Bhungroo, Stores 70% of Rainwater & Prevents Crop Loss

Firmenich, a Geneva-based perfumery, along with its joint venture partner Jasmine Concrete provides funds for setting up a water-harvesting system called Bhungroo near Coimbatore. 

Bhungroo helps in harvesting 70% of the rainwater. It has been of great help to M.S. Shanmugasundaram who grows curry leaves, vegetables, jasmine and bananas on his eight-acre farm near Coimbatore. He has also faced days when all the water sources on his land had gone almost dry when the northeast monsoon failed. 

Normally, there is rainfall for three months a year in his area making him dependent on open wells, borewells and the rainfall for water.  

Firmenich sources flowers, gum and essential oils from a number of farmers in the country through its suppliers. It has joint ventures with some suppliers. It decided to set up the model, with technical inputs from Sustainable Green Initiatives Forum, on a trial basis on two farms. 

Its cost was a minimum of ₹3.5 lakh per unit. Both the farms were near Coimbatore as most of the farmers who supply to Jasmine Concrete are located in this region. 

It’s Work 

According to John Suresh Kumar, responsible sourcing lead of Firmenich in South Asia, said, “The model is to store rainwater underground, which can be recovered by pumping, and recharging the ground water system.” The company did a preliminary survey in and around Mr. Shanmugasundaram’s lands to identify an area with a gradient to harvest rain water. 

Mr. Shanmugasundaram said, “When there were heavy rains thrice, the water from the farm flowed to the filter chamber through the channel and was harvested. I have used five lakh litre of water so far. There is improvement in the water level in the borewell nearby too.” 

Benefits  

• The farmers can recover 70% of the rain-water harvested in this system. 

• Its main benefit is farmers can use the water collected in times of need.

• It helps the farmers to avoid crop loss. 

• If a group of farmers, who have adjacent lands, come together and implement it, they will have collective benefits.

• The cost of water harvesting is also low.

 Source- the hindu