As a coping mechanism, thousands of check dams2 are built on streams to reduce the streamflow of the water and to increase groundwater recharge (Dashora et al., The MARVI (Managing Aquifer Recharge and Groundwater Use through Village-Level Intervention) project (Maheshwari et al., It also trained them to monitor check dam water levels to determine their effectiveness and the need for silt-scraping in the dry season to maintain recharge rates. Four monitored check dams near Dharta are responsible for on average 200,000 m3/year each, securing approximately 16% of dry-season crops in adjacent villages (Dashora et al.,