Welcome To Vanarai

Vanarai

Activities

Vanarai Bunds

To conserve water, Vanarai invented erection of Vanarai bunds by using empty cement or fertilizer bags to be filled with soil or sand in the nallaha or revolute. This has proved to be the most cost effective simple technology. More than 3,00,000 Vanarai Bunds of this type have been erected so far and every year people erect thousands of such bunds immediately after the rainy season when velocity or run-off of water is too low. Vanarai Bunds have reached all parts of the country. Because of erection of Vanarai Bunds, water is conserved, lands on both side of the same become productive and employment opportunities are generated along with wealth. Vanarai Bund is perhaps the most precious gift of Vanarai to the country.

A series of 5 Vanarai Bunds can store a lot of water which is enough for villagers for drinking purposes, for animals and even for protective irrigation. Because of percolation of water from the bunds, water level in wells in adjoining areas increases substantially.

Important aspects :

	Simple technology
	No specialist engineer required to design or construct
	Farmers themselves can erect
	Cost effective
	Locally available raw material is to be used
	Storage of water starts immediately
	Visual effect
	Most of the works done through voluntary labour
	No maintenance
	Acquisition of land not required
	Sense of ownership

Selection of site :

	Location where the width of rivulet / stream is maximum and depth is minimum. Speed of flow of water is very slow in
	such locations.
	The water should be flowing. It should not be stagnant
	Both the banks of rivulet / stream should be strong
	Deposit of sand or soil should not be there at the site. This will cause the stored water to flow from under the bund
	Slope should be minimum. The bed should be flat as far as possible.
	There should not be any possibility of submergence of any road, bridge, house or farm

Required material :

	Empty cement bags or fertiliser bags
	Locally available sand soil etc.
	Plastic thread for stitching the bags
	Needle

Erection procedure :

	Collect required no. of empty bags
	Stitch
	Arrange
	Arrange a layer of soil in the center

Village Zari :

Zari is a backward village in Marathwada where the productivity of lands was very low. The Ground Water Table had gone down considerably. However, Vanarai was able to increase water availability through Cement Bunds, Earthen Bunds and continuous contour trenches on 54 hectares. Due to the newfound availability of water, the per hectare yield of the crops increased considerably. With all necessary facilities like education, health care etc. nearly 20 families returned to the small village.