The ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad organized one day workshop on “Rainwater Harvesting and it’s Efficient Use (Catch the Rain) on 07/05/2024 under mission LiFE (lifestyle for Environment). The workshop aimed to raise the awareness about Rainwater Harvesting and it’s Efficient Use.

Several participants representing different organization were participated and deliberated in the workshop. The organization/institute represented through included ICAR-IIRR, Hyderabad; ICAR-WTC, IARI, New Delhi; ICAR-IIOR, Hyderabad; ICAR-IIWM, Bhubaneshwar; ICAR-ATARI, Hyderabad; KVK, Jalna, Maharastra; VNMKVV, Parbhani, Maharastra; ICAR-IISWC, RC Bellary, Karnataka; SLNA, Government of Telangana; ICRISAT, Hyderabad; NRSC, Hyderabad and WASSAN, Hyderabad.

The workshop was attended by about 230 participants through online and 150 participants physically . Director, ICAR-CRIDA, Dr. V K Singh welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of rainwater harvesting and its utilization to achieve the objectives of mission LiFE initiated by government of India. Dr Meenakshi sundram, Director, ICAR-IIRR in his opening remarks highlighted different technologies developed for water management in paddy cultivation.

The workshop deliberations involved presentations/lectures by various experts followed by panel discussion. Deliberate discussions were carried out and experiences shared on rainwater harvesting and its efficient utilization specifically in the state of Odisha, Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and its possible expansion in other part of the country. The success stories of Kadwanchi watershed in Jalna, ICAR-CRIDA experience on farm pond technology and Rubber dam of ICAR-IIWM were widely discussed in terms of crop production, economics and water productivity.

In penal discussion, various topics related to rainwater harvesting and utilization were discussed such as (a) research program across country to effectively manage natural resources and its strategies for upscaling through strategic convergence to minimize the climate change impact across various agro-ecological region; (b) effective agro-advisory to the farmers on water requirement in climate change scenario; (c) application of geo informatics including satellite data and real time moisture data in ameliorating dryspells at critical stages of crop season across country; (d) Innovative institutional mechanism for promoting rainwater management technologies under IWMP and PMKSY program.