Gaya, Jan. 4: Farmers of Kharanti village are reaping the benefits of a watershed project that has transformed acres of barren land into fertile stretches suitable for wheat cultivation. As a result, they are not migrating anymore in search of better livelihood.

As part of the project, sponsored by Nabard and implemented by Association for Sarva Seva Farms, a check dam has been constructed at Kharanti, about 51km from the district headquarters. Now, the rainwater that used to be wasted after flowing down the slopes of Bathania Hills is accumulated near the Gamharia Nala check dam. It can be used to irrigate the land for cultivation.

This project has also checked the mass migration from the villages.

Somar Yadav, a resident of Kharanti, told The Telegraph: “Wheat has been cultivated for the first time along the Gamharia Nala check dam. Earlier, there was no source of irrigation. Therefore, the plots remained barren. Wheat has been cultivated on at least 65 acre following the construction of the check dam. Earlier, rainwater used to be wasted after flowing down the slopes of Bathania Hills. It is now accumulated near the Gamharia Nala check dam.”

He added: “Earlier, about 60 people would migrate from the village every month because they could find no livelihood here. Now the number has come down by half.”

Association for Sarva Seva Farms Bihar-Jharkhand regional director Tarun Kumar Saha said: “Many people have farm lands in Kharanti that were almost barren because of soil erosion and lack of irrigation facility. As a result, the farmers hardly had any means of livelihood. This led to large-scale migration of villagers to other states. In view of the situation, the association formulated and submitted a watershed project. Nabard sanctioned it. Now, the percentage of migration from the villages under Kharanti panchayat is very low. Farmers have started growing kharif and rabi crops.”

He added that the 1096.28-hectare project has benefited over 413 families in Kharanti and Gamharia villages. The project is not complete, though.

Nabard chief general manager V. Mohan Doss, who conducted an inspection of the project in Kharanti panchayat on Monday, said the deadline for completion of the project is March 2012.

“Ninety per cent of the work has been completed in Kharanti. At other places, the project is near completion. The estimated cost of a project varies between Rs 28 lakh and Rs 90 lakh. Even the residents of about 21 panchayats, including 16 in Gaya and five in Aurangabad district, have also benefited from the watershed project,” Doss said.