While traditional wisdom surrounding local indigenous water bodies, such as lakes and ponds, has been part of agricultural thinking across the country, Gujarat has emerged as the first state to have addressed the problem and that too within a month.

Having commenced on May 1, the Vijay Rupani government would finish the de-silting, dredging and deepening of over 13,000 lakes and ponds across the state on May 31 as part of the Chief Minister's flagship 'Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan'.

"While most farmers have been using deep wells for irrigation, their traditional water bodies had been lying underutilised. The Chief Minister designed this programme for full utilisation of these already existing water bodies. The monetary model is novel: people are spending for dredging, taking the best soil to their fields from dredging. Ultimately, in a way no one is spending nothing, but getting everything they need: water and fertility," said secretary to CM Ashwani Kumar.

The month-long exercise will add 11 lakh cubic feet of rain water storage capacity. The farmers have begun to own their water bodies as several villages, such as Kankrol in Sabarkantha district, have adopted their water bodies and have paid up for the cleaning work, in addition to the nearly Rs 350 crore allotted by the state for the work.

"The best part is that we get more water while we take the highly rich and fertile soil from the bottom of the lakes to our fields which then get rejuvenated in turn as they had deteriorated with the use of fertilisers," said Hira Bhai Patel of Kankrol.

On the other hand, with minor tributaries also getting dredged, the estimated water capacity addition would be 1,000 crore litres.

"This is being done by bringing together MNREGA and water shed development. Ultimately, rural poor are being employed to do the works, so in addition to water capacity, the money is going to rural poor, which in turn is adding to rural economy. This is a holistic thinking," said Mona Khandhar, secretary rural development, Gujarat.

The move, invariably, also brings rich political gains to the Chief Minister. Rupani, apart from conceiving the idea, has been personally monitoring the campaign, and has made it top priority for his cabinet too. All significant ministers of the cabinet have been pressed into action for monitoring and surveying the works.

"In his earlier stint, he was made the CM. This time he led the BJP and won, so he has become the chief minister. The campaign is not just establishing his connect with farmers, but is also stamping his authority as someone in firm control," said a source in the Gujarat dispensation.

Just at Rupani is receiving daily reports of progress from district magistrates, he is keeping the Prime Minister informed about the progress. "Even Congressmen have realised the potential of this campaign and are trying to associate with it," said a Gujarat BJP leader.

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