Dry Zone areas have been experiencing water scarcity as most of rainfalls runoff and cannot seep into the ground due to poor vegetation cover and high temperature which accelerates evaporation. Therefore, water resources development activities have been implemented by DZGD as one of its core tasks to improve soil and water conservation in the area. The following activities are carried out annually for local communities under water resources development task.
(a) Construction of small ponds
(b) Construction of loose stone small check dams
(c) Digging underground water (tube wells)
(d) Construction of rainwater collection tanks having the capacity of 5000 gallons (18927.06 liters)
(e) Construction of one-sided dams
(f) Construction of silted up ponds
(g) Digging small ponds in the forest plantations
(h) Construction of concrete rainwater tanks having the capacity of 100 gallons
Water resources development
(1) Construction of small ponds
Based on the degree of water scarcity, small ponds are being constructed at the selected villages in the areas to provide safe drinking water for the people and animals and to support greening activities. The size of ponds constructed between 1997-1998 to 2009-2010 fiscal year were (100’×100’×4′) and those between 2010-2011 to 2015-2016 were (65’×50’×4′) in size. Since 2016-2017 fiscal year, the size of the pond has been increased into (100’×50’×6′). From 1997-1998 to 2019-2020 fiscal year, a total of 1831 ponds have been constructed in the three regions by DZGD.
(2) Construction of loose stone small check dams
Small check dams are being constructed in the watershed areas of the important dams, lakes or ponds to reduce sedimentation occurred by water erosion, and to prevent soil erosion and landslides. A total of 3015 loose stone small check dams have already been constructed across three regions by Dry Zone Greening Department from 1997-1998 to 2019-2020 fiscal year.
(3) Digging underground water (tube wells)
Digging tube wells are also being implemented in the selected villages where it is difficult to collect surface water and the areas where the situation favors to harvest water by digging tube wells. A total of 129 wells have already been drilled across three regions by Dry Zone Greening Department from 1997-1998 to 2019-2020 fiscal year.
(4) Construction of rainwater collection tanks having the capacity of 5000 gallons (18927.059 liters)
With a view to provide the fresh water need of the dry zone residents and to dissiminate rainwater collection practices in the regions, rainwater collection tanks having the capacity of 5000 gallons (18927.059 liters) have been constructed across three regions by DZGD starting from 2012-2013 fiscal year. Up to 2019-2020 fiscal year, total of 55 rainwater collection tanks having the capacity of 5000 gallons (18927.059 liters) could have already been constructed by the department.
(5) Construction of one-sided closed dams
One-sided closed dams were constructed with the prupose of providing domestic and drinking water requirenments for agricultural uses, supporting the greening of the region and retaining water sources for hand pumps, manual wells and small ponds located at the lower parts of the dams. A total of 13 one-sided closed dams could have been constructed across three regions by DZGD starting from 2013-2014 to 2019-2020 fiscal year.
(6) Construction of silted up ponds
Silted ponds are constructed by the department in the dry zone regions where fresh water sources are scarce and water quality is very poor. This activity has been being carried out since 2014-2015 fiscal year and a total of 33 silted up ponds have been constructed across three regions up to 2019-2020 fiscal year.
(7)Digging small ponds inside the forest plantations
Small ponds were digged in order to provide water for the staffs living at the forest plantation camps, to get water for watering the planted seedlings at drought period and to conserve soil and water in the area. A total of 7 such small ponds were constructed across three regions from 2015-2016 to 2019-2020 fiscal year.
(8)Construction of concrete rainwater tanks having the capacity of 100 gallons (378.541 Liters)
Concrete rainwater tanks having the capacity of 100 gallons (378.541 liters) have been being constructed and distributed to selected villages free of charge to households starting from 2018-2019 fiscal year intending to provide fresh and clean drinking water for the dry zone rural communities (households) and to disseminate effective and efficient rainwater collecting technique in the regions. A total of 1900 concrete rainwater tanks having the capacity of 100 gallons (378.541 liters) have been constructed and distributed across three regions up to 2019-2020 fiscal year.
