UP's Sambhal to adopt Ralegaon Siddhi model for rainwater harvesting

Sambhal (UP), Jun 17 (PTI) Inspired by the water conservation models of Ralegaon Siddhi and Hiware Bazar in Maharashtra, authorities in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district have launched a large-scale rainwater harvesting drive aimed at recharging groundwater and securing irrigation needs.

District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya on Tuesday said in the first phase of the campaign, 5,000 trenches will be dug across all eight blocks of the district in a single day.

These trenches, each measuring 5 feet in length, 2 feet in width, and 1.6 feet in depth, will together help recharge up to 22.65 lakh litres of rainwater during the current monsoon season.

"We are carrying out trench-digging work under MGNREGA with community participation across multiple locations. Each trench is capable of recharging around 453 litres of groundwater during monsoon. These 5,000 trenches will be completed within a day or two. After that, we will expand the effort further to increase the total recharge capacity," Pensiya said.

The district's first model site has been developed at the MGNREGA park in Behta Jaisingh village under Bahjoi block, where over 900 trenches will be dug.

"The recharge from these trenches will be so effective that the plants in the area may not need irrigation for the entire year," the district magistrate said.

He also credited well-known water conservation activists like Rajendra Singh, popularly known as the 'Waterman of India', and Anna Hazare, for inspiring the campaign. Both have implemented similar trench-based water harvesting methods in drought-prone regions of Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Ralegaon Siddhi, a village in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, is hailed as a national model of watershed development. Hiware Bazar used funds from government schemes to recharge its water resources.

Under the leadership of Hazare, the village transformed from a drought-stricken region to a self-sufficient one through community-led initiatives such as trenching, contour bunding, check dams, and afforestation.

The success of Ralegaon Siddhi has inspired similar efforts across the country, emphasising the impact of local participation and sustainable practices in water conservation. PTI COR KIS DV DV