Bid to harness water reserves

Jamshedpur, Feb. 5: A large swathe of land at Baharagora in East Singhbhum would sport a green cover by mid-year.

The state forest department has taken up a massive water conservation project in the rural block to curb the dependency of locals on forest produce.

As part of the project, the forest department will dig four big ponds, two check dams and 32 loose-boulder check dams. Forty hectares of barren land would also be levelled for cultivation.

Speaking to The Telegraph, divisional forest officer of Dhalbhum A.T. Mishra said as far as the watershed project was concerned, Baharagora block would emerge as a role model in future.

"The main objective of the initiative is to make people living below the poverty line self-dependent as lack of viable sources of living forced them to depend on forest produce. We want to provide them an opportunity to earn a living raising livestock and other related activities," said Mishra.

The forest official explained that due to lack of valid sources of income, villagers felled trees to sell them as fuel. And the reckless felling was taking a toll on the environment and the department's revenue.

He revealed that the state forest department had sanctioned Rs 66.20 lakh for the project in the current fiscal.

According to him, once the watershed project is through, the ground water level would rise in Baharagora.

This would help in better irrigation and maintaining the greenery as the people would focus more on farming than depending on forest produce.

Meanwhile, a forest department team led by Mishra today inspected the ongoing project at that block, which is close to the Bengal border. After the inspection, Mishra issued necessary instructions to his subordinates.

Forest officials revealed that 400 families would be given loans to set up pig and goat rearing units.

"They would be provided bank loans on easy terms. They would also get necessary training for running their business," said an official. Apart from this, they will focus on improving the standard of cultivation of paddy and other crops in that block, where the water level has gone down considerably due to rampant tree felling.

Mishra said the watershed project would run for five years in phases. Depending on the success of the project, similar projects would be taken up in other blocks.