An Innovation For Managing Rain Water Harvesting
RJSS with support from Terre des Hommes Netherlands has successfully piloted the Sub-surface dyke project in Pichhri village of Markacho Block in Koderma district of Jharkhand. This project has ensured a sustainable livelihood to the people by enhancing their income from agriculture.
The underground dam is constructed with the total cost of Rs. 2, 30,000 and it is around 200 feet long and 15 feet deep and directly benefitting around 40 acres of Land. This whole process of dam construction was made possible due to the joint efforts and initiative taken by Mr. Rajan Mohanty (TDH), Mamata Kumari (Consultant, Odisha) and Vimal Babu (Retired Civil Engineer Odisha).
Following are the Outcomes of the Program
Increase in the moisture of topsoil :
As an impact of the sub-surface dyke, the rainwater accumulated in the subsurface resulted in increased retention of moisture in the topsoil. The surrounding agricultural land could retain moisture up to March which earlier used to dry up by end of December. Increased coverage of winter crop: Before the construction of dyke, cultivation in the land was very rare. Everyone suffered due to the low rain soon after the completion of the sub-surface dyke, but 4 formers utilized the water available on the downstream part of the sub-surface dyke and cultivated potatoes in 49 decimal of land. They got a yield worth Rs.32, 600. In the year December 2019,7 famers grew various crops like Wheat, Mustard, Onion, Potato and vegetables in around 186 decimal of land, the estimated production will be of worth Rs.97000.