Check Dam: How a Village in Rajasthan Went from Dry to Water Sufficient in Just One Year

Khohar village near Alwar

It was this hopeless situation that the Sehgal Foundation (SF) first encountered when it decided to come here in 2014. Started by Dr. Surendra Mohan Sehgal in 1999, SF’s mission is to empower rural India. Its intervention in Khohar changed the face of the village in a matter of two years. The organization achieved this amazing result by constructing a check dam to solve the acute water crisis.

The dam construction work started in March 2014. The Foundation identified a water source near the Aravalli Hills, which went into a drain during the rainy season. The SF team decided to build a check dam here to improve the water table in the area.

What are check dams?

The dam has improved agriculture in the village.

These dams are small and sometimes temporary structures across channels that help reduce the velocity of water. They are mostly constructed using stone/brick masonry, which is sandwiched between layers of soil.

“Since water flows at a very high speed, it does not percolate into the ground. These dams reduce the velocity of water and hence water stays at one location for a longer period, which gives it a chance to percolate into the ground. This leads to an improved ground water table,” explains Salahuddin Saiphy, Program Leader, SF.

In dry areas like Khohar, check dams help increase groundwater recharge. Water can be stored in aquifers or catchment areas, from which it can be drawn during the dry season for irrigation, livestock watering, and even drinking water supply.

Since the construction of check dams requires little machinery, funding and large scale work, this technique is perfect for a location like Khohar where the community can also be engaged in the construction of the dam.

The first task for SF was to mobilize the community and make the villagers aware of the benefits of check dams.

SF sensitized and trained a water management committee from amongst the villagers for the construction and maintenance of the dam. After 126 days of hard work, the SF team was ready with a check dam; it was 185 metres long and 5 metres high.

The Foundation also constructed a catchment area, which was 255 acres big and had the capacity to store 32 crore litres of water annually.

The entire cost of construction was about Rs. 56 lakh, which was taken care of by the SF team. The community contributed a total of Rs. 1 lakh, which has been earmarked for repair and maintenance purposes in the future.

The team had expected to see the benefit of their work in two to three years time but were surprised to see positive results during the first monsoon itself.

The impact

The new development has brought down the annual migration of villagers by 30-40%.

This intervention by SF did not just benefit the 150 households in Khohar, but also 10,000 people from nearby villages. The water yield increased by about 30% and migration too reduced to a great extent.

Despite scanty rainfall this year, the check dam has already helped increase soil moisture up to 60% and raised ground water levels. As a result of the improved water availability, agricultural activities have also received a boost in the village