Abstract

Water is one of natural resource, which is put to variety of used. India being an agrarian country depends a great deal on water for production of food and economic development of the rural area. So rain water harvesting through Check Dams is a very important component of the integrated watershed management programmes. Rain water harvesting is the management of rain runoff involving harvesting of excess rain falling on land surface by creating a storage facility by Check Dams. Community based rain water harvesting of the yore has proved much beneficial today. The watershed development projects have to succeed and sustain, land and water conservation should emerge from felt need of the land holders and village community. Run off harvesting by Check Dams is the key to the development in the study area because the topography of the area is undulating and the annual rainfall usually varies from 1000 mm. to 1500 mm., about 82% of which occurs during rainy season. There is a serious problem of sheet and gully erosion in the plateau area of Jharkhand in which the study area is located. The major Dams constructed by the D.V.C. in the plateau area are seriously affected by siltation due to this problem. There is acute water shortage in the non monsoon month due to lack of technological intervention of water management technique.