**5. Community approach of the day towards water management: illustrations of grassroots practices**

India and Indians have always taken pride in coming up with unconventional and innovative approaches towards problem-solving. For example; the will and determination of the tribal population of India is apparently seen in their efforts towards water management and sustainability. One interesting example of collective effort is "Halma", which is commonly practiced in the Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. Halma is a traditional yet sustainable approach towards water harvesting that was initiated by the people of the Bhil community many years back wherein a day or two were marked each year when every member of the community [including women and children] would come together with spades, shovels and pickaxes to deepen the contours of their village trenches and ponds or dig new ones if necessary. The spirit of this joint operation was that since all residents of the village utilized water from the pond throughout the year, then it was their moral obligation towards the pond to contribute at least a single day in reviving it. This practice was vastly adopted across the whole district of Jhabua so much so that in 2018, approximately 12000 people or more from almost 400 villages across Jhabua participated at the Halma. A big share of the credit for getting such a massive response from the people of Jhabua goes to the ShivgangaSamagraGramvikasParishad, which is an NGO that motivates the people through the mythological tale of river Ganga arriving on earth through lord Shiva's Jata [hair locks] after King Bhagirath prayed to him.

A parallel example is of NGO namely the Tarun Bharat Sangh, that has been actively working by restoring and reviving the water conservation structures across many water-stressed states of India for more than two decades now. It is due to their efforts that the Arvari river in the Alwar district of Rajasthan was revived and now is a reliable source of irrigation for the people living in its vicinity. The Tarun

#### *Ensuring Water Availability in Future through Revival of Indian Traditional Water Culture DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99311*

Bharat Sangh, in two decades, has built 402 structures over an area of 500 square kilometers to revive the Arvari river. As a result, water availability through wells and tube wells has increased substantially in the nearby villages that have now shifted from subsistence to commercial farming. The ecosystem of the area has also been rejuvenated through these efforts. The NGO is actively working in other states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand along the same lines. It is through the efforts of groups of like-minded people like these that sustainable approaches towards water conservation can be used as weapons to combat the upcoming water crisis. Similarly, in many areas of the country, many social and religious organizations are running intensive programs of public awareness for water conservation.

Another inspirational example comes from the Lapodiya village, which is two hours away from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Prior to 1977, the place was known to be an arid region with acute water shortage in summer seasons. Agriculture and cattle rearing had started to diminish due to a lack of water. The rainfall pattern was so erratic that food and fodder for cattle had to be bought from the market. But thanks to the initiative of a few villagers, the 300-household strong Lapodiya has now turned into a green oasis. A joint operation carried out with coordinated efforts from all the villagers has enabled the village to construct three major community ponds that serve their domestic as well as agricultural requirements throughout the year. Suitable slopes and systematic drains have been constructed in the entire village so that the rain water is stored in the pond itself. There is no more shortage of green fodder in the village as grazing land is now available for the cattle in the village itself. The ponds have recharged the water table and water shortage in the village has now become a thing of the past. During the time of good rains, the water is stored in the ponds and then reused for subsequent seasons. This stored water lasts for up to three whole years and protects the villagers against distress arising from scanty or no rainfall at all. The efficient water management system of Lapodiya has earned for itself the recognition of a model village for rainwater harvesting by the authorities. Several villages in diverse parts of country too have demonstrated similar examples.
