In the dry heartland of Rajasthan, a transformative rural water conservation model is set to benefit farmers in the upcoming monsoon. Those behind the initiative, which relies on 50 scientifically designed and climate-resilient farm ponds at Kukas village in the State capital of Jaipur, claim it has a 10-crore-litre seasonal monsoon run-off conservation potential.
The village panchayat in Jaipur district’s Amber block is the second place in the State selected for the rainwater harvesting enterprise, following the successful installation of farm ponds in the rainfed land of Dausa district. As many as 250 ponds dug in the agricultural land of Dausa have enabled the farmers to get perennial crops.
Nearly 99.4% of the agricultural cultivable land in Jaipur is dependent on groundwater for irrigation. The district extracts 2.22 times the water recharged through rain every year. The project in Kukas emphasises the sustainability and livelihoods of peasants, with a focus on the availability of water for irrigation.
The initiative involves constructing 10-foot-deep, plastic-lined ponds on 5% of each farmer’s land, reinforced with fencing.
The ponds are designed to capture rainwater, ensuring year-round irrigation for rabi and kharif crops and enabling the return of sustainable livestock rearing and high-value horticulture.
Person behind initiative
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, Vipra Goyal, who has been working with the farmers, said while the construction of 50 ponds had been completed recently, 25 more were being dug to secure sustainable water supply to the rural households, which would help about 50,000 villagers in the region in the long-term.
Farmer Ram Phool of Kacherawala village, near Kukas, told The Hindu that he planned to sow crops like groundnuts and chaula (cowpeas) following the inflow of water into the pond installed at a corner of his land spread across eight bighas (nearly five acres). “One has to dig as much as 500 feet to extract groundwater in our area. I was growing bajra earlier as it needs less water,” said the 58-year-old farmer.
Kukas sarpanch Radheyshyam Meena said the sustainable irrigation model will help farmers in his area to diversify into cultivating more profitable and water-efficient crops. “The model offered to us has great potential to make farmers self-reliant. They are set to get a better yield with the year-long water supply,” said Mr. Meena.
Catching rainwater
Mr. Goyal said 14 lakh to 21 lakh litres of good seasonal monsoon run-off was flowing unutilised at every farm of one hectare in Jaipur. “In areas like Amber block, lacking river and canal networks, farm ponds offer the most viable solution. The continuous irrigation will also help in recharging the groundwater,” he said.
The IITian, who had earlier organised awareness programmes about farm ponds through ward sabhas, gram sabhas, and camel cart rallies in Dausa, said the continuous availability of water could pave the way for dairy and food processing units, as well as market linkages for agricultural produce. He has sought the Central government’s endorsement to partner with multilateral agencies for grant-based infrastructure and capacity building.
Mr. Goyal previously worked with the NITI Aayog. He has partnered with a two-wheeler manufacturing company to raise funds for the installation of ponds in Kukas.
Published – June 10, 2025 01:49 am IST
