EFFECTIVE WATER CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES Tarun Bharat Sanghs Experience

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EFFECTIVE WATER CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES Tarun
Bharat Sanghs Experience

• Rajendra Singh

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WATERHARVESTING SYSTEMS IN INDIA
Traditional

• THERE ARE VARIOUS
• METHODS OF WATER HARVESTING
• EXISTING IN INDIA.
• THE MAIN COMMON PECULARITIES OF ALL SYSTEM ARE
• - USE OF LOCAL RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY
• - COMMUNITY BASED OPERATION
• COMMUNITY DRIVEN
• DE-CENTRALISED WATER MANAGEMENT
• - CONSERVATION AND DISCIPLINED USE OF
  NATURAL RESOURCES

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..Since beginning
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...BEAUTIFUL SUSTAINABLE
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Why THEY WENT OUT OF USE?

• INCREASE IN HUMAN AND LIVESTOCK POPULATION
• WATER EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGY
• CHANGED PARADIGM OF DEVELOPMENT
• STATE TAKEOVER OF COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS
• CREATION OF DEPENDENCY SYNDROME
• DISINTEGRATION OF COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS
• PEOPLE LOST INITIATIVES AND CREATIVITY
• NEGLECT OF TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS

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REVIVAL OF SYSTEMS USING INDIGENIOUS KNOWLEDGE

• INTERVENTIONS UNDERSTANDING TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS
  AND USE OF INDIGENIOUS KNOWLEDGE
• MOBILISATION OF COMMUNITY AROUND LAND, WATER, AND
  FOREST
• PARTICIPATION IN REJUVENATING OLD STRUCTURES AND
  CONSTRUCTION OF NEW STRUCTURES
• CREATION OF NEW VILLAGE LEVEL AND RIVER BASIN
  INSTITUTIONS

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River rejuvenated
A R V A R I
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LOCATION OF A r v a r i river
A location map of Arvari river basin
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THE SITUATION IN 1985
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1985 Degraded and barren land in the catchment
areas of Arvari river extended drought had
forced people to migrate out of their villages.
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Minimum 30 of total cost was to be contributed
by community for each project the rest was to
come from financial support agencies through TBS
Maximum possible use was made of peoples
traditional technology and wisdom with the help
and advice from engineers if needed.
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WATER harvesting structures taking shape
Johads and dams are usually built on small
tributaries uphill and they directly benefit the
forests on the hill.
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..in process
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Ideas into reality
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BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER
Success of the first Johad inspired people to
take up the building of more such structures
the connection between water and forests was made
and this alsoled to the revival of traditional
rules.
In the past, forest ownership had been taken over
by the Forest Department, leading to alienation
of the people and loss of traditions of
conservation making it difficult to bring
people together again.
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COMPLETED STRUCTURES ON ARVARI BASIN
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River Goes Dry
River is flowing

• Increased Groundwater Recharge
• Less Groundwater Extraction

Excess withdrawal of Groundwater
Due to increased recharge controlled
discharge river ARVARI is now Perennial.
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Villages on Arvari River Basin today
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SMALL INPUTS GREAT RETURNS
Increasing investment on small water conservation
works brings increasing economic returns. An
investment of Rs.100 per capita on Johad raises
the economic production in the village by as much
as Rs.400 per capita per annum.
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The magic of Arvari river over 12 years
The river had disappeared in 1940s, and was
revived in 1997 through the efforts of Tarun
Bharat Sangh
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• Arvari, a small river in Rajasthan state of India
  after rejuvenation

Years of drought had caused it to become a
monsoon drain.
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BLUE brought GREEN
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BLUE brought PROSPERITY
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BLUE brought HAPPINESS
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PRESERVING THE LABOUR
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BENFITS

• Water is made available to cattleand wildlife
• More harvests per season
• Reduced migration
• Social issues of women andeducation get more
  attention
• Increased awareness about theuse of forest
  resource

Only dry and dead wood is allowed to be
collected. No person goes into the forest with an
axe.
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WHO OWNS THE RIVERS?

• With 400 Johads along a stretch of 45 kms, water
  situation in the region improved considerably.
• An immediate issue faced Who owns the river and
  the reservoirs? As per an old, colonial law, all
  waterways are owned by the State which promptly
  gave a contract on Arvari river to private
  fishing contractors!
• Villagers successfully fought this.

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THE ARVARI PARLIAMENT
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11 ASPECTS OF THE ARVARI PARLIAMENT

• Framing of rules regarding direct irrigation from
  the Arvari river and the wells.
• Framing of rules regarding crops and cattle feed.
• Rules to first fulfill local needs with crop
  production.
• No sale of water and conservation of fishes in
  the river.
• Restriction on the sale of land and the efforts
  to reduce the need to sell land.
• Making the whole river area green, ban mining and
  restrict extended grazing by nomadic grazers.
• Restrictions on hunting of animals and illegal
  cutting of trees.
• Revive traditional methods of water and forest
  conservation.
• Prevent over exploitation of water and promote
  water conservation work.
• Establish an active system of the management of
  the river.
• Define and redefine the role of the Arvari
  Parliament and village communities.

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CHALLENGES FACED BY THE PARLIAMENT

• Contracts given by the government to private
  fishing contractors and mining contractors.
• Governments order to pull down the office being
  built by the Parliament Lack of encouragement
  from the government.
• Conflicts arising between policies of the forest
  department and village laws. For example, total
  ban on extraction of wood from forested land.

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USE OF INDIGENEOUS KNOWLEDGE IN TBS WORK

• AWARENESS IN THE COMMUNITY
• Awareness of various aspects of water management
• Respect for culture, traditions and historical
  practices
• Will to work together for communitys common
  interest
• WORKING STRATEGY
• Constitution of Village Councils Monthly
  meetings of all grown ups
• Maximum possible use of traditional technology
  with advice from engineers if needed
• All decisions including technical (siting,
  materials, design etc.) by Gram Sabha
• All decisions by consensus, and not majority
• Role of women in helping reach consensus
• Min. 30 of total cost contribution by community
  rest from support agencies thru TBS
• OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
• Total responsibility assumed by the community
• WATER ABSTRACTION AND USE MANAGEMENT
• River Parliament (Arvari Sansad) with all 72
  villages of Arvari Basin represented
• Responsible for planning enforcing sustainable
  use of water, particularly in agriculture

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.That is how BLUE brought CHANGE