COVER STORY/MGNREGA

and farm ponds apart from vermicomposting and cattle shed.

In 2010-11 the demand for works under the programme showed consistent dip. One of the reasons was that people were losing incentive for joining the programme. So, the government allowed several works with private benefits under the programme. It has not only led to an increase in job demand but also a boom in asset creation for individuals. Since 201516 till 2019-20, some 1.83 million farm ponds have been created. These water harvesting structures benefit individual farmers. Given that a typical farm pond holds 1,200 cu m of water, farmers have already created storage of 2,201 million cu m.

A 2016 study by the International Crops Research Institute for the SemiArid Tropics (ICRISAT) shows that there was a huge increase in groundwater recharge due to the MGNREGA work done in the three water-scarce states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The net irrigated area also increased between 5 and 95 ha. The water harvesting structures have increased the yield of the bore wells and reduced soil erosion. Economic gains are also well observed in certain districts. For example, after creating rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge under MGNREGA, farmers in Abhaypur panchayat of Rajasthan have now shifted to growing wheat in place of mustard as practised in earlier days. This has doubled the net income of farmers to 50,000 per ha.

In one way, MGNREGA is an asset transferring programme. This makes it attractive to local communities, and also adds to the income-generating activities. Several officials in-charge of MGNREGA are demanding to include more works related to natural resource management in

MGNREGA. “Agriculture is the dominant occupation in eastern Uttar Pradesh. There are many jobs related to farming here. All such works should be included in

MGNREGA. This will not only improve the