How did Rajasthan harvest rainwater after the early monsoon of 2023?

The monsoon that arrived in Rajasthan in 2023 put an end to the drought that had been going on for years in the state to some extent. Normally, there is 218 mm rainfall here. But in 2023, there was 588.9 mm rainfall, i.e. more than two-and-a-half times.

Locals used all the traditional methods of rainwater harvesting. The result was that drinking water became available in many villages for one to one-and-a-half years. Water also became available for other crops in the year in several villages. Favourable circumstances arose.

The districts of western Rajasthan generally experience drought. But in 2023, the rains of May and June broke the records of the last 100 years for these districts. The villagers turned this havoc of rain into an opportunity, instead of a disaster.

Generally, the plains usually flood after so much rain. But in the desert, the dry land absorbs water as soon as it falls. The same thing would have happened in this situation also. But the people of these villages living in the Aravalli hills diverted this water towards traditionally built ponds, nadis and beri.

Generally, at least six types of water harvesting sources are constructed in western Rajasthan to harvest rain water. These include Ota, Bairi, Diggi, Nadi, field pond, anicut, tanka, etc.

The anicut is quite an interesting structure. In this area, ponds are made on several levels to stop and store water coming from the hills. This is called an anicut. There are a total of four anicuts in the Bar village of Beawar district.

Due to excessive rainfall, three anicuts have been completely filled for the first time, while water is coming slowly in the fourth one. The water capacity of one anicut is 50 million litres. As a result of accumulation of water in the anicut, 1,345 wells built in the fields of the village have been recharged. Forty-five feet of water has come in the 60 feet deep wells.

The problems of farming and drinking water have been relieved for some time due to this water. Women living in rural areas have also got relief to some extent. Migration also stopped in some villages of the district because work was available in the village itself and there was a possibility of better income.

Experts say that a major reason for monsoon winds not stopping in Rajasthan is the tampering with the Aravalli hills. At present, a total of 12 katans (gaps) have emerged in the Aravalis. These cuts are not just one or two kilometres long but 10 to 12 kilometres long.

These erosions have created unfavourable conditions for rain. But according to the Meteorological Department, Rajasthan received heavy rainfall in 2023 due to prolonged western disturbances and anti-cyclonic circulation.