Nanded administration plans to construct one lakh 'jaltaras' in district

Nanded, Dec 5 (PTI) One lakh 'jaltaras' will be made in Nanded, district collector Rahul Kardile said on Friday at an event to mark World Soil Day.

He also inaugurated the 'Jaltara Shramdaan' drive at Shirshi Khurd in Kandhar tehsil.

"The jaltara programme aims to strengthen the core idea of 'Catch the Rain-Where it Falls, When it Falls', focusing on harvesting monsoon runoff directly on farmlands. It seeks to increase groundwater levels, reduce soil erosion, improve soil structure, enhance crop productivity, and conserve natural resources by allowing excess rainwater to percolate into the ground," the official said.

To support this mission, the MGNREGA Department and Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF) are jointly implementing a High Impact Mega Watershed Project in six tehsils of Nanded. In Kandhar and Mukhed tehsils, the project is being executed through Ashwamedh Rural Watershed Development and Educational Institute, Kandhar.

"A 'jaltara' is a simple yet highly effective structure. It consists of a pit measuring 5 ft by 5 ft by 6 ft, filled with large and medium-sized stones at locations where water tends to accumulate and percolate. Each jaltara allows approximately 3.6 lakh litres of water to seep into the ground," an official explained. PTI COR BNM