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Works
undertaken by the Watershed Area Management Mission
has yielded good results in Madhya Pradesh.
Consequently, the underground water level in the
tribal dominated Khalwa development block in Khandwa
district has increased so much that the farmers are
constructing at least one small well (Kuiya) in their
fields by digging it in their agricultural land to the
minimum depth to fulfil their requirements.
With
the help of this small well they are easily irrigating
their lands and taking the Kharif and Rabi crops
successfully. This has improved their economic
condition also.
It
may be mentioned here, like other districts in the
state, the underground water level in Khandwa
district, specially in Khalwa block, that level had
considerably gone down and the small and marginal
farmers were facing great difficulties. But in the
watershed villages selected by Rajiv Gandhi Watershed
Area Management Mission under the water conservation
scheme the land erosion was checked with the help of
percolation tanks, tanks and contour trench and at the
same time water level increased considerably.
In
view of the success gained in increasing water level,
the small farmers in the villages selected under the
watershed scheme are not only eager to construct small
wells in their fields, but are engaged in getting at
least one small well constructed in their fields.
It
is worth mentioning here that 225 small wells are
being constructed in the villages each at Godardhana,
Kotwaria and Karwani in the Khalwa block at the cost
of about Rs. six lakh 75 thousand. Out of them, work
on nearly half of the small wells has been completed.
With
a view to making financial help available to the poor
farmers to enable them to construct small wells in
their fields the arrangements have been made to ensure
the implementation of the scheme food for work in
their villages. Maximum financial help of Rs. five
thousand is being made available to each farmer to
enable them to construct the small well having about
12 feet diameter and depth upto 15 feet.
Out
of different villages in the Khalwa block, 41 small
wells dug in the forest village Karwani were
successful. Sufficient water is available in these
wells even during the summer days. Population of this
village is about 1000 and its all residents are Korku
(tribal) and most of them are agricultural labourers
and small and marginal farmers who depended on rain
water for their agricultural operations. Now, a change
has been brought about for their betterment and as a
result of which they are now taking two Kharif and
Rabi crops in a year.
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