Three Prakasam villages that beat water scarcity win national awards for rainwater harvesting

Murugummi, Marella, and Thangella, three villages in Prakasam district that once faced acute water scarcity, have won national recognition after building nearly 195 water conservation structures with a combined storage capacity of about 24 lakh cubic metres under the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari campaign of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

"The initiative has significantly improved groundwater availability, strengthened livelihoods, and reduced distress migration in the region. Earlier, these villages faced acute water scarcity due to erratic rainfall, declining groundwater levels, and frequent borewell failures, adversely affecting agriculture and livelihoods. The situation began to change with active community mobilisation through Gram Sabhas, door-to-door awareness campaigns, Kalajathas, workshops, and field demonstrations," the ministry said in a statement.