Parks, pathway and people doing exercise in the open are a common sight in cities and urban areas. But generally not so in the rural regions- this despite the facts that in and around village there is often lot of green space for these activities. But like urban centers, people living in villages also need place where they could for a morning or evening walks. With these thoughts, the District Collector of Purnea, Mr Rahul Kumar has started a multipurpose program under the `Jal Jeevan Hariyali Mission’ and some other Government schemes.
Through these schemes, he has not just rejuvenated of more than a dozen ponds but also created pathways and parks nearby them where people can have their exercises and daily walks.
In a conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr Kumar explained how he created recreational facilities for villagers by using several programs of state and central government.
`Jal Jeevan Hariyali’ complex in Makhnaha
He pointed out, “Several ponds were on the verge of dying and some were used for dumping waste. It was the need of the hour to revive them while ensuring minimum water erosion. A lot of construction was required for that. So, I and my team thought that we should not just revive the ponds but also create something which can be useful for the villagers.’’
Mr Kumar also mentioned that the program was also aimed at providing jobs to the migrants who came back to their homes during the covid crisis.
Consequently, a Jal Jeevan Hariyali Complex is created in Makhnaha village of Banmankhi block (Purnea) which includes a pathway, a park and Community Sanitary Complex. According to the program officer Mr. Shravan the project has been completed under MANREGA, Lohia Swachh Bihar Mission and Jal Jeevan Hariyali Mission.
“Just one and a half years ago, the Makhnaha Pond was being used for waste dumping and even for the last rites. Moreover, it was also being frequented by anti-social elements. During a survey by local bodies, we got to know about the condition of the pond. The pond has great connectivity with the nearby areas so it needed to be revived. It was then, our DM suggested that we should come up with a plant that just not enhance the beauty of the pond but also have a place where people can sit and enjoy the surroundings”, said Mr. Shravan.
After this, the work on rejuvenation of the pond was started. To avoid the erosion, stepped ghats of 30 feet was created on the western & southern side of the pond, while the other two sides were protected through walls and sloping grass land. Besides, a pebble pathway around the pond which is approximately spread in three acres has also been constructed.
A Park for Activities and Education
Mr. Shravan says that there was vacant Government land lying in the west side of the pond, which has been used to create a park. This park is called as Jal Jeevan Haryali Park. This 200 feet long and 45 feet wide park is divided into four blocks. Each block contains different varieties of plant. For instance, one block of the park has medicinal plants while others have spices, ornamental plants and flowers.
“The whole purpose of creating the blocks was to encourage the people, especially the youth, to be connected with environment and have information about our native plants. We did proper nomenclature of the plants along side with their scientific names. People have already started to come and enjoy in the park. It is indeed a wonderful site”, said Mr. Shravan.
Similar initiatives in five other panchayats
Mr. Shravan says that similar initiatives have been taken up in other `panchayats’ like Ladugarh, Bishanpur Dutt, Sahoriya Subhay Milik, Ramnagar Farsahi, Rupouli South. In all these areas, the ponds have been revived and protected by creating stepped-ghats. These sites may not be blessed with a park like Makhnaha, but they all have a pebble pathway which can be used by people for several outdoor activities.
