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Public co-investment in groundwater recharge in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, India

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The 880 mm of rainfall that the landscape around Jhansi (India) receives in an average year easily allows for one cropping season. In the long dry season, however, life becomes difficult in the rural areas and the wells used for irrigating a second crop rapidly dry up, so only a small part of the land can be cropped twice. Many people look for seasonal jobs in cities in this period, as even drinking water becomes hard to obtain, while the livestock roams around freely to feed on whatever biomass it can find. This practice of abandoning cattle is known as annapratha locally.

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