Rainwater helps Jafrabad farmer sow dreams

Rajkot: God helps those who helps themselves, says an axiom, instilling the belief that good deeds beget higher rewards. And nobody else but this farmer in Vadali village in Jafrabad taluka, Pravin Sankhat, can showcase the strength in these words better. By dint of his own strength of belief and honesty in action, Sankhat has literally reaped gold in the arid expanse of his farm land. Here’s how.
Vadali village in of Amreli distric is located just 4kms away from the seashore. Thus, the land here is saline which includes Sankhat’s farm too. It has stretches of saline land which leaves it uncultivated and barren.
However, the enterprising farmer turned this impossibility into fertile reality on one bigha of land. “I have sunk a 30 feet deep pond in my farm, where I store rain water. The water thus collected will help irrigate my plans to cultivate groundnut and cotton,” said Sankhat.
Jafrabad is known for crops like groundnut, cotton, pearl millet and sesame.
But the depth of his sweet-water pond will fall short when measured against the man’s high thinking and honesty of purpose.
“I have come to know about the state government scheme ‘khet talavadi’ which helps farmers sink such ponds in their farms. However, I did not opt for such a scheme. I sank my own pond at my own cost as I can afford it. I would prefer that the government instead give the benefit of the khet talavadi scheme to some other needy farmer,” said the man who has set a textbook example of individual endeavour and integrity. This year, Sankhet was rewarded again with good rainfall in Amreli district, which has replenished his pond.
“The good rainfall has left my pond brimming and has also recharged the well in my farm,” he added.
Cousin Govind, whose farm abuts Sankhat’s farm, too benefited from the pond. He said: “Due to the pond in Pravin’s farm, the level of ground water in my farm too increased with a fresh influx of rainwater seeping from his pond.”
Anil Parmar, another farmer whose farm adjoins Sankhat’s, said: “Hearing Pravin’s success story, I paid a visit to his farm and now I, too, want to sink a pond in my farm. However, I am not as financially sound like him and so, I would prefer to take help of the state government’s khet talavadi scheme.”