Indian Journal of Dryland Agricultural Research and Development

In a study through dovetailing the various activities for some development work, a suitable site was selected and converted into a huge water storage body through participatory approach. It helped to develop a water storage body of sufficient size which not only retained huge amount of runoff but also recharged the nearby open well and tubewell. The activity made possible to bring additional 4 ha area under wheat (Now it is 7 ha wheat, 2 ha chickpea and 1 ha other crops) and allowed farmer to diversify his cropping pattern and he could grow potato, summer maize, vegetables and sweet potato for his own use and family which was otherwise not possible before. It was also observed that immediately after the construction of the tank, the productivity of both the kharif and rabi crops increased. Similarly, the area under wheat increased tremendously than chickpea because of increased water availability for sufficient irrigation water to grow wheat crop which require 2–3 more irrigation than chickpea. Further, this also reduced the amount of runoff which was otherwise leaving the watershed area without aiding to surface and sub-surface storage. The increased water availability also brought new area under high remunerative rabi crops and increased their productivity on sustainable basis.