In the countryside, where a vast majority of Indians still
live, a combination of free electricity and inadequate regulation has led
farmers to deplete untold groundwater supplies. In some places the water table
is so low it no longer helps sustain roots, so even more water must be pumped
up. In addition, soils have been degraded by chemical fertilizers, so they
require even more water.
But in some parts of India, communities are turning to
“rainwater harvesting,” capturing rainwater in ponds and allowing it to
percolate into the ground to feed wells and springs. Such techniques were once
commonplace throughout the South Asian subcontinent, where rain falls for only
a few months in the summer monsoon, and often not at all for the rest of the
year. Now villagers are returning to these ancient methods to secure the
future. By CHERYL COLOPY
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