The Konkan has a strange water problem. Raigad district receives some of the heaviest rainfall in Maharashtra, often well over 3,000 mm a year, yet much of it falls in just four monsoon months. By March and April, wells drop, streams disappear and farmers who depend on rain are left waiting for June.

For us at VitaNaturae, that gap matters. The crops we grow under our CoCo Farming Model — turmeric, fruit trees, spices and medicinal plants — need reliable water long after the rains stop. So instead of letting the monsoon run off our land, we decided to keep it. We’re building our own farm lake.

Why a farm lake, and not just a borewell?

Borewells pull from groundwater that took years to accumulate. Across India, groundwater tables are falling because we draw water out faster than rain can replace it. A farm lake works the other way around: it captures surface runoff during the monsoon and stores it on the farm, so we draw less from the ground and give the aquifer a chance to recharge.

A well-planned farm lake helps a farm in several ways:

• Water through the dry season — stored monsoon water carries crops through the months when rain stops.
• Less pressure on groundwater — every litre drawn from the lake is a litre not pumped from the aquifer.
• Less soil erosion — capturing runoff slows down water that would otherwise wash away fertile topsoil on sloping land.
• Climate resilience — as rainfall becomes more erratic, stored water is a buffer against late, short or broken monsoons.

Step 1: Digging the basin

The first job is excavation. We chose a spot where water naturally collects and flows across the land, so the lake fills with runoff during the rains rather than needing to be pumped. The soil removed during digging isn’t wasted; it’s used to build up the banks and level other parts of the farm.

Here’s the excavated basin before the liner and water go in. Seeing it empty shows the scale of what a single season of rain can fill.

Step 2: Reinforcing the banks with rock

Konkan rains are intense. Without protection, the banks of a new lake can slump or wash out in the first heavy downpour. To hold the structure firm, we laid rocks along the banks. Stone pitching like this strengthens the walls, reduces erosion and helps the lake keep its shape season after season.

Step 3: Lining and filling

Much of the soil in our part of Raigad drains quickly, so an unlined pond can lose a lot of water into the ground. A liner keeps the stored water where we need it. Once lined, the lake fills with monsoon runoff and becomes the farm’s water bank for the dry months.

From the lake to the roots

Storing water is only half the job; using it carefully is the other half. Water from the lake feeds efficient irrigation, delivering water close to the roots instead of flooding fields. Our borewell runs on a solar setup, which keeps pumping costs and emissions down. Together, rainwater storage, efficient irrigation and solar power make the farm far less dependent on the weather, and on diesel.

Why this matters beyond our farm

The world is running down its water reserves, and agriculture uses most of the freshwater we withdraw. Small, practical steps like farm ponds, done across thousands of farms, can make a real difference to India’s water future. They protect harvests, protect groundwater and protect the livelihoods of farming families.

This is what we mean by Soul to Soil: farming that works with nature’s rhythm instead of against it.

Own land in the Konkan?

Water infrastructure like this is part of how we develop land under the CoCo Farming Model. If you own farmland in Raigad or nearby and want to see it productive and well cared for, tell us about your land.