clean alternative (non-conventional) source of energy in remote rural areas for increasing agricultural productivity, income and employment".
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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril. Man over Machine, A Day in 2071, and Protecting Earth for Children
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