DWMA set to create history in construction of farm ponds

Anantapur: The District Water Management Agency (DWMA) is poised to complete the digging of over 1 lakh farm ponds by the end of September 2018. The total number of farm ponds completed in the district so far is 96,334. 

By the end of September the magic figure of 1 lakh farm ponds will be reached. While another 13,000 ponds will be completed before December. 
In 2015-16, the mandate to undertake 1 lakh farm ponds was given to DWMA. In the year 2015-16, a mere 2075 ponds construction was undertaken.

The construction of farm ponds gained momentum in 2016-17 when 54,272 farm ponds were taken up en masse by motivating farmers to partner in water conservation measures.

The farmers until then were under the impression that constructing a farm pond is a waste of precious space but changed their opinion after they had seen the benefits of water conservation in farm ponds.

In 2017-18, another 25,790 farm ponds digging was taken up. Right now, construction of 7,089 ponds is in progress to meet the country's biggest target of 1.13 lakh. DWMA is on the verge of making history by occupying first place in the country. 

DWMA Project Director (PD) Jyothi Basu told The Hans India that 96,000 odd farm ponds have been completed while another 7,089 farm ponds are in final stages of completion. All the farm ponds have been dug by NREGS rural workforce. He said that he was elated to preside over the mission completion.

Out of the 7 lakh farm ponds sanctioned for the entire country, 1 lakh farm ponds were sanctioned for Anantapur district alone. The district stands on top in the State and in the country by achieving the enormous target of digging 1 lakh plus farm ponds.

Rightly called ‘Panta Sanjeevani’, it is coming to the rescue of the drought-hit district farmers. The Central and the State governments are spending more than Rs 900 crore in Anantapur district alone on construction of farm ponds. Each farm pond costs between Rs 60,000 and 70,000. 

District Collector Veera Pandian speaking to The Hans India says that out of the 7 lakh farm ponds sanctioned for the entire country, 1 lakh farm ponds have been dug in Anantapur district alone. Chittoor district stands second by completing 27,559 farm ponds and Srikakulam district the lowest by completing 2,761 ponds.

DWMA is spending Rs 60,000 to 70,000 on each farm pond using NREGS job card holders in villages. The previous DWMA PD A Nagabhushanam played a crucial role in launching the scheme and in motivating farmers to dig farm ponds as part of the water conservation mission. The present PD Jyothi Basu is pulling all strings to bring the mission to its logical conclusion.