In Haryana, 1,177 farmers have so far applied for the construction of recharge shafts under the ‘Mera Pani Meri Virasat’ scheme aimed at protecting the depleting groundwater table through crop diversification.
A recharge shaft is an artificial structure for recharging the aquifers. These will be used in flood-prone areas and will culminate at the first stage of the sandy soil.
Additional chief secretary, agriculture, Sanjeev Kaushal, said 182 farmers in Ratia, 76 in Siwan, and 231 in Guhla have so far applied for the construction of recharge shafts. Similarly, 55 farmers have applied in Pipli, 426 in Shahbad, 47 in Babain, 108 in Ismailabad, and 52 in Sirsa.
He said the state government had increased the number of shafts to be put up from 300 in three blocks to 1,000 in eight blocks where the groundwater level is below 40 metre. The project would cost around ₹ 32.33 crore.
Kaushal said water-stressed and flood-prone Shahbad, Guhla and Ratia blocks have been selected on pilot basis for the construction of 100 recharge shaft structures.
He said a farmer would have to pay 10% of the total cost or a maximum of ₹10,000 as contribution for construction of recharge structure at the time of submission of application or he may give his consent to maintain the structure, in which case, the total cost of the structure would be borne by the government.
{{/usCountry}}He said a farmer would have to pay 10% of the total cost or a maximum of ₹10,000 as contribution for construction of recharge structure at the time of submission of application or he may give his consent to maintain the structure, in which case, the total cost of the structure would be borne by the government.
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