JONAI, June 25 - Tagged with the nationwide �Water Conservation Campaign� sponsored by NABARD, the Women Development Centre (WDC), a Guwahati-based NGO, is conducting a programme in three blocks of Dhemaji district.
Owing to its ongoing campaign billed �Jal Jeevan Hai�, it conducts awareness campaigns for the farmers to boost their agricultural activities.
The NGO has set a target of 350 villages in Dhemaji district, out of which 50 villages fall under Murkong Selek Tribal Development (Jonai) Block, besides the area located in Bordoloni and Machkhowa Blocks respectively. The trained Krishi Jaldoots engaged in field work have been conducting campaigns in 300 villages of the district, while they have plans to reach out to the remaining villages early next month.
Project Director of Women Development Centre, Bhagyawati Bhuyan informed that the Krishi Jaldoots have conducted farmers� meeting along with participation of the respective panchayat members, bank officials and State Agriculture Department field staff.
They explained to the farmers about diverse aspects of water conservation, efficient water use, enhancement of traditional methods in agriculture with a localised approach. Thus, the Krishi Jaldoots outlined resource mapping on the availability of check dam, natural water sources and possible measures of water conservation and gathered feedback on need-based irrigation schemes. They also constituted an 11-member Jal Sambad Committee in the targeted villages as per project norms and guidelines.
The NGO in collaboration with South Asian Forum for Environment (SAFE) and Centre for Environment Education (CEE), launched its month-long campaign in Dhemaji district with a day-long �Krishi Jaldoot Training� in the Rural Self Employment Training Institute here early last month. The NGO has been entrusted to conduct the campaign in North Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts of North Assam.
The Krishi Jaldoots were earlier imparted training on motivating the farmers to apply irrigation system in their crop fields. Their training included rainwater harvesting (collecting rainwater in the farm ponds, bunds, pond revival etc), groundwater recharge (to increase the irrigation area potential), pitcher irrigation and drip irrigation mulching, inter-cropping, furrow ridges, community-based water harvesting and spring-shed development with bamboo-based irrigation applicable in hilly areas.
It is worth mentioning that NABARD launched the nationwide water campaign on March 22, coinciding with World Water Day to cover one lakh villages in water-stressed areas where groundwater is overexploited. The campaign was targeted to reach out to 200 districts in 21 States across the country. The entire campaign has been designed and implemented by NABARD in collaboration with the Centre for Environment Education.
