After five years,monsoon brings smile to parched Bundelkhand

According to meteorological data for period June 1 to September 28,four districts of the region — Banda,Hamipur,Jhansi and Lalitpur — have received higher rainfall during the monsoon season. The figures released by the Indian Meteorological Department on its website,indicate that Banda has received 15 per cent more rainfall (960.4 mm) than its long period average (LPA) of the season,11 per cent higher rainfall in Hamirpur (879.7 mm),2 per cent higher rainfall in Jhansi (853.1 mm) and 40 per cent higher rainfall in Lalitpur (1,309 mm). However, Mahoba with 20 per cent less rain (617.2 mm) and Jalaun with 13 per cent less rain (673 mm) have remained dry. No figures are available for Chitrakoot.

The figures for the last five years (2006-10) of these districts indicate that their annual rainfall yield was often much less than their LPA for the monsoon season itself. “Bundelkhand has a good chance this year to maximise the benefits of a relatively good monsoon,” said scientist and officer incharge of the state unit of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB),Ajay Bhargava.

Bhargava said the northern regions of at least two districts,Banda and Hamirpur,have a good concentration of alluvial soil that is good for agriculture. “The farmers in these areas will certainly benefit from the rain this year. But if the water is allowed to run-off,it may help them barely till the next monsoon season. A good conservation strategy can help them beyond just one season,” said Bhargava.

The CGWB will undertake its annual underground water table monitoring exercise in the region in November. “The water table in the region has been depleting fast. The November exercise will shed light on whether the administration has been successful in arresting water run-off,” said Bhargava.

Check dams are often considered among the effective tools for conserving water in Bundelkhand. “The annual evaporation of the water on surface,for instance,will not be more than two metres. So,if we have a check dam of eight-metre height,we will have water up to six metres,” said Bhargava,adding that natural seeping in of water was not generally possible in the rocky terrain of the region.

Bhagwat Prasad,director of Akhil Bharatiya Samaj Sewa Sansthan based in Chitrakoot,said community participation and administration’s preparedness was not much at this stage and,at least 85 per cent of rainwater ends up running-off into the rivers through canals.

“We will have to work out different models of watershed management in different areas to conserve water,” said Prasad.