Shahin Bepari Lambe
Panaji: The ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CCARI) has implemented rainwater harvesting and water management measures that collectively conserve nearly 3 crore litres of water annually on its campus.
“Goa receives an average annual rainfall of nearly 3,000 mm, but much of the water is not effectively utilised because of the state’s gravelly, lateritic soils, which have poor water-holding capacity, and its largely undulating terrain,” said Dr Sujeet Desai, senior scientist, ICAR-CCARI.
He said soil moisture is quickly lost after the monsoon, making dry-season cultivation difficult.
ICAR-CCARI launched a water conservation initiative in 2024, introducing rainwater harvesting and sustainable water management measures across its campus.
The institute established seven lined rainwater harvesting ponds in upland areas, with a combined storage capacity of about 1 crore litres. The harvested water is used for protective sprinkler irrigation of horticultural plantations, including cashew, coconut, fodder crops, agroforestry plantations, and vegetables, during the post-monsoon season.
In lowland areas, it developed and renovated eight unlined ponds covering around 10,000 sqm. The ponds have a total post-monsoon storage capacity of about 1.3 crore litres. They support freshwater aquaculture and provide protective irrigation for arecanut, coconut, papaya, and banana cultivated along the pond bunds.
Desai said the institute had also established four rooftop rainwater-harvesting systems comprising five groundwater-recharge pits and two storage tanks, with an annual harvesting potential of nearly 30 lakh litres. The harvested water is used to recharge nearby groundwater wells, which supply water for vegetable cultivation, lawns, and landscape maintenance during the post-monsoon season.
Desai said the ponds and rooftop systems collectively conserve nearly 3 crore litres of water annually on the campus and reduce dependence on external water sources.
ICAR-CCARI received the First Prize in the 6th National Water Award-2024 under the Best Institution (Inside Campus) category on November 18, 2025, from the President of India for campus water conservation and management.
