Fillip to water conservation and rainwater harvesting

• Though monsoon appears to be weak this time, Bihar government has made elaborate plans to take up rainwater harvesting and conserve water by revamping the water bodies and digging up ponds in most of the 38 districts in state.
• So far, 3202 schemes, most of those under Mgnrega, worth Rs 220 crore have been completed benefitting 40,000 hectares of land.
• In Gaya, one of the driest districts in state, the state’s ambitious pilot project has been launched to use drones for assessing the alignment of water bodies, including ahars and pynes—the traditional water canals and flood water harvesting system used by villagers to irrigate their land.
• Bihar completes 3202 schemes for water conservation and rain water harvesting in monsoons worth Rs 220 crore; 40,000 hectares benefited.
• State focus on all schemes, mostly under Mgnrega, following PM’S letter to states to complete projects for rain water harvesting, digging of ponds and restoration of water bodies before onset of monsoon.
• Drones being used to identify water bodies and assess alignment of ahars and pynes in Gaya, a district known for poor and check dams, ahead of the monsoon season could prove helpful in coming months, especially in districts like Darbhanga, Champaran, Madhepura and some south Bihar districts of Gaya, Aurangabad and Kaimur.
• Bihar has seen drought like situation in last many years evoking fear of water table depletion in many districts though experts say the situation is not alarming as aquifers have sufficient water in most districts.
• Rainfall and dry conditions Climate resilient work for increasing durability of assets like check dams for water conservation taken up in 35 blocks of eight districts.
• The districts are Banka, Gaya, Katihar, Nalanda, Begusarai, Madhubani, West Champaran and Muzaffarpur; two districts selected from
  four climatic zones in Bihar.

Monsoon in Bihar:

• Soon after Mid June this the rainy season commences and continues till the end of September, the beginning of this season occurs when a storm from the Bay of Bengal passes over Bihar.
• The commencement of monsoon may be as early as the last week of May or as the first or second week of July. The rainy season begins in June. The rainiest months are July and August.
• The rains are the gifts of the south west monsoon. There are in Bihar three distinct areas where rainfall exceeds 1800 mm. Two of them lie on northern and north-western wings of the state and the third lies in the Netarhat pat.
• The south-west monsoon normally withdraws from Bihar in the first week of October.

By: Ziyaur Rahman