The Government of Japan inaugurated the check dam in Rawli Village, Mewat District, Haryana State, constructed under Japan’s development cooperation scheme, the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects, GGP.

Mr. Tamaki Tsukada, Economic Minister, Embassy of Japan, attended the inauguration ceremony at the project site on May 27th, 2014. The check dam was handed over to the local community with presence of Mr. R. C. Verma, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Mewat, as the chief guest, Ms. Jane Schukoske, CEO, S. M. Sehgal Foundation, and nearly 200 villagers from the neighboring areas.

Rawli, situated in the state border with Rajasthan, is a village with a population of 3,000, and most of the villagers are farmers.

Without a river, nor a pond, the only source of water is groundwater in Rawli and other neighboring villages. The level of groundwater, however, has been rapidly declined in recent years, as the demand for water has increased due to the growth of population and farming land in the area. As a result, the people of Rawli and other neighboring villages, has been suffering from a serious shortage of drinking and agricultural water.

In order to secure water for the villagers of this areas, the Government of Japan has extended a grant support, total US$ 90,826, to the S. M. Sehgal Foundation, a local non-profit organization. This funding was used for the construction of check dam, water catchment area treatment, project monitoring and evaluation, and community mobilizing and empowerment activities.

Check dam is a barrage built at the foot of hills, to catch and restore the rainwater flowing down from dry and treeless hill slopes. It helps efficient recharge of the rainwater into the ground, and raises the level of groundwater in the surrounding areas.

This project will benefit approximately 3,000 people in the Rawli, as well as 15,000 people in 6 neighboring villages in Haryana and Rajasthan States, through securing water for drinking and agricultural use by lifting up the level of groundwater.

The Government of Japan hopes that this grant assistance will improve the lives of people, and further strengthen the friendship between India and Japan.

Check Dam Constructed under GGP
(Left) The core wall of check dam, the embankment at the middle, catches the rainwater flowing down from surrounding hills and restores it in the right side.		(Right) The spill-over of check dam, which releases excess water from the dam in case of heavy rainfall.
Inauguration Ceremony held with presence of nearly 200 local villagers
Mr. Tsukada, Minister hands over the check-dam bank account book to the villagers.		Inauguration of Check Dam (From left, Mr. Verma, Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Tsukada, Minister, and Ms. Schukoske, CEO, S. M. Sehgal Foundation)