After getting no help from the government to rebuild a dam constructed before Independence in Uttar Pradesh(UP), farmers from over 25 villages have come together to complete the task themselves.
The farmers from the villages near Baheri town of UP have collected Rs 70,000 in contributions. The construction of a 98-foot-long and 20-feet-wide ‘kutcha’ dam with mud and sand bags began on Monday.
As per schedule, it was to become operational by Friday, reports The Times of India.
According to the chief development officer (CDO) SS Awasthi, when the dam was damaged in 1990, the farmers had to face irrigation-related issues and the lack of water resulted in a deterioration in the quality of crops.
For the next two decades the woes of the farmers continued till a former MLA and chief of an NGO Kisan Kalyan Samiti encouraged the villagers to do it on their own without waiting for the government to act. And so the villagers did just that this year and now reportedly have a functional dam.