Gujarat

This case study is about Samerth's efforts to achieve drinking water security, in participation with local village communities in Rapar, Kachchh (Gujarat). Arghyam has been collaborating with Samerth on this effort since 2007.

The Vand Women of Kachchh: Guest post by Keya Acharya

She gazes unflinchingly with direct eyes into the camera with a feminine mystique and physique that could, be gracing the front cover of a beauty magazine. Her red, mirror-worked blouse, in the traditional Kachchhi style worn by tribal women, is strapped at the back in stringed bows, greatly practical in the dry, wilting heat of that arid expanse of land in hinterland Gujarat called Kachchh. Her skirt is a colourful hue of printed green, and her ‘dupatta’ is a blazing red piece of cloth swept forward from her waist, partially covering her back, brought over her head and tucked back demurely into her waist again. Her name is Ammi.

This case study is about Samerth's efforts to achieve drinking water security, in participation with local village communities in Rapar, Kachchh (Gujarat). Arghyam has been collaborating with Samerth on this effort since 2007.

The Best Part of the Story: Guest post by Keya Acharya

The landscape is barren in parts with just high heat and sun-bleached sand, the hallmarks of wastelands; in other parts there is some semblance of agriculture, with jowar, bajra and sometimes castor growing in small patches of mild green, without the lushness that good watering provides.

And in the middle of this landscape there appears, like an oasis without the accompanying palms, the ‘Tinnavahd talab’, a drinking water pond constructed by the community at Rabarkar vand, near Lakhagarh village in Rapar taluk of Kutch district. Inside the pond there is a dugwell, constructed on the pond bed.

The following four case studies, describe the work of Sahjeevan Trust and its partners, in organising drinking water, in participation with rural communities in Kutch, Gujarat, through the Pani Thiye Panjo program.

A training programme on Sustainable Groundwater Management in Semi-arid and Arid Regions of India is being organized in IRMA, Anand, Gujarat on March 22-27, 2010.

CII’s 3rd edition of International Water Summit 2010

Theme: “Meeting the Challenges – Sharing Best Practices”

Organisers: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) & Government of Gujarat 

Date:12 March 2010

Venue: Hotel Pride, Ahmedabad

 Manager- Agriculture and Natural Resource Management
 Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India)
 Location: Ahmedabad and intensive traveling

Rajendra Singh of Tarun Bharat Sangh and Farhad Contractor of Sambhaav Trust, had

This presentation describes the work of Tata Chemicals in organising water management initiatives, with the community around its plant in Mithapur, Gujarat. The various efforts taken up include integrated watershed development, salinity ingress mitigation, Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO) projects, rooftop rainwater harvesting and implementing water saving technologies.

Water harvesting and conservation work was taken up through building check dams, rooftop rainwater harvesting, building percolation and drinking water wells, deepening of ponds, micro-irrigation, cropping pattern interventions and more.

The various initiatives taken up include utilising backwash water for developing Jatropha plantations, recovering waste water, ground water recharging, utilisation of waste steam and reducing steam consumption, increasing cycle of concentration in all cooling towers and more.