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Kharash Vistarotthan Yojana

Combating salinity

Lodhva village is situated in the Sutrapada taluka of Junagadh district. Like the several score villages that dot the scenic seacoast of south Saurashtra, Lodhva has been severely affected by the ingress of saline water. The problem worsened over the years due to the traditional cropping patterns of the people in the area, chiefly growing water intensive crops like wheat. Very soon, finding potable drinking water became a problem for villagers like Rambhai, a farmer who grew groundnut and wheat in his small field. Whilst the increasing salinity of the water degraded the quality of the agricultural produce, Rambhai had to hire one person to trudge to a well, 3 kilometres away, to fetch drinking water for his family of seven, everyday. In 2001, Rambhai was convinced by Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF) to build a Roof Rain Water Harvesting Structure (RRWHS) in his back yard. With financial assistance from ACF, Rambhai excavated a pit, eight feet wide and ten feet deep. This pit could store upto 20,000 litres of pristine rain water, collected from his roof top. The water was now sufficient not only for his family's drinking and cooking requirements but also for his two buffaloes. Rambhai's successful RRWHS has evoked considerable interest in the village, with an increasing number of villagers opting for a similar, cost effective solution for their drinking water needs.

 
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Driving into Sangawada village, located in the Mangrol taluka of Junagadh district, one comes across a large surface water storage tank. Asha, a ten year old girl drawing water from the tank, is all smiles, as she carries the water to her dwelling, a few metres away. 'Till last year, I would have to get up at the crack of dawn and go to the nearby village to fetch water for my family. I would get so tired walking the distance of two kilometres each way; I would scarcely have the energy left to attend my school. With this water tank, my family is able to get water anytime that it is required. I can now study and have time to play,' she reveals with a mischievous smile. Earlier, this tank used to be a natural depression. The villagers realised the water storing potential of this depression and with the support of Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) (AKRSP(I)), they renovated and augmented the storage capacity of the tank, which now serves as a community drinking water source in the village for nearly 100 poor households. The Sangawada Pani Samiti too played a crucial role in contribution collection and liaising with different village level bodies. The tank has benefited the people of Sangawada, like Malini, who otherwise would have to travel long distances to fetch potable drinking water.

The coast of Gujarat has been subject to flagrant over-use of ground water over the past three decades, leading to the ingress of sea-water, affecting underground water aquifers in coastal villages. Environmental degradation of this coastal area has led to migration, decline in cattle population and an acute crisis of quality drinking water for the villages, especially for women. Prolonged use of saline water for irrigation has led to a decline in agricultural productivity and decreased soil fertility, rendering the land unsuitable for future cultivation. The problem is escalating and threatens to lead to an environmental catastrophe.


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Since January 2002, the Trust, along with AKRSP(I) and ACF, is undertaking the Kharash Vishtarotthan Yojana (KVY), (Gujarat Coastal Salinity Prevention and Mitigation Initiative) to tackle the problems related to salinity ingress. With support from the Trust, both the organisations have implemented several innovative measures like construction of Roof Rain Water Harvesting Structures, renovation of saline wells and sealing them in order to convert them into sources of good drinking water, farm bunding, promotion of water efficient irrigation technologies like drip irrigation, besides educating the people into growing less water intensive crops and resorting to horticulture. Whilst AKRSP(I) is implementing a three year pilot project covering 15 villages on the Mangrol coast of Junagadh district, ACF is focussing its activities in 20 villages of Kodinar & Sutrapada talukas of Junagadh district. Whilst the positive effects of the initiative have already been noticed, a lot still needs to be done.

It is the Trust's endeavour to enhance its support in KVY. Besides supporting AKRSP(I) and ACF, the Trust has also supported two more organisations, namely, Vivekanand Research & Training Institute (VRTI) and Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD), effective 2004. Whilst VRTI is focussing its efforts in developing and implementing a comprehensive programme on salinity management in 18 villages in Mundra taluka in Kutch, TCSRD is poised to initiate activities in six villages in the Okhamandal taluka of Jamnagar district.