Umakant Umrao: Preserving water in villages

The civil service by training equips an officer to become a specialist in his or her area of posting. Like Umakant Umrao, a Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer, who has taken the science of water conservation to a new level and in a short span of time he has also succeeded in his efforts.

For instance, Dewas, a perennially water-deficient district has evolved methods to beat drought for the first time, all thanks to his efforts. After serving as district collector all over the state, Umrao is currently coordinator of the Rajiv Gandhi Watershed Mission apart from being additional secretary, panchayat and rural development which also presides over the state’s mid-day meal scheme programme. He talks to Governance Watch in an interview about his efforts to help villagers in preserving water. 

When did you decide to work in the field of water conservation?
My first encounter with water scarcity came after I was posted in the state’s Sagar district in 1997. I saw everyone in the area worried about the water situation. Even though I was inclined towards working in the health services, water scarcity was something that gripped my attention. When I was posted from Satna to Devas, I was counseled to get my transfer cancelled because water supply came there on trains! In Devas I finally realised what it meant. Not only was there no drinking water, the crop irrigation system was non-existent. Even farmers who owned 100 acres of land were groaning under the weight of rural indebtedness. This is when I decided to plunge headlong into water conservation.

How did the idea of turning fields into ponds strike you?
I started touring villages. Initially I ran into opposition from some farmers and even by administration which seemed opposed to the idea. But soon I came across a group of farmers who seemed amendable to the suggestion. With the help of 10 farmers, who I set as role models and who agreed to convert ten per cent of their total farms into ponds with government assistance, we started off. When water became sufficiently abundant, it became an example for the others and many followed suit. We even honoured those farmers who agreed to this plan.

How did you take it ahead and is it still working for the locals?
It led to large scale construction of lakes and ponds in Dewas and we codenamed it ‘Operation Bhagirath’. The campaign continues even today and in Devas alone, there are more than 6000 such ponds and lakes. It helped in improving the district’s eco-system and the flight of population also stopped to a large degree. It has drawn visitors from the US, Australia and other countries who have adopted it as a role model.

Is this why the MP government posted you at the watershed mission?
I do not know but I am working with commitment to this cause which is close to my heart. And I can tell you that wherever I am posted, water conservation is going to be of special interest to me.