DEHRADUN: Several Uttarakhand-based organizations and groups have joined National Bank for Agricultural & Rural Development (NABARD) in spreading awareness for water conservation in 4000 villages of the state. 500 villages in each of eight districts namely Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh, Tehri Garhwal and Uttarkashi which are struggling with water shortage will be covered.Adequate number of Master Trainers in each state will be identified and professionally trained who will be deployed to run the campaign at district/ village level during April to July 2017.DN Magar, Chief General Manager said, " Water conservation campaign will cover around 1,00,000 villages across the country and 4000 in hill pockets of Uttarakhand in vulnerable/ water stressed areas and more specifically where the groundwater is over-exploited across the country. Local and modern technologies for efficient conservation and management of water resources. , will be one of the key inputs to sensitize the rural community during the campaign"Himanshu Khatri, assistant manager with NABARD told TOI, "These eight districts have been selected on the basis of their vulnerability for scant rainfall and high drought. There are multiple reasons for the water shortage in these areas, based on different criterions such as climate change and topographical aspects."The villagers will be trained in conserving the rainy water through various methods such as contour bunds, check dams, gully plugs etc and with suitable. "One master trainer will be deputed for each district to lead the mass awareness program. There will be 40 'Jal Doot' (village volunteers) under each master trainer. These volunteers will increase awareness about various methods of rainwater harvesting, efficient water use, recharging groundwater and integrated farming systems besides facilitating creation of water conservation structures and adoption of water efficient practices/ technologies through convergence with the ongoing schemes of the Govt/ banks. Involvement of bank branches, Govt. departments, extension agencies and other stakeholders during the campaign process will also give impetus to this initiative," said Khatri adding that the banks will be sensitised to extend easy loans to the villagers to implement water conservation schemes and structures on priority basis.

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