Chhattisgarh: 'Mor Gaon, Mor Pani' campaign for groundwater recharge

Balrampur admin's 'Mor Gaon, Mor Pani' campaign encourages farmers to build soak pits in fields. The initiative aims to harvest rainwater, maintain soil moisture, and improve groundwater levels through voluntary labour before the monsoons.

To make the best use of every drop of rainwater and ensure recharge of groundwater, the administration in Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh has taken up the task of creating awareness among people regarding the creation of soak pits in agricultural fields under 'Mor Gaon, Mor Pani' (My Village, My Water) campaign.

Under this campaign, farmers are being encouraged to dig soak pits in paddy fields through voluntary labour to maintain the level of groundwater. These soak pits will collect rainwater, resulting in maintaining soil moisture in the agricultural fields and eventually resulting in an improvement of the groundwater level. Notably, the administration had carried out the development of 1,50,000 soak pits at several places last year by ensuring the active participation of the local population in the campaign. Earlier, in the absence of soak pits, rainwater would accumulate in the agricultural field and eventually flow to the nearby river through small drains.

Harvesting Rainwater Before Monsoon

"During the rainy season, our sole objective is to harvest rainwater. The longer we retain the water, the more it will percolate into the ground. Keeping this in mind, we have launched the 'Mor Gaon, Mor Pani' campaign in the district," said Balrampur Collector Chandan Sanjay Tripathi. She further elaborated that all block-level officials are registering active participation in the campaign to make it successful.

"We will continue this work. The time is short, and the monsoons are just around the corner; if we dig small pits now, water will be retained in the farmers' fields. If water accumulates in one place, it will seep underground, resulting in groundwater recharge. By repeating this process, we can significantly improve the water table across the district--especially in the Balrampur area, where water scarcity is visible," Tripathi said.

Local Leaders and Farmers Embrace Initiative

"Following the instructions received from the administration, farmers are being motivated to develop soak pits in the agricultural fields so that the moisture of the soil can be maintained," said Sarpanch Brijlal Lakra.

According to a local, Sanjay Minj, "After learning about the benefits of soak pits in the agricultural field, I have dug it into my field, and the move is making the land fertile." (ANI)

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