Pune: While the entire state is facing water scarcity, Vanarai organisation founded by Late Mohan Dharia has stepped in to show the way. In the last five years, Bajarwahegaon, a small village in drought-prone Jalna district in Marathwada has got rid of water scarcity.
The small village with a population of just more than 4000 has seen reverse migration and water availability throughout the year. Many youths of the village had migrated to either Aurangabad, Pune or Mumbai for employment, as a result of water scarcity which made it difficult for them to survive in their own village. Vanarai started its work in 2009 in the village, with the help of CTR Company as a part of its corporate social responsibility initiative aiming at sustainable development of the village and after five years it has transformed the village.
Vanarai President Ravindra Dharia told that the watershed development program was undertaken in the village, which has transformed it. The wells and bore wells in the village were recharged in addition to construction of Nalla Bunds, cement bunds and farm ponds. Dharia and Vanarai secretary Sriram Gomarkar informed that the yield of cotton, which is main crop in the village, has gone up from 10 to 20 quintals per hectare in last four years. Due to availability of water for entire year many farmers in the village have gone for horticulture produce like sweet lime and pomegranate with profitable yields.
Dharia said that village centric model deployed by Vanarai has resulted in overall development of the village. He pointed out that many families had migrated to Mumbai and have came back to the village Bajarwahegaon and many who used to work as labourers for sugarcane cutting also have started working in their own village to get employment. With cultivating fodder and crops like maize, the farmers in the village are producing a thousand liters of milk every day and selling it to adjoining villages and cities.
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Gomarkar informed that Vanarai is celebrating its 28th anniversary by organizing a get-together at its office on Thursday, July 10, 2014. The event would be organized between 5 and 7 pm at Mitramandal Chowk (Aditya Residency, 498 Parvati, Pune 9).
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