SRIJAN
The central India region of Bundelkhand is infamous for its successive years of water vulnerability. Interestingly, the Bundela (16th-18th Century AD) and Chandela kings (9th-13th Century AD) who ruled the region built a network of thousands of integrated water tanks to conserve water for their citizens. The tanks were not only a lifeline but also a catalyst for the economic wealth of these kingdoms. Over the years, this traditional system of tanks has been plagued with encroachments, siltation and structural damages. Our partnership with a consortium of seven regional NGOs aims to establish a citizen led initiative to rejuvenate Bundelkhand’s historic tanks supported by an appropriate hydrogeological approach, local governance of water bodies and behaviour change in water use amongst farmers.
This programme aims to activate 110 large water tanks in 160-180 villages across Bundelkhand. An estimated 16,000 farmers will benefit from the programme. 3,600 hectares of agri-land will be stabilised by driving adoption of water-responsible agri-practices.
