Dindori
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Water conservation
As of 2026
Siddharth Pandey TNN, May 21, 2026: The Times of India
From: Siddharth Pandey TNN, May 21, 2026: The Times of India
Jabalpur : Fragile saplings, supported by bamboo stakes and drip-fed through inverted plastic bottles, dot barren fields across Singpur village’s sun-baked terrain in tribal-majority Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh. Nearby, a newly excavated retention pond with stone-pitched banks stands ready to capture and store seasonal runoff.
About 470km east of Bhopal, the district has surged to second place nationally and first in MP under Jal Sanchay Bhagidari — a grassroots water conservation campaign — helping transform one of the state’s poorest and driest regions into a model of community-led revival.
At the centre of Singpur, new water infrastructure blends into everyday rural life. A brightly painted concrete trough serves as a watering point for cattle and buffalo, while a woman draws water from a nearby hand pump under an ageing banyan tree as a young herdsman watches over livestock. The scene is stark but purposeful — a countryside trying to reclaim its land and water.
“There’s water scarcity in our village, so we have built soak pits to divert rainwater from rooftops as well as wastewater from bathrooms. This will help improve groundwater recharge and reduce water shortage,” said villager Khemkaran Vishwakarma.
Resource-starved and vulnerable to erratic monsoons, Dindori tapped into tribal traditions rooted in coexistence with forests, streams and soil moisture. What began as a govt initiative soon grew into a people’s movement powered by community participation.
District administration data shows nearly 2.98 lakh water conservation structures were built under the campaign — including more than 41,000 recharge pits, close to 10,000 farm ponds and over 6,000 check dams — along with rooftop rainwater harvesting systems, dugwell recharge units and gully plugs across villages. The aim was simple: trap every possible drop before it disappeared into cracked earth. “Earlier, my household wastewater used to spill outside, creating filth and unhygienic conditions. Now, with support from govt, a soak pit has been constructed. I channel all kitchen and household wastewater into it. This has helped in two ways — there is no stagnant dirty water outside the house anymore, and groundwater recharge has improved,” said villager Gomti Bai.
Awareness drives spread through jal chaupals, kalash rallies and street plays. Slogans appeared across walls and village squares: “Jal hai to kal hai, jal bachayenge, bhavishya bachayenge (If there is water, there is a tomorrow. Save water, secure future)” and “Har boond keemti hai, Dindori ki jal kranti hai (Every drop is precious, this is Dindori's water revolution)”.
Collector Anju Pawan Bhadauria said Dindori’s soil has poor water retention capacity, forcing many farmers to depend on a single crop annually. But the campaign has started showing results. Under the
“Ek Bagiya Maa Ke Naam” initiative, around 3,500 fruit-bearing saplings were planted. As heatwaves intensify across central India and reservoirs continue to shrink, Dindori offers a different picture —communities learning that in a warming world, every saved drop matters.
