For afforestation programmes to be successful, surface water must be conserved. This can best be accomplished by increasing the water capacity of existing storage systems and building new systems. The cheapest and easiest method of creating new water storage systems is to construct small-scale ponds and lakes.
Where should artificial ponds and lakes be located? In the rainy season observe where the surface water flows -- its currents and directions -- and where the rivulets created from the rain water converge together. The point of convergence is the ideal location for a lake. The bigger the catchment area, the bigger the number of rivulets, so the bigger the pond or lake.
How should an artificial lake be constructed? If there is no modern machinery, a rectangular area should be selected in the middle of the proposed site and line after line of earth dug out. The soil should be deposited around the periphery to form the slopes and ridges of the banks. The lake should be only five feet deep to avoid accidents and drowning. A boundary wall topped with angled irons which are connected with wire should be constructed to keep animals out.
Along the wall, wire plants may be grown, and inside the wall palm trees can be planted. On the flat areas, surface plants may be cultivated. The lake can be any shape. Underground culverts or channels may also be constructed so that water from the surrounding countryside can flow through the culverts into the lake.
There should also be name plates beside each lake which specify the opening hours, the depth of the lake and any other prescribed details. People should only be permitted to swim and fish in some specified lakes, while boating should be allowed on larger lakes.
To prevent water seeping out immediately after the lake has been constructed, earth from the beds of other lakes can be spread across the lake floor. Alternatively, the earth on the bottom of the lake can be mixed with calcium, although this may harm the aquatic plants and fish. If sealing the lake is not urgent, nature will perform this task. After the lake has contained water for some time, a fine layer of clay will naturally form on the bed of the lake, sealing the bottom and preventing the water from seeping away.
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"In economic life there is extreme inequality and exploitation. Although colonialism no longer exists openly in the political and economic sphere, still it persists indirectly, and this should not be tolerated... In this respect you should remember that in economic life, we will have to guarantee the minimum requirements of life to one and all... There cannot be any sort of adjustment as far as this point is concerned. The minimum purchasing requirement must be guaranteed to all. Today these fundamental essentialities are not being guaranteed. Rather, people are being guided by deceptive economic ideas like outdated Marxism, which has proven ineffective in practical life and has not been successfully implemented in any corner of the world. Why do people still believe in such a theory, which has never been proved successful? The time has come for people to make a proper assessment of whether they are being misguided or not." |
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"Human beings have still not been able to form a human society, and have still not learned to move with the spirit of a pilgrim. Although many small groups, motivated by self-interest, work together in particular situations, not even a small fraction of their work is done with a broader social motive. By strict definition, shall we have to declare that each small family unit is a society in itself? If going ahead in mutual adjustment only out of narrow self-interest or momentary self-seeking is called society, then in such a society, no provision can be made for the disabled, the diseased or the helpless, because in most cases nobody can benefit from them in any way... in that case there always remains the possibility of some people getting isolated from the collective. All human beings must attach themselves to others by the common bond of love and march forward hand in hand; then only will I proclaim it a society." |