Raipur (thestates.news) | The adage that water is the soul of the rural economy has found a vivid illustration in the life of Shri Dular Singh of Baheradih village, Jata Gram Panchayat of Janjgir Champa district. By constructing a simple farm pond (Dabri) through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, Shri Singh has engineered a dramatic surge in his farming and animal husbandry income, demonstrating the power of grassroots water security.
Prior to the pond’s construction, Shri Dular Singh constantly faced water scarcity, limiting his cultivation and preventing him from diversifying into profitable ventures like duck and fish farming. Realizing that structured water management was key to empowering his rural livelihood, his application for a Dabri on his private land was approved under the MGNREGA programme in Jata village.
The construction, which received an administrative sanction of ₹2.14 lakh, was successfully completed in June 2024. The project was a significant socio-economic boost, generating 380 man-days of work and disbursing ₹92,577 in wages to 37 labour families. This simultaneously created employment while enhancing water conservation and agricultural output.
With the pond now retaining rainwater, Shri Dular Singh has secured year-round irrigation for his fields, enabling seamless paddy cultivation. Furthermore, the Dabri has become a new source of income diversification.
“The MGNREGA pond has fully irrigated my farm,” Shri Dular Singh shares. “I can now grow vegetables on the embankments alongside my paddy.”
He has initiated fish farming, stocking the pond with two kilograms of Rohu and Pangas fingerlings. He expected that selling the fish in the market the following month, once they reached a weight of one kilogram, would provide a crucial revenue stream. Additionally, he has utilized the pond’s perimeter to cultivate turmeric and sesame for household consumption, ensuring better nutritional security.
The significant increase in income derived from fisheries and animal husbandry has provided tangible stability to his family. The local Gram Panchayat Sarpanch and Employment Assistant noted that this success has inspired other farmers in the area to come forward and seek similar water conservation structures on their land.
Shri Dular Singh’s Dabri is not just a permanent source of livelihood for his family; it stands as an outstanding example of MGNREGA’s core objective: generating employment while creating durable, climate-resilient community assets.
