A third standard dropout, M. Shivashankar Reddy recalls sleeping on gunny bags in his childhood. Today, the 49-year-old grows pomegranate, musk melon, grapes and vegetables on the three parcels of land he owns in Parasannayapalli vill­age in Andhra Pradesh’s Ananthapuram district, earning Rs 3-4 lakh per acre. “We created 10 ponds across three parcels of…

“It’s a god-sent opportunity,” says N. Purushotham, 49, about how an assured supply of irrigation water has boosted his farming. Until 2017, there was just enough water to raise a single paddy crop a year on his two-acre farm in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district. But ever since the Pahalwan Talab in Shabad village was revived,…

Maalav maati gahan gambhir, dag dag roti, pag pag neer (the soil in Malwa is fertile, food and water are available in abundance). For centuries, these lines had signified the prosperity of Malwa in western Madhya Pradesh. But Dewas, in the heart of the Malwa region, was an exception. The district was facing acute shortages…

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Water-guzzling crops and heavy use of fertilisers have both contributed to Punjab’s water crisis The damage, A woman in Punjab’s Fazilka district collecting polluted water from a handpump for domestic use Punjab is currently facing three daunting problems: i) polluted canals and rivers; ii) depleting groundwater; and iii) polluted groundwater. The three problems are interlinked,…

Standing on the bridge on river Papagni in Andhra Pradesh’s YSR Kadapa district, Chirutani Pratap points to the shimmering rivulets in the dry river bed below. “We have begun seeing this only in the past two years. Usually, the river flows like a stream just for four months during the rainy season every year,” says…

How various states in India are tackling their groundwater woes to ensure a year-round supply of water for consumption and irrigation. To the fields, Dewas farmers load pipes, used to transfer water from the farm ponds to the fields, on a cart. Photo by Yasir Iqbal Parched earth India is undergoing the worst water crisis…

The 458-km-long Narmada canal snakes its way through south and central Gujarat like a green highway. Not far from Gandhinagar, the state capital, a branch of the canal takes water to Dhanki, a massive pumping station, located in the dusty plains of the region. From there, the first of an incredible series of water-lifting operations…

Madurai-based Dhan Foundation’s work proves that defunct water bodies can be revived to benefit the farmlands. Three-year effort: The Kadhiyanur irrigation tank has clear water now The Kad­hiyanur irr­i­g­a­tion tank in Iravadhanallur stands out for its clean water amid the dry or dirty ponds and water bodies dott­ing Madurai city. “Three years back, you would…

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