Water is a limited resource. Everything on earth requires water to sustain itself. While earth is a self-contained ecosystem, the planet always has, and will always have, the same amount of water. The population growth puts a strain on water supplies and clean water is reduced by the pollution and contamination the human kind creates.

According to a new report by UNICEF and the World Health Organization, 2.2 billion people around the world do not have safely managed drinking water services, 4.2 billion people do not have safely managed sanitation services, and 3 billion lack basic handwashing facilities.

600 million people are facing acute water shortage in India. Overall, 50 percent of urban water requirement and 85 percent of rural domestic water need are fulfilled by groundwater. Arithmetically, India is still a water surplus and receives enough annual rainfall to meet the need of over one billion plus people. According to the Central Water Commission, India needs a maximum of 3,000 billion cubic metres of water a year while it receives 4,000 billion cubic metres of rain.

But the problem is India captures only eight percent of its annual rainfall – among the lowest in the world. The traditional modes of water capturing in ponds have been lost to the demands of the rising population and liberal implementation of town planning rules (India Today, June 28th, 2019). Negligence of customary water bodies like tanks and lakes, unpredictable and abuse of groundwater, and incorrect preservation of surface water systems have bothered the issue. Water conservation is the most practical and environment-friendly approach to lessen our need for water.

Thulir Cluster Programme supported by Caritas India in 10 districts of Tamil Nadu addresses the land and water issues through the concerted efforts of grass root communities. The implementing partners play a prophetic role encouraging the communities to prepare for receiving monsoon rains and save the water judiciously. Instead of blaming the drought-like situation, due efforts are put in to strengthen the water retention capacity of water bodies. They are getting ready to invite rains. Fortunately, unlike the previous years, digging of bore wells has taken the back seat.

This has resulted in the construction of 3550 trenches with a dimension of 5’ x2’x1’, desilting and deepening of 21 village ponds extending to 20.46 million cft and establishing 58 experimentation plots for demonstrating sustainable cultivation patterns. 433 volunteers’ function as community water guardians as they have come to the realisation that environmental issues need to be addressed through micro development initiatives with the involvement of communities. During the last six months alone, 102 micro plans related to land and water issues have been discussed and presented at the Gram Sabha with the participation of 3075 CBO members.

The Trichy MSSS particularly has raised and strengthened periphery of Kalimangalm village pond for about 700 ft. This pond which is currently dried up fully is coming under Viralimalai block and. When it gets filled up, can cater to the irrigation facilities in 6 villages. Thus, the water retention capacity of the pond 1500’x700’x9′ is strengthened through drought proofing measure. 2 big ponds namely Nazareth and Kalimangalam are linked through a canal with the plan of preventing overflowing and runoff water from Thuraikudy big pond. It contributes to the groundwater level increase and overall water governance.

Thousands of seed balls prepared by using indigenous drought proof seed varieties involving children and volunteers are thrown along the bunds especially the Perampur catchment. The surrounding villages also stand to benefit when the monsoon arrives as at the individual household level 265 rainwater harvesting units are already in place. Fr.John Selvaraj, Director of TMSSS says with conviction that it is our responsibility to lead the communities with visionary zeal. “The accompaniment and experiential sharing rendered by Dr.John Arokiaraj, Manager, Caritas India plays a significant role in our accomplishments,”  he said.

Being self-reliant for water has more meaning today than ever before.  Micro-level efforts at harvesting rainwater and recycling greywater at the household level, however small they may be, can go a long way in reducing external dependence. The stakeholders of Thulir programme have become aware of this concept and the significant role they can play as a collective.