By Manoj Pathak
Ranchi, Jul 23 (IANS): Under the "Nilambar-Pitambar Jal Samridhi Yojana" launched in Jharkhand, barren land is becoming green. Under this scheme, which has been started with the aim of saving rain water, raising greenery and increasing prosperity, work is being undertaken across 4,000 gram panchayats. The state government claims that in many districts greenery is now becoming visible on barren and sandy land.
An irrigation department official says that under this scheme, Loose Boulder Check Dams (LBCDs) have been built on the hills and adjoining land across hundreds of villages in the state. Due to this rain water is percolating inside the ground.
He said, "Not only LBCDs, but also through construction of Trench cum Bund (TCB) we have succeeded in controlling rain water. Drip irrigation system is being used by the farmers on a large scale through the irrigation wells under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)."
According to data, he said, in the last financial year, gardening has been done on 25,000 acres of land and during this year horticulture work is in progress on nearly 21,000 acres of land.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren says, "Promotion of underground water is the need of the hour. Through the Nilambar-Pitambar Jal Samridhi scheme, the barren land has to be made cultivable so that the rural economy can be strengthened and the purchasing power of the people living in villages increases. This is our ultimate aim."
The Nilambar-Pitambar Jal Samridhi Yojana was launched in 2020 by the Jharkhand government. Work is being done under the scheme in nearly 4,000 panchayats. Water conservation has increased and migrant workers in rural areas have got employment.
The government believes that a large area of Jharkhand is plateau where most of the rain water flows away. There is scarcity of water in many districts like Latehar, Garhwa and Palamu. This scheme was launched to resolve these problems.
The government claims that through this scheme unemployed people and migrant workers in rural areas are getting employment and the rural economy is also being given a boost.