In 1998 the Water Conservation Project was launched for the first time. We started constructing check-dams and ponds in order to stop the rain water from flowing away into the sea and to conserve it properly. This Project has generated awareness among the people all over the country, so they have realized the importance of water and its conservation. This awareness has inspired the construction of check-dams, ponds and farm-ponds on a very large scale all over the nation. When there is a heavy rainfall, these check-dams and ponds overflow with water. But why does the water level not come up? Farmers used to say that water flows deep down into the bore. Where is that water going? My reply was that they had been continuously digging deeper and deeper bores and thereby had pierced Mother Earth. That is the reason why this water goes deep down into the land. What is its solution? We should fill up all these 2000 feet deep bores with sticky soil. Then the water conserved or stored in check-dams or ponds will not flow down so deep into the earth. Then the water level will come up in 100 ft deep wells. Level of underground water will also come up. The water in the well will no longer get connected with the water in the lowest region (PATAL) of the earth. The quality of water will be better. This pure and sweet water will improve the quality of agricultural products. Milk animals will drink this pure and sweet water and there milk yield will be increased. All such useless and unnecessary bores should be filled up. In big dams such as Bhadar and Shetrunji only rain water is collected and stored. This water must be sweet. But the reality is different- the water collected in these dams is also a little salty. The reason of this saltiness is the existence of very deep, useless bores. The water that we stop from flowing away into the sea goes down very deep to the base of these excessively deep bores. In the rainy season the bores in these low areas start overflowing. Hence the water from the PATAL which is impure because of some minerals mixed in it, comes out through these excessively deep bores and mixes with the flow of water in the river. The water flowing in these rivers is conserved in these big dams. When there were no bore-wells, the water collected in dams was very sweet. But today we have pierced Mother Earth with excessively deep bores so the water collected in these dams has become salty. This water gets impure as it mixes with the ‘mineral polluted water in the PATAL’. This impure water is very harmful for human health. Every farmer understands the harm caused by very deep bores. He also believes that other farmers should fill up their bores. But he himself is not prepared to fill up his own bore, fearing that he might need to draw water from his deep bore if it doesn’t rain. This fear and selfish mentality of the farmer do not allow him to fill up his own bore.
Many times we watch on TV how these useless and very deep bores can be dangerous. Sometimes little innocent children fall down into these deep bores. How sad!! These bores have taken the toll of some innocent children. Considering all these hazards and harms caused by useless and very deep bores, sensible farmers have filled up these bores. Some PANCHAYATS had dug such deep bores at the time of water crisis. But today those SARPANCHS have filled up those bores. In order to acquire maximum benefit from the Water Conservation Project, it is very important to fill up such big and deep bores. This is my very humble appeal to all those awakened and concerned people that they should start a mission to fill up all unused and excessively deep bores.
