Checkdams
Greening the hills of the Bundelkhand

Aross the semi-arid expanse of the Bundelkhand region in India, a strange phenomenon is occurring. In small, localized areas along the nallahs and streams, pockets of lush green vegetation can be found even during the dry months following the monsoon. That trees and crops can grow where previously only scrub and brush were found attests to the success of the checkdams built on these watercourses in retaining the monsoon rains and replenishing the groundwater table.

Development Alternatives (DA) has been building checkdams in the region since 1989, when we first received funding from the Government of Madhya Pradesh (MP) under their employment generation scheme. Since then, DA has constructed almost one hundred structures across the Bundelkhand, thereby providing hundreds of villages and farmers with access to precious water resources. For us, building checkdams fulfills our mission to promote sustainable livelihoods in rural India: more water means better crops and more time for other activities, which then translates to greater revenues for farmers and improved livelihoods for all.

We are proud of our checkdams and we encourage you to travel through this section to learn more about them.

Checkdam 101
Learn more about checkdam design and location selection, and why these structures are successful at providing water and improving livelihoods.

Virtual Tour
Witness the dramatic effect these structures have had on the region and the lives of the local communities as you join us on a virtual tour of three of our most successful checkdams.

Bundelkhand Region: A primer
The Bundelkhand is a distinct region in Central India with a unique set of geographic and hydrologic conditions. Come see what makes the Bundelkhand so special.

Checkdam Checklist
Follow this link for a listing of all of our checkdams projects in the Bundelkhand. The location, construction year and cost of each project have been included where possible.