Jalkund - low cost rainwater harvesting structures

Climate vulnerability

Unavailability of adequate amount of water during the dry season is a serious problem for successful farming in high rainfall areas.

Resilient practice / technology

This problem can be minimized by rainwater harvesting and its judicious use for crop production. Direct rainfall collection through water catch ponds/pits (Jalkund) can be highly beneficial to farmers for providing irrigation to crops during moisture scarcity conditions during dry seasons.

• Rainwater can be stored directly in Jalkunds during the rainy season which can be utilized to provide protective irrigation to the crops for successful cultivation. Otherwise, it may cause soil erosion and nutrient loss through runoff.
• Stored water can also be utilized for animal husbandry activities, Piggery, Poultry and Duckery.
• Fish rearing can also be taken up in the harvested water.
• Harvested water can be used for cultivating high value vegetable crops such as Brinjal, Chilly, Tomato, Radish, Amaranthus, Coriander, Cowpea

At Dhansiripar village, Dimapur, Nagaland interventions were taken up to popularize low- cost rainwater harvesting structures 'Jalkund' (5x4x1.5 m) with silpaulin lining having a storage capacity 30,000 liters for harvesting rainwater during the rainy season and its subsequent use during dry periods to provide critical irrigation to high value winter vegetables. Fifteen farmers took up the interventions including self help group members who underwent training at the KVK, Dimapur.

Training was imparted to the selected beneficiaries and farmers were initially supported for lining of ponds with silpaulin sheets and seeds of high value winter vegetables like broccoli, celery, capsicum. Farmers could fully harvest rainwater and use it in the dry season for crop production and as drinking water source for animals.

At Nandok village in East Sikkim, there is no source of irrigation for rabi vegetable crops although the village receives an annual rainfall of around 2500 mm. Hence, the best way to cope with this water scarcity is to harvest rainwater during heavy rainfall season and use the harvested water for irrigating the fields during winter season. Awareness among farmers was created by frequent meetings, trainings and exposure visits.

Impact of low cost small ponds (‘Jalkund’)

At Dhansiripar village, Dimapur, all the 15 Jalkunds are in good condition and the farmers are happy with the technology as they can harvest 30,000 liters of water for use during dry season for their kitchen gardens and as a source of drinking water for livestock.

At Nandok village, in East Sikkim, Jalkund was developed on a hilltop for accumulating run-off water. This technology of water harvesting is gaining popularity in the village. About 25 Jalkunds of size 5 x 4 x 1.5 m (capacity of 30,000 l/Jalkund) were constructed in the village. Farmers have started cultivating winter crops in a larger area through rainwater harvesting and utilization

Scope for upscaling

North eastern states

Source: Smart practices and Technologies for Climate Resilient Agriculture