Located barely 35 km from Jaipur, Nimbi, once a water scarce village now has a perennial water source in the form of a reservoir that people resorted in 1995. The village has not only remained unaffected from draught, it has produced enough for its people as well as people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who come here for work. An initial investment of Rs. 5.00 lac yields over Rs. 45.00 lac annually even in terms of pure economics.
 

Way to Success

 
According to some villagers, Nathuram, a former ruler built a checkdam for the village about 200 years ago. This checkdam helped to collect and retain rainwater flowing from the surrounding hills and enabled in cultivation of crops such as sugarcane. By the early 20^th Century the dam developed cracks and broke down, sand dunes crept in and the reservoir dried up. Water level in wells sank and many of them dried up.

In 1995, by launching community based movement towards floral, faunal and water conservation by the NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), a dam was built by the villagers by the mud that they had dug up. The village community bore 25 percent of the cost of rebuilding the dam either in the form of cash or labour (shram daan). The subsequent monsoons left enough water in the village for its further use. 
 

Its Returns 

• Replenishment of ground water
• Increased crop production.
• Marginal reduction in human and cattle migration.
• Increased livestock production.
• Reduction in catchment degradation.
• Increment in non-farm employment.
• Improvement in standard of living
• Increased literacy rate.