< STOP PRESS > THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE NEWS Tired of the TV crew and battery of reporters in their periodic search for the plight of the poor, we decided to change the script We took charge All we needed to do was to dig the earth to store the monsoon rain, in as many ways as possible To make the water that runs, walk and then stay in our fields We did this in all the villages of our state through the Pani Roko Abhiyan And here are the results Of just five months of our work—from February to June 11,690 new tanks 16,213 old tanks renovated 14,385 new dug wells 79,671 dug wells renovated 1,14,035 dug wells and 50,968 tubewells recharged 75,418 handpumps recharged 32,403 farm ponds constructed 25,017 dug-out pits made on farmlands 1,70,777 soak pits made 9744 rooftop rainwater harvesting structures 1,05,983 miscellaneous structures A total of 7,06,304 water harvesting structures More 6940 kms of field bunds 7132 kms of contour trenches Total earth excavated 1289.04 lakh cubic meters Additional water impounding capacity created 9487.62 lakh cubic meters Of the Rs. 415 crores spent on this Pani Roko Abhiyan Rs. 99.35 crores came from people We thank our partner, the Government of Madhya Pradesh M A ID H ¥ A PfHAIDESM where people make the news