Farmer’s pond brings cheer to Garladinne

​Garladinne (Anantapur): The 5-acre agriculture land of a small farmer Bheemanna is teeming with life at Kotanka village in Garladinne mandal. This was the scenario until last year.

The two borewells sunk in his land became defunct as groundwater levels were at its lowest due to years of drought caused by failing monsoon. He lost hope due to erratic monsoon damaging his groundnut crop year after year.

The farm ponds sanctioned under ‘Panta Sanjeevini’ by the District Water Management Agency (DWAMA) did the miracle for him. He took advantage of the Panta Sanjeevini scheme and dug a pond of 10x14 feet with two metres depth as his co-farmers said that he would not lose anything by taking advantage of the government scheme as the entire pond was dug by MGNREGS labour.

The recent rains had filled his pond with water up to the brim and also overflowed in his land. To his utter surprise his defunct bores began to yield water as his ground was re-charged with rainwater. He is now able to plant tomato seedlings in one acre of land and other leafy vegetables in another acre apart from raising groundnut plantation in the rest 3 acres of his land.

Several farmers visited his land and shared his joy at the revival of defunct bores. Bheemanna’s story is not an isolated one in his mandal or in the district. Scores of farmers have encouraging reports on the success of farm ponds and have clear indications of groundwater table increasing.

DWAMA project director A Nagabhushanam told The Hans India that nearly 60,000 farm ponds have so far been dug by farmers employing MGNREGS labour.

Hundreds of farmers have seen the farm ponds changing the history and geography of their agriculture lands. Scores of dried up bores had been revived and water springing out of them. He says that the farm ponds have recharged their otherwise drylands and revived hopes of a new promise.

The actual onset of monsoon in the next few days would further boost groundwater levels as hundreds of dried up borewells are springing up with water. The farm ponds numbering 27,010 out of 57,000 farm ponds dug in the district registered 0.25 tmc ft of rainwater.

Sankar Reddy, another small farmer from Raptadu, said that the farm pond dug recently in his 3 acre agriculture land has rejuvenated his land and the lone agriculture borewell revived. He is happy that sheep and buffaloes being raised in his land get enough water to quench thirst. The cattle are cooling off by swimming in the pond every day. There’s enough water for sweet orange crop and for his mini-dairy, he said.

District Collector Kona Sasidhar speaking to The Hans India said that out of the 5 lakh farm ponds sanctioned for the entire country, 1 lakh farm ponds were sanctioned for Anantapur district alone. With a promising monsoon this year, farmers would benefit from the farm ponds, he said.

Vijay, another educated farmer of Kotanka village, said he could find a marked difference in his borewell which is yielding good amount of water as a result of digging a farm pond in his 10-acre farm land. The state government is spending Rs 600 crore in Anantapur district alone on the 1 lakh farm ponds. The government is spending Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 on each farm pond using MGNREGS job card holders in villages.

By:Ravi Benjamin