MP News: Neemuch Admin Turns Defunct Borewells Into Recharge Pits

Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh): In a unique water conservation effort, the Neemuch district administration has converted defunct borewells into groundwater recharge pits under the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan.

The initiative, developed by the Public Health Engineering Department under the guidance of Collector Himanshu Chandra and District Panchayat CEO Aman Vaishnav, is being seen as a model for other districts in the state.

The first such structure has been built in Saroda gram panchayat of Jawad development block. The recharge pit channels rainwater through a filter system made of layers of boulders, gravel and fine sand. Pipes are covered with mesh to ensure only clean water flows through, which is then directed into the underground water reservoir. The structure is expected to conserve thousands of litres of water during the monsoon and help raise the water level of nearby wells and tube wells.

The administration has described this as a waste-to-wealth model, as it uses borewells that were lying unused. A step-by-step guide has also been prepared so that other gram panchayats can build similar structures in their areas.

Collector Himanshu Chandra has directed that recharge pits be constructed in every development block of the district. He said the cost of building one is around Rs 20,000 to 30,000 and each panchayat can use its own budget for this. All panchayat officials have been trained to maintain these structures for long-term use.

Along with this, around 400 ponds across the district are being deepened. Farmers are being allowed to take the fertile soil removed during deepening without paying any royalty. This benefits both the administration, which gets ponds deepened at no cost, and farmers, who get nutrient-rich soil for their fields and improved water levels in their wells.

Executive engineer Dipesh Vaspat led the PHED team that handled the project from site selection to construction. The model is now being seen as a benchmark for rural water conservation in the region.

BOREWELL REUSE - Defunct borewells turned into recharge pits

LOW COST - Each pit costs Rs 20-30,000

POND WORK - 400 ponds being deepened for farmers