Water

Tarun Bharat Sangh of Alwar is well-known for its work on reviving traditions of water harvesting. But few know abut the economic advantages of the water harvesting structures it has built and promoted in villages. For every RS 100 invested in small earthen check-dams known as Johads, the economic production in villages has risen by RS 400. And all this prosperity has come through the use of only three per cent of the total rainwater.

Five rivers now flow perennially, a result of the 20 percent additional groundwater recharge.

The dense forests disappeared under the railway tracks, in the form of sleepers. The then Maharaj of Alwar, in 1930, under the influence of British, sold them out to contractors to obtain timber for the railroad.

Railways did not improve the living conditions of the people in any way. The people lost control over their common lands - and then the forest itself, a long night mare began. Migration was the only chance of survival. But the story was to take a better turn , when five young men of TBS descended on the Thanagazi block of the district. Their one line agenda was to fight 'injustice against the people' and to 'clean the society of all evils'

The traditional wisdom of the area sought the greenhorns out. Mangu lal Patel, an old man of the nearby village of Gopal pura told them to dig tanks and build johads., Which they did and got results. The people of the region had a rich tradition of building Johads, small earthen check-dams which capture and conserve rainwater, improving percolation and ground water recharge.

TBS set up its Ashram in Bheekampura and started promoting Johads. Authorities were dead against the organization, as it by passed all bureaucratic channels and dealt with the people directly. In the face of tremendous odds, TBS expanded its reach. It started getting the assistance of several reputed funding agencies.

At present, TBS has 3000 water harvesting structures in 650 villagers of Alwar district to its credit. Its greatest symbols are five rivers of the region, which have started flowing perennially after decades of drought, a direct result of conserving water in johads.

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