To counter the effects of global warming and climate change on water sources, and to bring the drying-up ones back to life, a District Collector in Bihar has come up with a successful plan, that not only rejuvenates them but also generates employment.
DC East Champaran, Mr. Shirshat Kapil Ashok, has so far renovated 315 ponds in the district using this plan, named, ‘Ek Gram Mein Ek Talaab’ programme. For this initiative,he has been felicitated by the President of India, Mr. Ramnath Kovind.
During a conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Ashok talked about ‘Ek Gram Mein Ek Talaab’ in detail.
EMPLOYMENT FOR MIGRANTS
After the first Covid-induced lockdown, like any other district of Bihar, East Champaran also saw the homecoming of thousands of migrant workers. Apart from implementing the Covid norms and keeping them safe, the most important challenge before the administration was to give them jobs.
Referring to the initial days of the ‘Ek Gram Mein Ek Talaab’, the nodal officer of the programme, Mr. Amit Upadhyay, told Indian Masterminds, “A skill survey exercise was launched. With the survey, we got to know that there were lots of skilled workers among the migrants. Some were masons, painters, car painters and so on. Our plan was to provide them employment, mostly through the MGNREGA.”
It was a huge challenge to create job opportunities for such a huge number of workers. So, District Collector Shirshat Kapil Ashok attached MGNREGA and Jal Jeevan Haiyali Mission together and ideated ‘EK Gram me EK Talab’. The programme was launched in May 2020 from Sugauli block of the district. With its launch, the renovation work of 315 ponds were started at once.
VILLAGE TOURISM
Talking to Indian Masterminds, Mr. Ashok said, “One of our main priorities was to employ the skilled migrants in a way that give double results. So, we used their skills and developed few model ponds that would become major attraction centres for cultural activities and village tourism.”
Not all the ponds could be developed in the same manner because of the limited budget. However, the district administration marked all the ponds situated in prime locations or nearby highways and made them attractive. Apart from plantation and arranging benches, pebble pathways were constructed. Some of them were also decorated with special lights.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Besides boosting cultural and village tourism, some of the ponds are turning out to be profitable after pisciculture activities were started on them. “There was a drain in Chailaha near Motihari. A series of four ponds have been developed out of it. These have been allocated to local fishery committees for fish farming. Initially, the ponds produced 100 quintals of fish, which have now been increased to 300 quintals,” said nodal officer, Mr. Upadhyay. The officer plans to make these ponds more economically viable in the future by introducing other activities as well.
Besides the District Collector receiving felicitation from the President of India, the efforts of the East Champaran administration towards water sources rejuvenation were appreciated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, during a webcast on the occasion of Jal Jeevan Hariyali Diwas.
