THE UNION government has spent some ₹3,83,320 crore in the last seven years (2014-2020) under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a year. Almost 40 per cent of the funds spent on physical works is focused on water management, which includes creating water storage structures and irrigation sources, implementing watershed works, desilting village tanks, ponds and irrigation canals, levelling of land as well as afforestation. The rationale behind this deliberate push for such interventions, which are planned and executed at the level of gram panchayats, is to improve water security in rural areas. Yet after 15 years since the implementation of mgnrega, the actual outcome of the scheme remains unsatisfactory.
Today, many water management structures built under MGNREGAacross the country lie defunct. A prime reason for this failure is that a majority of them are poorly constructed due to the absence of sound technical specifications for planning and design of the schemes and of proper expert supervision of the works. The other major shortcoming is the inadequate attention being paid to the topography, hydrology, geohydrology and the climate of localities where such interventions are planned.
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Denne historien er fra April 16, 2021-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara