Documento(s) 5 de 18

Introduction 
Impact 
Future outlook 
Prerequisites 
Potential users 
Related projects 
Contact 
Resources 
Supplemental information:techniques for improving water availability 
 

Introduction

Four years of research went into developing the strategy, a joint effortof the BAIF Development Research Foundation (Pune, India), and the Departmentof Earth Sciences at the University of Windsor (Ontario, Canada). The researchwas carried out in three watersheds encompassing the villages of Ambevangan,Manhere, and Titvi, which typically experience heavy rains and floods duringthe monsoon season from mid-June to early October. Situated on the DeccanTrap Plateau, the rainwater quickly runs away due to the rugged, hillyterrain and poor permeability of the underlying basaltic rocks. The resultis acute water shortages in the summer. 

At first glance, the prospect of a water management project in sucha dry area was daunting. But the presence of Ficus glomerata, orumber trees, proved to be a positive omen. Among the tribal and rural peopleof the Akole Taluka, umber is revered as a reliable indicator that groundwatercan likely be found close by. This and other local, water-related knowledgewas integrated with basic hydrogeological field work, fracture analysis,and meteorological data (rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind, and evaporation)to come up with a strategy. Demonstration sites were then established totest the effectiveness of various water conservation methods based on indigenousknowledge. 

Among the water conservation techniques developed and tested in theDeccan Trap were methods for recharging groundwater such as conventionalcontour trenching and gully plugging. Contourtrenches — excavations made parallel to contours of elevation on a slope— enable water to pond and infiltratethe soil, and prevent eroded soilmigrating downslope. Gully plugs — stone barriers across gullies and deeperrills — also trap sediment eroded from higher elevations and impound runoffon their upslope sides, encouraging monsoon rains to infiltrate. Theseand <U>other techniques</U>developed through this project are now offering new hope for other regionswith water shortages. 
 

Impact 

• More water - Water is now available year-round at some checkdams,gravity-flow systems, developed springs, and dug wells in the project area.An additional 750 litres of drinking water per person per day is now availableduring the dry season.

• Improved water quality and hygiene - Better water availability hasmotivated villagers to improve water quality and hygiene. Womenare now straining sediment and some biological impurities from water and,in general, greater care is being taken to keep livestock out of impoundedwaters. Farmers have also shown more interest in cleaning out the sedimentand other impurities that accumulate at the bottom of dug wells.

• More land cultivated - Improved water availabilityhas enabled villagersto put 30% more land (300 hectares of former wasteland) into agriculturalproduction during the rainy season. In addition, a second (winter) cropis now being grown on 75 hectares that were already under cultivation.Livestock quality has improved, and plans are being developed for irrigationschemes and new agricultural enterprises to take advantage of excess water.This has led to economic gains from the sale of produce.

• Increased employment - The project has increased employment opportunitiesin the villages and reduced pressure on men to work away from home. Vocationaltraining has also improved employment prospects for villagers who electto work away from home.

• Improved morale - Morale and motivation among villagers has improved,as evidenced by more outgoing attitudes, better upkeep of houses, and soon. Until recently, resource degradation, lack of income-earning opportunities,and lack of other infrastructure development had painted a gloomy picturefor youth.

• Better water management - Some 20% of households have acquired skillsin water resource management. During the implementation phase of the project,local youth, in particular, have acquired skills related to water- andsoil-conservation activities.

Soil conservation measures initiated during the project have savedan estimated 6 mm to 10 mm of topsoil annually averaged over the entirestudy area. 
 
• Less disease - There has been a reduction in the incidence of skindiseases, particularly dermatitis, and gastrointestinal disorders relatedto water shortages.

• Better quality of life - Village women and children now experienceless water-related hardships, such as having to walk progressively longerdistances during the pre-monsoon season to find, collect, and carry waterback for household use.

• Partnerships forming - The success of the project has created anenabling environment for similar activities in the region. Local peopleare forming partnerships with outside agencies to put water and soil conservationmeasures into effect, which are similar to those operating at the demonstrationsites.

Future outlook

During the project, human resource development in BAIF led to a newapproach toward water-resource management. This was supported by institutionaldevelopment, assisted by IDRC, including computerized data storage andretrieval, and computerized mapping based on geographic information systems(GIS). 

BAIF has also shown a great deal of tenacity in its pursuit of additionalfunding and continues to work with the tribal and rural people of AkoleTaluka. The villagers continue to adapt to changes in their lifestyle broughtabout by the increased availability of water. This involves coping witha new outlook on water resources and new responsibilities, especially regardinghygiene and sanitation. 
 

Prerequisites 

• climatic records, including information on rainfall, humidity, and evaporationrates; 
• topographic maps which define the drainage networks, including ephemeralstreams; 
• hydrologic data, especially relating to seasonal variation in stream flow; 
• data on soil thickness, as well as the main soil types and their distribution; 
• distribution of rock exposures and a general overview of the depth of weathering; 
• the main rock types found at shallow depths; 
• definition of pore networks in the rocks, and all factors governing theirdistribution; 
• recognition of the main water recharge areas, discharge locations, andgeneral flow directions of ground water; 
• fluid-flow characteristics of the main aquifer types, including yield datafrom existing wells; and 
• maps of straight-line ground features (lineament), commonly defining fractures,which can be identified by satellite image analysis. 

The needs assessment detailing how the water will be used by the localpopulation should include a map of existing land-use patterns. Ideally,this would include a participatory resource appraisal. 

The local population should be prepared to participate as full partnersin all stages of the project; to contribute to the initial assessment ofneeds; to share project-related knowledge with theoutsiders; to receivevocational training and apply it in pilot projects; and to assume fullownership of all project outputs in the area and related monitoring. 

Local skills and know-how must be taken into account at the planningstage. Involving community members with appropriate skills will ensurequality in the construction of checkdams, trenching, and so on. Communitymembers should be trained well in advance of all such activities identifiedunder the project. 
 

Potential users

Related projects

Contact

Professor Frank Simpson 
Department of Earth Sciences 
University of Windsor 
401 Sunset Avenue 
Windsor, Ontario, CANADA  N9B 3P4 
Tel: (519 )253-4232, ext. 2487 
Fax: (519) 973-7081 
E-mail: franks@server.uwindsor.ca 

Naser Faruqui, Senior Program Officer 
International Development Research Centre 
P.O. Box 8500 
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA  K1G 3H9 
Tel: (613) 236-6163, ext. 2321 
Fax: (613) 567-7748 
E-mail: NFaruqui@idrc.ca 
 

Resources

REFLECTIONS: Aphorisms on international development with explanatorywords and pictures; available on loan (in whole or in part). Interestedparties can contact Professor Frank Simpson. 

Research results will soon be disseminated in a comprehensive reports,training manuals, technical brochures and manuals to be published by BAIF(The research report will be published in English; the manuals, technicalnotes, and pamphlets will be published in English, Hindi, and Marathi).For copies, contact the BAIF DevelopmentResearch Foundation. 
 

Supplemental information:Techniques for improving water availability

Soil and water conservation measures: Measures such as gullyplugging, rill plugging, contour trenching, plantation of fruit and forestrytrees, and vegetative barriers of agave and vetiver grass were used inthe study area. It is expected that these measures will help runoff penetratethesoil and weathered bedrock and contribute to artificial groundwaterrecharge (that is, infiltration of ponded runoff into soil, weathered bedrock,and bedrock aquifers). 

Development of springs and wells: Spring sites identified withthe help of residents were deepened and cleaned to increase water inflow,and tanks were built to catch and store the water. One spring in the projectarea (kelicha bandh) was fitted with a pipe at its entrance so water couldbe collected in a 5 000-litre tank that was fitted with a tap from whichdrinking water is drawn. Another spring in the Ambevangan area has alsobeen developed in a similar manner. Existing dug wells were deepened andnew blast holes were made to take advantage of seepages from the weatheredbedrockand fractures in the bedrock. An old well in the village of Titvi,which had not been used for 3-to-4 years, was put back into service byremoving the silt and repairing the well's stone walls. The same has beendone at a well at Ambevangan. 

Ponds: Small farm ponds were dug on hillsides, and plastic linerswere installed to prevent seepage. The stored water was then used to irrigatefruit-bearing plants. Larger ponds were built into the slope just aboveagriculture fields and  existing water sources or springs to increasethe moisture level in fields and increase the yield of existing water sources.There are 19 ponds in the study area. Those excavated during the secondyear provided impressive and encouraging results. Farmers now have enoughwater to grow vegetables for home consumption; the moisture level in fieldsdownslope was maintained; and crop yields were higher than normal despitedry spells. Moreover, some of the farmers have been able to grow secondcrops due to the increased moisture-holding period of the fields. As aresult, in the last year (1995-96) all farmers were eager to excavate pondsin their fields, an idea which was very difficult to introduce earlier. 

Checkbunds: Three types of low-cost checkbunds for harvestingwater runoff were built in the project area. These effectively slow thepost-monsoon runoff, allowing a second crop to be grown. In one place,a micro-irrigation system was introduced to cultivate an acre of wheatjust downstream from a masonry checkdam. 

Rooftop water harvesting: Twenty-six systems for harvesting waterfrom rooftops were installed in three villages. Troughs made of galvanizedsheets collect the water and empty it into tanks. This water has provento be useful even during the rainy season when it is difficult for womento fetch water (the area is hilly and wells are located in the valleys.)The stored rainwater is used for a variety of purposes, from drinking andbathing to washing cattle and watering kitchen gardens during dry spells.In winter, the water is used for drinking, kitchen gardens, washing andother purposes. Generally, post-monsoon rains are active till late October,and the tanks can be refilled until the end of November. The stored waterwas then used for almost a month thereafter. Subsequently, the tanks arerefilled with water delivered from available sources by bullock carts.Previously, these families had to fetch water every day from locationsseveral kilometres away. Water still has to be carried the usual way, butgenerally over shorter distances, and most people in the area would agreethat uncertainty related to water supply has been removed. 

Water source through fracture at Ambevangan: A permanent masonrycheckdam was built in the Ambevangan valley. During construction, a fracturewas discovered in the basalt rock. Surprisingly, when there was not a singledrop of water in this area at the end of the summer, this fracture yielded400 to 500 litres of water per day. Contour trenchingon the upslope side of the fracture increased its water yield. Despiteabsence of late rains in 1995, this source provided drinking water forthe hamlet of Topewadi of Ambevangan till the next monsoon beginning inJune. 

Literature prepared on these technologies will be distributed amongvillage groups, development agencies, NGOs, government organizations inIndia and Maharashtra State involved in water management. Training sessionsand workshops will be held at the national level to share technologiesand methodologies developed during this study.

Documento(s) 5 de 18