The State government is promoting construction of new generation check dams across natural streams, rivulets and other waterbodies under the MGNREGA programme. Over 5,000 multiple arch buttress check dams (MACD) have come up under MGNREGA, 1,820 in the last two years.
The project is unique because the design consumes less concrete and lasts longer than traditional stone masonry check dams. The cost of MACD is around 25% less than Reinforced Cement Concrete check dams. They harvest rain water, act as temporary impounding structures, and recharge the aquifer. Apart from providing water to farmers in drier months, they act as water holes for wildlife too.
Aniruddha Shravan, commissioner, MGNREGA, said MACDs ensure better utilisation of funds, scientific construction, and increased efficiency in water harvesting. “We use the services of Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre to map probable locations for check dams to prevent unscientific construction. We have been using an app designed by the Foundation for Ecological Security called CLART to locate dams near appropriate strata. We choose a site where the stream is at its narrowest width, as it reduces costs and to see that the stream should not be meandering as it can cause flooding and shifting of the river’s course,” he said. He added that gram panchayats are creating boulder checks with recharge pits in large numbers. “To avoid slush getting collected in downstream check dams, several water harvesting structures are built upstream,” added Mr. Shravan. They hold back silt, improve soul moisture, support vegetative growth, and harvest the rain more effectively.
“MACDs have brought long-lasting change in districts like Vijayapura, Bagalkot and the drier taluks of Belagavi,” said Mahantesh Biradar, Vijayapura-based environmentalist. In several villages in Vijayapura district, ground water levels have increased and women are relieved of the burden of walking for miles to fetch drinking water, he added.
The MACD model was introduced by the Bidar Zilla panchayat in 2004. Naveen Raj Singh, a civil engineer by training, was the ZP CEO then. He introduced the design and led the construction of around 100 such structures in two years. Now, Bidar has over 700 MACDs. The design was approved for MNREGA in 2015, Mr. Singh recalled.
