Six months ago, the pond in Musangu village was choked with weeds and silt, barely able to meet the community’s needs. Today, it is a thriving water source, sustaining crops, livestock, and daily life. This transformation showcases the power of community action.

Located in Angara Block, Jharkhand, Musangu village is home to approximately 100 people who rely on a local pond for drinking water, irrigation, and household needs. Over time, the pond became polluted and overgrown with invasive weeds, reducing its capacity and jeopardizing the water quality. This degradation posed a serious threat to agricultural activities and the well-being of residents and livestock.

The pond was more than just a water source—it was a lifeline. It supported the cultivation of vital crops such as potatoes, brinjal, radish, mustard, and paddy across five acres of farmland. Additionally, it provided water for livestock and daily domestic use. Without intervention, the deteriorating pond endangered the village’s livelihood and long-term water access.

Recognizing the urgent need for action, Caritas India’s Gram Nirman program launched a pond-cleaning campaign as part of the World Water Day (22nd March 2025) observance. This initiative aimed to restore the pond’s health, increase its capacity, and encourage sustainable water management practices.

The Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach guided the campaign, which focuses on harnessing community strengths and resources to drive change. Caritas India engaged local stakeholders, including community-based organizations (CBOs), farmers’ groups, and women’s collectives, to identify the pond’s critical role and the necessity of collective action.

Community members recognized their shared responsibility to preserve the pond through participatory discussions. More than 50 villagers—including farmers, youth, women, and elders—volunteered to clean the pond, reinforcing collective ownership and long-term sustainability.

On March 20, 2025, just days before World Water Day, the community gathered to clean the pond. Using locally available tools, volunteers removed debris, silt, and invasive aquatic plants like water hyacinths. The cleaning process was well-coordinated: men entered the pond to collect waste and uproot invasive plants, women transported debris to designated areas, and elders supervised the cleaning efforts.

Beyond physical restoration, the campaign emphasized education. Awareness sessions highlighted the importance of preserving water resources and the community’s role in sustaining these vital assets. On World Water Day, the village celebrated their collective achievement—gifting themselves and future generations the invaluable resource of clean water. This act symbolized their commitment to maintaining the pond as a shared treasure and ensuring long-term water availability.

The impact of the campaign was immediate and far-reaching. The revitalized pond now holds a significantly larger volume of water, providing a more reliable supply during dry seasons. With cleaner water, health risks associated with contamination have decreased, making the pond safer for domestic use, livestock, and agricultural irrigation.

Local farmers quickly observed improved crop yields due to increased irrigation capacity, enhancing food security and strengthening economic resilience. The successful restoration fostered a sense of pride and collective ownership, motivating the community to continue maintenance and monitoring.

The initiative also had profound social impacts. By applying the ABCD approach, Caritas India empowered the community to identify and utilize their own resources. Women and youth played central roles in organizing and executing the clean-up, fostering intergenerational collaboration, and reinforcing social cohesion.

To ensure the pond’s long-term sustainability, the community adopted a maintenance plan involving periodic cleaning and water quality monitoring. This proactive strategy helps prevent future degradation and secures the pond as a sustainable resource for future generations.

The Musangu pond cleaning campaign stands as a powerful example of community-led water conservation. It demonstrates how grassroots efforts, supported by the ABCD approach, can transform local resources and foster sustainable development. Through collective action, the people of Musangu not only restored their pond but also laid the foundation for future water security.

This initiative offers a replicable model for other villages in Jharkhand and beyond. It highlights the transformative potential of community-driven action and underscores the importance of empowering local communities to lead their own development. Caritas India’s Gram Nirman program remains committed to supporting similar initiatives, ensuring that communities across India have the tools and knowledge to preserve their most precious resource, i.e., water.