Mumbai
Aanore village cites an example of a driven community
Updated : Jun 10, 2019, 05:50 AM IST
The Water Cup competition led by the Paani foundation, founded by Bollywood actor Amir Khan, is motivating villagers to opt for water conservation programmes to become self-sufficient in times of crisis. Aanore village cites an example of a driven community.
Khushal Patil, a resident of Javkheda in North Maharashtra, said Aamir Khan has been doing significant work by motivating villagers to participate in the water cup competition. "In 2018, our village participated in this competition but bagged the local level price. This time, our neighbouring village Aanore is also partaking in the competition. The programme has helped us increase the groundwater table in our village. Most of the dry and unused wells have become full. The competition has been a goal for many villages across the state," Patil said.
Sanjay Patil, a local journalist, explained the struggle drought-hit villages have to put up with. "Earlier, the people of Aanore used to develop small dams for self-sustenance. But now, these small and big dams are developed at a larger scale through voluntary work. The dams are inter-connected. Therefore, hardly any drop of rainwater goes out of this village," Sanjay said.
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BJP minister Chandrakant Patil, the guardian and agriculture minister of state, also visited Aanore village in recent times and was impressed with the developments. The minister asked one of the local women how they plan to prevent waterlogging between two farms, in case of excessive rainfall. The woman said they have already put up stone gateways to release excess water. The BJP minister sanctioned Rs 14 lakh on the spot for rainwater harvesting in the village.