IARI builds pond in Pusa campus to meet water need of research farm land

A rain water harvesting pond spread over 2.5 acres has been built in the city-based Pusa-IARI campus -- the cradle of green revolution in the country -- that has a capacity to meet 60 per cent of total water requirement of the research farm land.

Currently, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has about 1,200 acres of farm land for research purpose alone. IARI has dug a pond under the 'Amrit Sarovar' scheme under which 75 ponds are to be constructed in every district of the country.

"In Pusa campus, we have our own area of 1,200 acres. Earlier, the rain water was flowing into the Najafgarh drain. Now, we have created a Pusa Amrit Sarovar in an area of 2.5 acres," IARI Director A K Singh said.

The pond has a water holding capacity of 50,000 cubic metres and can meet the water requirement of 300 acres farm land with three irrigation, he said, adding that it will be a big help for the research programme.

The pond will harvest clean rain water and also since it is coming from the IARI's own farm fields it would have a lot of nutrition unused by crops. That water can again be utilised for the irrigation purpose, he said.

"It will meet 60 per cent of our water requirement. It is also going to help arrest depletion of water table and reduce the use of borewell which IARI was using earlier," he added.