Farmers lead by example in digging water harvesting pits

Vizianagaram: Distraught by the depleting ground water level, many farmers in this district are voluntarily digging water harvesting pits in their houses and in agricultural fields and in the process are setting a new example for others to follow.

K Surapu Naidu, a farmer of Kandivalsa village in Komarada mandal said that it was disheartening to see cattle craving to quench their thirst from puddles at borewells and hand pumps.

Alarmed at the peak summer ahead, the villagers decided to dig pits near borewells, hand pumps, on the house premises and at agricultural fields. They are saving every drop of water at the sources.

The encouragement from the officials of employment guarantee scheme (EGS) has also come in handy for many. The officials were giving Rs 4,000 for digging water harvesting pits at houses, and Rs 8,000 for pits being dug up in agricultural fields.

We fondly hope that these pits will help us prevent fast depletion of ground water level and also harvest more water during the monsoon season,” P Srinivasa Rao, sarpanch of Kitchada village in Kurupam mandal explained.

The water harvesting pits built on house premises measure 4 x4 and six feet deep. The pits built at agricultural fields are of two metres deep and two metres wide on all sides. It is filled with three layers.

The first layer is one-and-a-half feet filled with big concrete stones, the second has 20mm stones and the third layer is sand. This is expected to ensure that waste water goes into the ground and prevents the ground water level from drying up quickly.

K Nagaraju, Commissioner of Vizianagaram Municipality said that the government is encouraging people to adopt as many water harvesting structures as possible. “We are motivating people to dig pits on their house premises and there is good response,” he said.