Pioneer News Service
Daltonganj
In a significant step towards addressing chronic water scarcity in Jharkhand’s rain-shadow district of Palamu, the Medininagar Forest Division has successfully completed a 4-km-long Ridge-to-Valley watershed management project in the protected forest of Gaberletwa under the Mohammadganj forest range.
Developed at a cost of around Rs 50 lakh under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), the project is designed to reduce rainwater runoff, enhance groundwater recharge and improve long-term water conservation. Officials said a similar project executed by other departments could have cost nearly Rs 1 crore.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Satyam Kumar described the initiative as a comprehensive effort to maximise rainwater harvesting by slowing surface runoff in the region’s rocky terrain, where poor water percolation has long affected agriculture, forests and local communities. Palamu’s rainfall largely depends on depressions forming over the Bay of Bengal, making the district vulnerable to either drought-like conditions or excessive rainfall.
The project includes three permanent check dams constructed at the upper, middle and lower reaches of a major nala, along with an earthen check dam and a pond to enable sequential storage of rainwater. The integrated system aims to reduce soil erosion, conserve moisture and strengthen the forest ecosystem.
Kumar said conserving water at the ridge level is critical to preventing soil degradation and rock disintegration while improving vegetation cover. He added that forests with adequate water, grasslands and protection are better equipped to sustain wildlife and support surrounding agriculture.
Forest officials believe the initiative could serve as a model for sustainable watershed management in water-stressed regions of Jharkhand.
