Asia Initiatives has partnered with Savera Foundation to ensure water security in 25 villages located in the Koderma district of Jharkhand, India. We have worked together in this region from 2020-24. During this period, we revived 42 traditional watershed structures like wells, ponds, aahar pynes (traditional floodwater harvesting systems indigenous to South Bihar, aahars are reservoirs with embankments on three sides and pynes are artificial rivulets led off from rivers to collect water in the aahars for irrigation in the dry months), and dadhis. 

 

Additionally we have constructed 68 new ponds (60 x 60 x 10 ft) near households to ensure availability of water during summers. These new ponds are used for irrigation before the monsoon arrives and also provide water for wildlife and livestock during harsh summers.  

 

These watershed projects collectively saved a total of 3.6 million gallons of water for 502 households, allowing more households to take up agriculture and supplement their incomes which have increased by up to 75% with profits from increased agricultural yields.

 

Additionally, the watershed structures contribute to increased vegetative cover in the area, leading to enhanced nutritional resources for over 3,045 families. These structures address severe water scarcity issues resulting from low rainfall rates and inadequate irrigation facilities, which have hindered agricultural diversification and contributed to reduced profits and low standards of living.

 

SoCCs were integrated into the program to build awareness and ownership of these rejuvenated structures. SoCCs are earned through various activities including the construction of check dams using sandbags, street cleaning, tree planting, seed ball distribution, attendance at monthly water conservation meetings, construction of soak pits and maintenance of revived structures. These earned SoCCs are redeemed for water harvesting techniques, pond construction, and exposure visits.​​​