True guidance is like a small torch in a dark forest—it doesn’t illuminate everything at once, but gives you enough light to safely take the next step forward.
All of us have undoubtedly had several guiding forces, who with their experience and rare insight, have helped us secure our sails and safely navigate through adverse and testing times.
Biplab Ketan Paul is one such name, and farmers across the country are indebted towards him, as his unique water harvesting technology has not only helped them raise crops through phases of water scarcity but also prevent crop destruction that occurs due to waterlogging after unseasonal rainfall.
Bhungroo, which means “straw” in Gujarati, is one of the technologies delivered by Naireeta Services—a social enterprise working for the eradication of poverty in India, which was conceptualised and transformed into practical application for farmers by Biplab
With this concept in mind, he went on to establish Bhungroo—a water harvesting technique that uses an injection module to store excess rainwater underground. Farmers can then use the same water for irrigation during summer and winter.
The system consists of a pipe erected in such a way that excess water passes through it, gets filtered and accumulates in an underground well. Later, farmers use a motor to pump the water up and use it for irrigation. In this way, farmers get a chance to earn double of what they would normally make. The technology also helps avoid evaporation loss and wastage of water during the monsoon season
The underground reservoir can hold 40 million litres of water and can supply for as long as seven months. Additionally, the non-saline rainwater, when mixed with the underground saline water, brings down the salinity of the groundwater and makes it fit for agriculture.
Bhungroo comes in 17 designs for different agro-climatic zones in India, and the design varies for each field, and its cost has been subsidised under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). Farmers from underprivileged backgrounds, or those affected by drought, do not have to pay a single rupee for the installation, while others need to pay a subsidised fee of about ₹5,000.
The entire process of setting up Bhungroo is led by women, who are trained by Naireeta Services, or the partner organisations. Founded by Trupti Jain, Naireeta Services works with underprivileged women in both rural and urban India.
“Our aim at Naireeta Services is Antyodaya—a word used by Mahatma Gandhi that means serving the last person in the queue in the best possible way. In rural India, the last person is the smallest landholder who does not have any water service for his/her crop,” says Biplab.