A lease of life for old water sources in Jaisalmer, Barmer

JAISALMER: As water crisis deepens in the state, administrations are turning to traditional sources of water, even as present ones reel under a drought-like situation . These centuries-old water bodies have been providing water to villagers even during severe water crisis, but with pipeline water supply reaching villages, their importance had over the years became less.

District administrations of Jaisalmer and Barmer have started working on conserving these water bodies and to revive them.


District collector, Jaisalmer, Namit Mehta, in the first phase, has approved funds for developing 141 ancient ponds as model ponds in many villages, whereas Barmer district collector has identified 1,000 water bodies out of 1,790 ancient water bodies for revival and conservation, and work has begun as per planning. The initiative will prove beneficial for people in border, who face serious drinking water crisis.

According to Barmer collector Himanshu Gupta, 1,790 ancient ponds have been identified in Barmer district, of which 432 ponds are being used by villagers as water bodies. In MGNREGA, action plan for reviving water bodies has been made and in the first phase, revival of 1,000 water ponds is proposed. Work will be done to de-silt water bodies. Basement will be made and a pulley will be fixed so that villagers can easily draw water using buckets.

This scheme will provide respite to villagers from drinking water crisis.

Gupta has directed the concerned development officers to send the proposal. It is to be mentioned that in Barmer district’s Sheo, Gadra Road, Sedwa, Dhanau and in few other panchayat samitis, many villages are dependent on traditional water bodies.

Officers have been visiting the village areas in Barmer district with zila parishad CEO Mohandas Ratnu, MGNREGA executive engineer Bheraram Vishnoi, among other technical officers. These officers have surveyed for one week and have taken stock of the water bodies. On the other hand, Jaisalmer district collector Namit Mehta said that plan has been made for restoration, revival and renovation of many traditional water ponds in the district and many of the ponds are being developed as model ponds so that water stays there for a long time.

For this, Rs35-40 lakh has been approved for each pond and work has been started, but after the model code of conduct ends, the work will pick up speed.