When Tina Dabi, the District Collector of Barmer, stood on stage at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, she didn’t just accept an award—she accepted responsibility for a nation’s thirst. On June 2025, President Droupadi Murmu handed her the inaugural Pratham Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Award and a ₹2 crore prize, recognizing Barmer’s extraordinary turnaround from a water-dead desert to India’s most replicated rainwater model. The ceremony, part of the sixth National Water Awards 2025 organized by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, wasn’t just ceremonial. It was a reckoning.
From Tragedy to Transformation
Three years ago, Barmer made headlines for all the wrong reasons. In 2022, 64 women, desperate for water, jumped into deep, dry water tanks—only to die in the fall. The images shocked the country. No one expected a solution from a district where the monsoon barely whispers. But Dabi didn’t wait for permission. She asked a simple question: Why not store rainwater right where people live?
Her answer? The Tanka Model. Instead of building costly pipelines or desalination plants, she turned every rooftop into a catchment. New homes built under rural schemes were mandated to include underground rainwater tanks. Old stepwells, ponds, and traditional storage structures were revived. By December 2024, over 87,000 tanks had been installed. Each one held enough water to last a family 3–4 months. Simple additions—locked lids, hand-pump systems—prevented contamination and protected women from dangerous climbs.
It wasn’t just engineering. It was cultural. Villagers, once resigned to walking 10 kilometers for water, now watched rain become their lifeline. The desert didn’t change. But the people did.
A Family of Public Servants
The award wasn’t just Dabi’s. It was a family affair. Her sister, Ria Dabi, District Council Chief Executive Officer of Udaipur, accepted a ₹1 crore prize on behalf of her district, which came second in the same category. Udaipur’s collector, Namit Mehta, was on medical leave, so Ria stepped in—not as a sibling, but as an officer. Their father, Jaswant Dabi, an Indian Telecommunication Service officer, and mother, Himali Dabi, a former Indian Engineering Service officer, raised two daughters who turned bureaucracy into compassion.
And Tina? She didn’t just top the UPSC in 2015. She redefined what public service means. While others chased promotions, she stayed in Barmer—where the heat hits 50°C and water is scarcer than hope.
National Impact, Global Relevance
Barmer’s model isn’t just winning awards. It’s being copied. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has now made the Tanka Model a national template for arid zones. Rajasthan’s desert isn’t unique. Similar conditions exist in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and even parts of Karnataka. Dabi’s innovation offers a low-cost, high-impact solution—no foreign tech, no billion-dollar projects. Just community, rain, and willpower.
At the same ceremony, Bajrang Lal Jetu from Jaitubas, Sikar, was honored for his grassroots efforts. His work, like Dabi’s, proved that change doesn’t come from top-down mandates. It comes from people who refuse to look away.
What’s Next?
Barmer’s tanks are full now. But the challenge is sustainability. Will this momentum survive political cycles? Can other districts replicate it without Dabi’s leadership? The Ministry has pledged technical support, but funding is patchy. Local panchayats now manage the tanks, but training is uneven.
Dabi’s team is already working on a digital dashboard to track water levels in real time. And they’re pushing for a national policy to make rooftop rainwater harvesting mandatory in all new construction—urban and rural alike.
The Bigger Picture
India loses 1,600 billion liters of rainwater annually to runoff. Barmer, once a symbol of failure, now shows what’s possible when you stop waiting for the government to fix things—and start fixing them yourself.
This isn’t just about water. It’s about dignity. About women no longer risking their lives for a bucket. About children not missing school because their mothers are walking miles. About a desert learning to hold its own rain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Tanka Model work in practice?
The Tanka Model involved constructing underground rainwater storage tanks—typically 5,000 to 10,000 liters each—beneath or beside homes, connected to rooftops via gutters. Barmer’s administration mandated tanka installation for all new rural housing under government schemes. Over 87,000 tanks were built by December 2024, with simple innovations like locked covers and hand pumps preventing contamination and reducing physical strain on women fetching water.
Why was Barmer chosen for this award over other districts?
Barmer stood out because it transformed from a district where people died for water into one that now stores it locally—without external infrastructure. Among 100 awardees across 67 districts, Barmer was the only desert region to achieve near-universal household-level rainwater harvesting. Its success was measured not just in volume stored, but in reduced mortality, improved school attendance, and women’s safety.
What role did the 2022 tragedy play in shaping Dabi’s approach?
The deaths of 64 women in 2022 were the catalyst. Dabi didn’t just respond to the crisis—she redesigned the system around it. She realized water scarcity wasn’t a technical problem, but a human one. Her focus shifted from engineering solutions to protecting lives. Every tank built after that was designed with safety, accessibility, and dignity at its core—not just capacity.
Can this model be replicated in other arid regions?
Absolutely. The Tanka Model requires no advanced technology—just community participation, local materials, and policy enforcement. States like Gujarat and parts of Telangana are already piloting similar programs. The cost per tank is under ₹15,000, making it scalable even in low-budget districts. The real barrier isn’t cost—it’s political will.
How is the ₹2 crore prize money being used?
The ₹2 crore award is being allocated to expand the system: installing digital water-level sensors, training local youth as water stewards, and building community education centers. A portion is reserved for maintaining older tanks and repairing traditional structures like stepwells. No funds are going to administrative salaries or luxury projects—every rupee stays in the ground, literally.
Is there any opposition to the Tanka Model?
Some traditionalists initially resisted, arguing that tanks disrupted land use. A few contractors complained about losing bids for expensive pipeline projects. But public support has been overwhelming. Today, Barmer’s villagers proudly show off their tanks. The real opposition now comes from distant bureaucrats who still believe solutions must come from Delhi—not from rooftops.
