Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh’s ambitious project to construct 1.55 lakh farm ponds has reached a significant milestone, with 50,000 ponds now completed. The districts of Alluri Sitarama Raju (7,566), Parvathipuram Manyam (6,317), and Annamayya (5,181) lead the charge, securing the top three positions in completion rating. Commissioner of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development VR Krishna Teja Mylavarapu highlighted the multifaceted benefits of farm ponds for farmers, calling them a ‘crop lifeline.’ He stated that these ponds enable farmers to cultivate long-term income-generating plants like papaya, banana, guava, and curry leaves. The stored water can also be utilised for spraying pesticides and even for pisciculture. Furthermore, he noted that constructing a farm pond in fields with borewells can increase groundwater levels, allowing farmers to cultivate larger areas.
Additional income and cost savings for farmers With the onset of the monsoon season, the Commissioner urged farmers to leverage the opportunity to grow leafy greens and vegetables on the earthen bunds around the farm ponds, thereby generating additional income.
He also announced that the cost of seeds for these vegetables would be included in the work estimates and reimbursed to farmers through MGNREGA funds. The Commissioner emphasised that the construction of farm ponds under the MGNREGA scheme is free of charge, saving farmers up to Rs 50,000. He encouraged every farmer to overcome any hesitation about losing land area and embrace these multi-purpose farm ponds to reap the numerous benefits.
He further detailed the impressive water conservation capacity of these ponds, stating that each farm pond can store 1.8 lakh litres of rainwater from a single rainfall event.
Collectively, the 1.55 lakh farm ponds have the potential to store approximately one TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of rainwater at once.
