Technological Measures to Sustain Water Yield to Renovated Ponds in the Watershed

Farm ponds and tanks have been major rainwater harvesting units in our country since time immemorial. A watershed study in village Johranpur, district Solan was taken to evolve a complete package for revival of ponds and their utilization for rainwater harvesting and recycling and sustaining agricultural production. Two existing farm ponds were renovated to enhance the storage capacity from 1.0 to 2.4 ha-m. Possible runoff contributing area was delineated and network of drainage channels was constructed to increase the catchments area from 2.5 to 8.5 ha. Polythene lining of embankment was done to reduce seepage losses. All the farmers were organized to participate in the project and harvested rainwater was utilized by them equally on charge basis in the contributing area. Efficiency of harvested rainwater was improved through adoption of appropriate crop production technologies and crop diversification. Impact of watershed project was evaluated for 4 years (2001–04) on crop production and gross and net economic returns to the farmers. A comparison was made to the situation where only renovation of ponds would have been taken. The watershed on an average received 963 mm rainfall during monsoon and produced 28 per cent of it as runoff. This resulted in harvesting 1.94 ha-m ofraiilwater, out of which 0.35 ha-m was recycled back for supplemental irrigation in 8.0 ha of land contributing runoff to these structures. The complete package implemented at a cost of Rs. 7.14 lakhs enhanced the yields of wheat and maize by 250 and 57 per cent, respectively in the treated areas. Integration of complete technological package of pond renovation increased water yield, water use and irrigated area by 3.4 times over what would have been achieved by pond renovation alone. Safe diversion of runoff water through diversion channel also reduced the area under moderately and severely degraded lands by 51 and 100 per cent, respectively and improved nutrient value index of the watershed. The study suggests the need of taking renovation of pond along with enhancement of the self catchment as an important component in the watershed development. A complete package only could make these projects environmentally sustainable and economically viable.