REJUVENATING THE RUPAREL RIVER (Vir Singh)

This the story of How Tarun Bharat sangh (TBS) a voluntary organization, organized village folk in the drought-sticken ruparel river basin to bring the river back to life. The benefits of forest and water conservation are there for all to see.

The key to all these projects was that the villagers themselves had planned and executed them and with the exit of TBS did not spell the end of conservation. The immediate benefits were more water, better agriculture, and return to animal rearing, better health etc.

Ruparel means "full of beauty". Today, the river has been able to live up to that name , due to their sustained conservation efforts. The 90-kilometer Ruparel river flows eastward out of the Sariska hills to the famous Sariska National Park.

Sariska is a biodiversity hotspot as many species are found only in this area. During the last three to four decades, the functions off these hills as a buffer and as a protector of the biodiversity have been severally undermined because of human activity. The most damaging outcome of land degradation in the Sariska ridge area has been the loss of water storage capacity. It is the gradual loss of storage capacity in the catchment area that caused the Ruparel river to dry up 30 yeas ago, flowing only during the monsoon months.

For the purpose of analysis, villages of the Ruparel river basin can be classified into three groups: ridge area, mid-stream and downstream villages. TBS began its work in villages in the ridge area in 1985, the effects of these conservation efforts were felt in all of the villages downstream

Two lower-caste communities, Gurjars and Meenas dominate the area. Gurjars are mainly engaged in raising animals, while Meenas mostly rely on agriculture for a living. They traditionally had a deep bond with their natural environment, which was weakened after the ndependence, when the Govt asserted their rights over forests. They allowed the private contractors to fell trees. In time local residents felt that they had little to gain from conserving the forests as the decision about resource had been snatched from their hands.

In the first half of the century, Ruparel was the subject of numerous disputes between the princely states of Bharatpur and Alwar. In 1928, British Govt. decided to divide the water equally between the two states. A wall was built at Natni ka Barah.In the decades following the 1928 decision, the Ruparel catchment areas suffered deforestation caused by agriculture, extraction of wood for fuel use, stone quarrying by the construction industry and various other activities.

Formal efforts at management of natural resources began only after India's independence. Sariska Game Reserve became a "tiger Project" area and a National Park in 1978, which put several new restrictions on the use of resources in the area. To this day, the use of natural resources continues to be the subject of numerous disputes between villagers and govt. officials.

Villagers began to clear the jungles, even high up on the ridge, and farmers were able to work the cleared land. But after a few years. These areas began to suffer from erosion and the topsoil was washed away. Springs began to dry up and there were no trees and shrubs left to store water .By the late 1970s the Ruparel had ceased to be a perennial river, and flowing only during monsoon.The Ruparel's catchment area appeared as a dark zone in Govt. records.

TBS started their efforts to revive the Ruparel after they had a chance meeting with two Gurjar women, who told them about declining water levels in the area, and they built the first johad in the catchment area of the Ruparel with the help of TBS at Tolawas Mala village. The women did not initially trust the TBS, but when they offered to work with them, that they gained the trust of Gurjar women. The johad was ready by the end of 1987. In the first full year of operation, it held water for three months, and in the second, water remained in the johad for six to seven months and by the third year, it held the water throughout the year.

TBS began receiving financial assistance from the Swedish International Agency and since then, 219 bandhs and johads have been constructed with the help of this money, with half of the labour contributed by the villagers. A Johad can cost anywhere from Rs20,000/- to 50,000/-

Involvement of the Tarun Bharat Sangh

TBS sees itself as on organizer, even a catalyst, for development. It has provided money for the construction of johads, but only after the villagers have stepped forward to ask for the help and to contribute free labour, and if possible materials for the projects.

1.Approaching villagers in their localities

Going directly to villages allowed the organization to target women, who not be able to attend meetings elsewhere.

2. Promoting interaction between villagers

TBS organized 'exposure trips' to enable the residents of a village to see for themselves the water storage structures built elsewhere. People from villages who had already built johns and bands were also taken to neighboring villages in padyatras to discuss their success.

3.Organizing people into village assemblies

Supporters of new projects were organized into a gram sabha, which held regular and open meetings. TBS field workers asked the villagers to form a small committee for day-to-day supervision of the projects.

4.TBS submitted written project records to villagers to promote transparency.

The organization stood by the villagers through good times and bad, earning their goodwill, and also held public ceremonies to honour supporters of conservation projects. This is one of the main reasons why the conservation efforts in the Ruparel catchment area continue to this day, long after TBS has pulled out.

Impact of the Ruparel revival

The Revival of the Rupareecology economy and lives of people in the river basin. In less than nine years al has transformed the fter TBS started encouraging the construction of johads and bandhs in the catchment areas, the Ruparel began to flow all through the year.

The water table has risen, greatly reducing the time and effort required to fetch water for daily use.

Construction of Johads and bandhs has provided employment. TBS used some of the grant money to pay for the labour.

Abandoned farmland has gradually been brought under plough. Erosion had decreased considerably.

Cattle ownership has increased. The fodder supply has increased. Surplus milk has allowed villagers to produce ghee. Incomes have risen.

People have started to return to their villages .People's self-esteem has increased and villagers have been reborn, just like the river they depend upon.

Building Johads has improved people's ability to organize. TBS has trained villagers to continue managing forest and water conservation projects. People are better organized and can deal with govt officials with greater confidence. They can now monitor the cost of Govt projects based on their own experience. They no longer simply accept what is told to the.

Women have been empowered. They have played a key role in planning and mobilizing resources for the various conservation projects.

The people's relationship with their natural environment has been strengthened. Revival of Ruparel has shown them that they have a strong stake in conserving forests and water..

Many birds and animals have returned to that area.

One of the most transformed villages in the catchment area is Duhar Mala.. It would take them four hours to fetch water even at night, and now thanks to the johads around the village, that four hour ordeal has been reduced to just 15 minuets. This village has been able to regenerate people once again to rear animals and cultivate some of the land. Money earned from the sale of milk and grain goes directly to the women. So economic empowerment of women has been brought about.

Rejuvenation of the Rupert has allowed Rangalal and other farmers of Madhogarh to resume farming beside the river. People in the Sariska hills consider their dharma to keep the Ruparel alive and clean.

One of the many beneficiaries downstream are the farmers of Pathrora, and Chomu ,who grow many things, and have benefited from SIDA-supported projects. The higher water table in the area has greatly reduced the burden of watering the fields.

Many such stories tell of the obstacles that had to be overcome and of the varying results of conservation in the Ruparel river basin.. The correlation of human welfare and a healthy environment has been clearly established in the minds of most people..

Mr. Uday Bhan of the Sariska Tiger Project is happy that the ever-flowing water of the Ruparel has made water available for the wild animals at several points. Tiger Project has been greatly benefited from the rejuvenation of the Ruparel..

Darki Mais of Leelunda and Chandri Bairwa of Kalikhol are happy that TBS has helped them to contain the rain water in the reservoirs which have resulted in the yearlong availability of water. They have time to think about other important things, like children's health and education and keeping the womenfolk gainfully busy. All this show the impact of the rejuvenation of the Rupert is perceived by the beneficiaries.