Siegwerk India restores pond in Rajasthan

The pond restoration project started when Siegwerk identified a water crisis in the village Dhaki. During a survey of 185 households, it came to light that, for 93% of the households tube well is the chief source of irrigation while 7 percent of the households irrigate with micro-irrigation, which shows dependence on groundwater that is depleting due to overuse. The effects of the project will increase recharge capacity of the pond after de-siltation and construction of 2 new recharge shafts, apart from removal of silt from an earlier recharge shaft. During the current monsoon period water accumulated in pond increased 3 times totalling to 14.5ft within 20 days and as a result the underground water level rose substantially. The water is now being directed to the village’s agriculture, for further holistic growth. 

 

Focusing on improving the local eco-system of Dhaki, the three-fold initiative covers all important facets of the environment - conservation, sustained upgradation and environment preservation leading to a holistic development of the village. Siegwerk’s project consists of three stages - restoration of the pond, plantation of trees and clearing the areas around the pond. After the successful passing of initial phases, the initiative is currently in its final phase - plantation project, which entails planting saplings around the restorative pond and around the school of Dhaki village.  

 

Ramakrishna Karanth, CEO, Siegwerk India said: ‘Siegwerk’s key values include creating a sustainable environment and development for the future. The collaboration has been successful with CCSE and BGVS assisting us with their expertise. The initiative aims to help the marginalized communities of the Dhaki village and hopefully improve their livelihood. The team has also established ties with government institutions to promote sustainable development in the area.’  

 

The project started with a detailed evaluation of the initiative, the challenges and hardships faced by the people and planning the completion of the restoration process before monsoon so that the pond gets refilled with water as the dependency on the monsoon rains for agricultural activities and scorching summers in the village lead to inhumane conditions. 

 

As a part of the initiative, around 500 saplings have already been planted, and 500 aquatic plants will be introduced into the pond to improve the quality of water to aid the overall progress for the people of Dhaki.