MGNREGA works improve water availability and vegetation in Andhra Pradesh

In the semi-arid landscapes of India, water scarcity, land degradation and changing rainfall patterns affect both agriculture and rural livelihoods. These challenges are particularly visible in rainfed regions, where declining soil moisture, excessive groundwater use and unpredictable monsoons make it difficult for communities to manage their water needs.

Water conservation and harvesting structures such as check dams, farm ponds and percolation tanks can help address some of these challenges. By reducing surface runoff, limiting soil erosion and supporting groundwater recharge, they can improve local water conditions. Studies have found that rainwater harvesting structures can raise groundwater levels by 2 to 5 metres in rainfed watershed areas, helping communities manage water scarcity during and beyond the monsoon.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the world’s largest rural employment guarantee scheme, provides up to 100 days of wage employment annually. It also supports natural resource management through public investment in water conservation and harvesting structures.

While several studies have examined the large-scale effects of MGNREGA works at watershed, catchment, district and state levels, their local environmental impacts have received less attention. A study titled 'Transforming MGNREGA assets to ecosystem benefits in the Andhra Pradesh Region, India: A geospatial approach’ in Next Sustainability, by Aneesaha Rahaman and others examines how these structures have influenced water resources and the surrounding landscape in parts of Prakasam district.

Tracking changes around MGNREGA water structures

The researchers examined nine blocks in the western part of Prakasam district: Ardhaveedu, Bestawaripeta, Dornala, Giddalur, Komarolu, Peda Araveedu, Pullalacheruvu, Racherla and Yerragondapalem.

The region has a semi-arid climate, with annual temperatures ranging from 28°C to 39°C and an average annual rainfall of approximately 910 mm. The Gundlakamma River flows through the area, where agriculture is the primary occupation. MGNREGA plays an important role in providing rural employment and income, while supporting water and land management activities.

To understand how the landscape changed over time, the researchers used satellite images from three periods: 2005–06, before the interventions; 2015–16, during their implementation; and 2024–25, after the interventions. They examined changes in vegetation, surface water, soil moisture and land use, while mapping MGNREGA water conservation assets and the areas around them.

The researchers also developed a Composite Water Conservation Effectiveness Index (CWCEI). This brought together indicators of vegetation growth, surface water presence, soil moisture and water retention to assess the environmental outcomes of the interventions.

The findings showed improvements across several environmental indicators between the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods.

More surface water and greener surroundings

One of the visible changes was the increase in surface water area between 2005 and 2025. Water bodies expanded, particularly around locations where check dams and farm ponds had been constructed under MGNREGA. This suggests that the structures helped retain water in the landscape.

Vegetation density also increased over the study period. Areas around water conservation structures showed a shift from sparse to moderate vegetation cover, indicating improved moisture availability for crops and natural vegetation.

The researchers observed an intermediate level of greening in 2015, during the intervention period. This reflected the gradual nature of vegetation growth as water conservation structures were established and groundwater recharge increased over time.

Changes in soil moisture followed a similar pattern. The Soil Moisture Index (SMI) showed low values across the study area in 2005, reflecting its dryland conditions before the MGNREGA structures were built. Values improved gradually towards 2025, with higher soil moisture particularly evident in low lying areas and locations with greater concentrations of percolation tanks and check dams.

The researchers attributed this improvement to increased infiltration supported by the water harvesting structures.

A combined measure of water conservation effectiveness

To assess these changes together, the researchers used the CWCEI, which classified water conservation effectiveness into three categories: low (≤30), moderate (50) and high (≥70).

The index showed an improvement from low values in the pre intervention period in 2005 to moderate and high values between 2015 and 2025. These improvements were particularly visible around clusters of MGNREGA water conservation structures, reflecting the cumulative environmental benefits of watershed interventions over the two decades.

The study also examined changes in land cover and land use across the three periods, focusing on agriculture, wasteland and water bodies.

The area under agriculture increased from 27.55% in 2005 to 52.73% in 2025, as wasteland was converted into agricultural land. The area occupied by water bodies increased almost twelvefold, from 0.09% to 1.11% in 2025. This expansion corresponded with the locations of newly created water storage structures, indicating that the increase in surface water was associated with physical changes on the ground.

Local impacts and the importance of site specific planning

The analysis found that the environmental influence of MGNREGA water conservation assets was strongest within a 50 metre buffer zone around the structures. This indicates that interventions such as check dams, farm ponds and percolation tanks had their most visible effects in the areas closest to them.

The findings show improvements in vegetation cover, water conservation and soil moisture in the semi arid study region. The researchers also suggest that the CWCEI could serve as an indicator for assessing the environmental outcomes of MGNREGA water conservation investments in other semi arid regions of India.

The study highlights the importance of identifying where watershed interventions are likely to have the greatest local impact. Site specific prioritisation of water conservation works can contribute to drought resilience, evidence based rural development planning and sustainable land management.

For communities in water stressed regions, the value of these structures extends beyond the assets themselves. Their influence can be seen in the water retained in the landscape, the moisture available in the soil and the vegetation growing around them. The findings from Prakasam district offer evidence of how employment linked water conservation works can also contribute to changes in local environmental conditions.