Maharashtra Drought: How PMKSY Watershed Structures Are Saving Crops in Pune Villages

During the visit, villagers said that watershed development across 11 villages under the Khed Project has improved groundwater levels. Farmers can now grow two to three crops a year, which has increased agricultural income and strengthened rural livelihoods. Even in this dry year, they said, water stored in farm ponds and higher water levels in wells near cement nala bunds and Continuous Contour Trenches (CCT) have helped irrigate standing crops.

Kumar inspected structures built using the ridge-to-valley approach. This method treats land from the hilltop down to the valley, so rainwater is slowed down and stored at every level. The structures included CCTs, earthen nala bunds, cement nala bunds, Kolhapuri-type weirs and water storage ponds.

He reviewed how well these structures reduce rainwater runoff and recharge groundwater, how much more water is available for agriculture, how groundwater levels have changed, and what benefits beneficiaries have received. He also checked farm ponds, horticulture plantations and agricultural equipment given under the scheme, along with the benefits extended to women’s self-help groups.

The Real Test: Keeping Structures Alive

The Secretary’s main message was about what happens after the structures are built. He urged villagers to take collective responsibility for regular maintenance and repair of the water harvesting structures, so that they keep working for the next 20 years.

“Water is the foundation of our future. Every drop of rain must be conserved to make villages water-secure and self-reliant,” Kumar told villagers.

The message matters because many water structures across rural India slowly stop working once government funding ends. Trenches fill with silt and bunds crack. Without regular community upkeep, even well-built assets can become useless within a few years.

Kumar pointed to Hiware Bazar as the model to follow. The village in Maharashtra is known across the country for turning itself from water-scarce to water-secure through community-led watershed management. He called for sustained efforts to make the Khed Project villages similarly water-secure and self-reliant.

The scheme aims to promote soil and water conservation, increase agricultural productivity and support sustainable rural development. If the Khed villages keep their structures maintained, they could become another example of how villages can manage their own water.

This story is based on inputs from IANS.