“By placing these structures along natural drainage lines, we ensure that every drop of rainwater is put to productive use.” Reviving Water Wisdom: WOTR Rejuvenates 147 Traditional Structures Across Rajasthan The Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR), a leading non-profit working at the intersection of climate-resilient agriculture and rural transformation, has achieved a significant milestone by rejuvenating and constructing 147 traditional water-harvesting structures across Rajasthan over the past three years.
The initiative centers on pokhars, stone-reinforced earthen ponds capable of storing up to 1.2 crore litres of rainwater, and pagaras, cement embankments designed to curb soil erosion. Together, these structures have created an additional water storage capacity of over 452 million litres. The impact is tangible: more than 1,000 rural households have benefited directly, and irrigation has been enabled across 845 acres of farmland in the districts of Karauli, Udaipur and Dungarpur. In regions marked by erratic rainfall, falling groundwater levels and persistent soil erosion, these low-cost, low-maintenance systems have delivered transformative results. Pokhars and pagaras have turned once barren stretches into productive farmland, supporting crops such as maize and wheat.
For many farmers, this has meant a decisive shift away from hazardous livelihoods such as sandstone mining. The change is particularly visible in villages like Mandi Bhat and Shamipur. Improved water availability has expanded cultivation, reduced distress migration, strengthened access to drinking water and improved school attendance. Fields that once lay fallow now sustain seasonal crops; livestock have dependable water sources; and families, once compelled to migrate in search of work, are returning to their villages. At the heart of this transformation lies strong community ownership. WOTR has trained Water User Groups comprising 10 to 12 farmers in water budgeting, crop planning and maintenance practices before transferring stewardship of the structures to them. Individual households, meanwhile, take responsibility for maintaining pagaras constructed on their land, ensuring long-term sustainability.
Dixit Joshi, Technical Officer at WOTR, explained the science behind the intervention: “The flat and gently undulating terrain of these villages in Rajasthan, combined with well-defined river systems, makes pokhars and pagaras especially effective. By placing them strategically along natural drainage lines, we intercept rainwater before it flows away, ensuring that every drop is put to productive use. Earlier, villagers had to rebuild mud embankments every year. Now, two to three years of hard labour are saved, allowing them to focus on farming rather than repeated repairs.”
This large-scale rejuvenation effort has been made possible through WOTR’s strong on-ground expertise, supported by committed CSR partners who share a common goal of strengthening climate resilience in some of Rajasthan’s most vulnerable rural regions. Prakash Keskar, Executive Director of WOTR, underscored the broader significance of the initiative: “Reviving traditional water-harvesting systems offers a practical and sustainable pathway to strengthening rural resilience in arid regions like Rajasthan. When communities plan, manage and maintain their own water resources, water availability improves. Such locally owned solutions ensure that development continues well beyond the duration of any project, supporting a more climate-resilient and self-reliant rural economy.”
(A REPORT BY WOTR WHICH IS COMMITTED TO REJUVENATING COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS)