Three villages in Narayankhed area taps rainwater to tackle El Nino effect much before Telangana government comes up with plan

Three villages in Sangareddy district have successfully implemented community-led rainwater harvesting measures months before the government's initiative. The newly built ponds and soak pits have already begun storing rainwater, offering hope for groundwater recharge amid El Niño-induced drought concerns.

Sangareddy: While the Telangana government was still discussing how to tap rainwater amid the threat of the El Nino pattern, three villages in remote Narayankhed area had initiated measures way ahead of the government to tackle the issue. Villagers of Peerltha Thanda, Mukthapur and Pusalpad are now ready to taste the fruits of their efforts now.

As the IMD predicted that the El Nino effect would create serious drought conditions in the country during the 2026-27 year, the prediction had left the farmers of Narayankhed area worried since the drought prone area will bear the brunt more than any other part of the State. Most of the Narayankhed area was deprived of irrigation facilities and there were no minor irrigation tanks at all.

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When IRS officer Dr Sudhakar Nayak came to these villages during the last summer and educated them on the need of digging the community ponds and soak pits to tap the rainwater to tackle drought, these villages utilised the opportunity effectively.

The villagers joined hands, and dug up four community soak pits and two community ponds across a stream between these three villages during May. While the Sangareddy district administration was discussing on the need to tap the rain under “Jala Siri” programme by digging farm ponds, soak pits and borewell recharging structures on last Monday during a review meeting held by Minister G Vivekananda, the rainwater harvesting structures in these villages received their first water inflow as the area received considerable rain on the same day.
During the last three days, the rains have brought considerable amounts of water into these rainwater harvesting structures which would not only benefit them and also multiple other villages located close-by.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Environmentalist, Paladugu Gnaneshwar, who hails from the area, said that the rainwater used to go waste every year into local streams which would eventually flow down into Godavari and Bay of Bengal. But, they have stored the water for the first time this year.
Since there were no minor irrigation tanks in these parts of the district, he hoped that the rainwater structures would replenish the groundwater table besides quenching the thirst of animals and birds. After tasting their first success within months after their effort, the villagers were preparing to take up digging of multiple such structures in the coming days. Dr Nayak observed that the rest of the district must draw inspiration from these villages to tap the rainwater.