(Left) Field Bund Activity & (Right) Farm Pond Creation as part of WATER Project

V ayalagam Foundation has over the span of many years been a champion of the movement for creating a water-rich society. It has played a vital role in several initiatives such as promoting tank-based irrigation, development of traditional water resources, inland fisheries development, creation of drinking water ponds and much more.

Recently one such important step in this direction was the initiation of the WATER project. Supported by Mahindra & Mahindra, the project stands for Water and Agriculture Resource Management Through Ecosystem Regeneration Project (WATER).

The purpose of the project is to contribute to sustainable livelihood and poverty reduction by facilitating community-led conservation and developmental activities. The project locations include the regions of Zaheerabad and Mogudampally Blocks of Sangareddy district of Telangana state . The purpose of the project is to build people and institutions (association and UGs) for conservation and development, to contribute to enhanced and sustainable farm production by facilitating community-led natural resources management and to promote climate-smart farming by introducing improved agricultural / horticulture practices.

Let us see how the WATER project has brought change in the lives of the people.

1. The story of Ms. Kamala Bai , a farmer front the village of Jedigada Thanda,Telangana


Ms. Kamala Bai , a farmer front the village of Jedigada Thanda,Telangana

Let us meet Ms. Kamala Bai, a farmer from the village of Jedigada Thanda lives with her farmer husband and three children. She owns 4 acre of land. For their agriculture, they usually cultivate red gram, maize, and sunflower crops. Due to changes in the climate, she wasn't able to irrigate her land properly. At this critical junction, through the WATER project, she chose to dig a farm pond in her field in December, 2020 at a cost of Rs 17,100. The size of the farm pond is 19*9*2 (l*b*d) with the capacity of 342 cubic meters. After this, her crop intensity is 3 and could able to cultivate commercial crops by herself along with that her income raised to Rs. 20,000/-.

Now she was able to meet her own needs and also pay some interest on her debt,which she had taken before. The Project activity soil and moisture conservation helped the poor women farmer to raise her income as well crop intensity with soil moisture with pond water.

2. The story of Govardhan Rathod , a farmer since the age of 15.


Mr. Govind Rathod ,with his 4 acres of land

Govind Rathod , is a small time farmer who owns 4 acres of dry land. He has been farming since the age of 15. In his 4 acres of land, there is no water source, so it is rain fed land. He wasn’t able to bore, because it is a hard rock area. Hence , most of the time his land remained barren.

Though WATER project initiative, he dug a farm pond of size of 19*10*2 (l*b*d) with the capacity of 380 cu m. Now with the water saved, he irrigated the land after many years and cultivated the Jowar and Maize crop. He got an income of Rs. 25800/- this year.

He shared that “This farm pond is a lifeline which regenerated my land and I can do agriculture again. And I will go for other crops in the coming season which will increase my income.”