Prof. Vivek Singh
Humans have been using ground water since prehistoric times. There are mentions and traces of wells from the Matsya Purana to the Indus Valley Civilization period. The construction of the ponds was the major work done by the kings of India from time immemorial. The importance of the lake is famous in the Ramayana period. Even in the Mahabharata period, the communication between Yudhishthira and the Yaksha was for water of the pond. But look at the irony, the same lake and well are becoming history today. While reading this article, for a few moments think why it has happened. Problem is in our perception and perspective, not in culture.
Today, in the era of meaningless development, we are on the path of making ponds, rivers, ponds and wells a part of history. Villages without ponds and wells look like body without life. We are not loosing Ponds and wells but our great Indian culture. In 1951, when the country had a population of 35 crores, the number of villages was 5,58,089, at that time the number of ponds in the country was more than 24 lakhs while the number of wells was more than 55 lakhs. Around 7,50,000 new wells were dug in the country during the first to third five-year plans.
There were dozens of ponds and several dozen wells in my village, but today neither the ponds nor the wells are there. We are losing our evergreen rural culture along with the loss of ponds and wells. We are losing our values, culture, ideals, ideas, traditions and heritage in the glare of unhindered development. We are headed towards a waterless tomorrow.
There were 700,000 villages in the country before independence but after partition more than 1 lakh villages became part of Pakistan. Ponds and wells were the main sources of agriculture and irrigation in the village before and after independence. The village had a supernatural bliss to the tune of Rahat. There was no village where 10-15 wells could not be found. In this sense, at that time there were at least 55 lakh to 60 lakh wells. Cultural programs like weddings were not possible without a well and a pond. When there were 35 crore people in the country, the number of wells and ponds in the country was 75 lakhs and today when the population of the country is around 140 crores, the number of ponds in the country has reduced to just a few lakhs.
The wells and ponds began to be neglected since the 70s. Tubewell culture got momentum from 1954 onwards and the tradition of having Nal started in the 1990s. People now started getting water easily for irrigation and drinking water. In Indian culture, the work of digging a pond was considered very virtuous.
Planting a tree was considered equal to the value of 1 son, digging 1 well was considered equal to the value of 10 sons and digging a pond was considered equal to the value of hundred sons. Today there are no such thinking and no such culture.
A few decades ago there were more than 1 million wells in Bundelkhand. Today only 2-3% of the wells are left. Since 1970, new ponds were neither dug up at the government level nor at the level of society. No attention was given to the maintenance of available ponds. The ponds and wells were occupied by the land mafia. Today, more than 254 districts of the country have a severe water problem. Today more than 95% of rain water is wasted. The wells and ponds used to prevent waste of this water. With this, the increase in ground water level was natural. Due to the tubewells, people started using water indiscriminately.
In the last 70 years, the country has lost more than 60 lakh wells and ponds out of 80 lakh wells and ponds. Half of the remaining ones are no longer usable. Between 2010 and 2020, 5000 rivers have dried up in the country. The NITI Aayog has also warned that in the coming 10 years, 40% of the people will not have access to clean water.
Apart from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, 60 to 95% of the rivers dry up in almost all the states of the country in summer. In the last 5 years, 80000 wells and thousands of ponds have been reduced in Uttar Pradesh. The number of ponds in Bihar was 250,000 a few years ago, of which 98,000 remain today.
Due to the wells, ponds, puddles it was easy to stop the rainy water. The drought hit less frequently. There was no shortage of water. The level of ground water was fine. Because of neglecting Ponds and wells problems like groundwater level going down, drought, rainy water wastage, drinking water crisis are arising.
All the small ponds, wells, springs, rivers, lakes located in the country should be recalculated. Gram panchayats should be given the responsibility to maintain the ponds and wells in their area The government should also provide financial assistance for this. Special attention should be paid to digging of ponds under MNREGA. Governments should also pay special attention to the renovation of ponds and wells. Encroachment of ponds should be strictly dealt with by the society and the government, otherwise the day is not far when there will be scarcity of water. There will be distress for the water. It is the duty of the government as well as society to ensure the culture of ponds and wells in the country. The rural environment and rural culture should remain relevant even in this glare.
Now the time has come when society has to understand this cultural and man-made crisis. Instead of just intellectuals, the public should go ahead and contribute to the promotion of divine and superior rural culture including ponds and wells. |
