“Impact of Water Conservation Work”
AFARM in association with AWO International Germany initiated ‘Poverty Reduction & Food Security Project in 4 villages from Karmala block of Solapur & Asti block of Beed districts’ from 2016. The project area falls under drought prone region of the state who receives less than 600 mm rainfall. The cropping pattern of both blocks is Cotton, Soyabean, Red gram, Sunflower, Bajara in Kharif season & very less area under Jawar, Wheat & Gram in rabbi season. Normally low rainfall & unavailability of protective irrigation due to Scanty, erratic and uncertain rains assured crop production became common problem of villagers as a result most of HHs migrates in search of employment to the nearby big cities.
AFARM was doing efforts to minimize the effects of situation in the villages with part support from AWO international, in between Millap has joined with us and supported substantially for completion of water conservation works in these villages viz; Kasewadi, Pagulghavan & Sekhapur in Ashti block & Alajapur in Karmala block. With the constructive support of Millap in 2016 AFARM could able to excavate/ de-silt 7 big structures (Cement Nala Bunds, Earthen Nala Bund) which were constructed earlier under different Govt. Programmes. This has created 14702 cum water storage capacity. While selecting the work component in each village, AFARM adopted participatory selection process with villagers, and this has resulted selection of most appropriate and useful sites for de-silting works.
Immediately after work completion there was good rain and as a result structures got filled with rain water. This was happened every year since 2016 and currently the visible result of the work done is summarized as under.  
Results so far:-

• Increased groundwater level due to recharged ground water table.
• In all 78 wells & 62 bore wells from the command area of 7 structures get recharged as a result of this during long dry spell farmers protected their crops,
• Increased drinking water availability up to 3 months as it before water conservation work, availability of drinking water was up to 8th month now is increased 11th months.
• Additional 147 acres of cultivable area of 153 farming households came under protective irrigation.
• Increase in crop yields and thereby Crop production of Kharif & rabbi crops up to 25%.
• Increased area under vegetable cultivation upto 22 acres, vegetable crops like chilli, onion, pumpkin, bottle guard, bitter guard, and radish is increased.
• Reduced migration up to 40% resulted decrease in school dropout up to 18%.
• Landless HHs got employment at least 4 months in as farm labors in their native place
• Increased fodder availability and thereby milk production.
• “Over all the small & marginal farmers is now developing their  capability to full fill their basic needs in their native place”

Village wise & structure specific Summary of benefits

Sr. No	Name of Village	Type of Work	No. of Wells Recharged	No. of Boswells Recharged	Name of Crops Irrigated	Total Area Irrigated	No. of Farmers Benefited
1	Kasewadi	CNB Disilting	12	7	Bajara,Cotton,Jawaretc	14 Acres	17 Farmers
		ENB Disilting	18	11	Bajara,Cotton,Jawaretc	43 Acres	38 Farmers
2	Shekapur	CNB Disilting	8	5	Bajara,OnianJawar, Cotton,Turetc	11 Acres	10 Farmers
		CNB Disilting	7	9	Bajara,OnianJawar, Cotton,Turetc	17 Acres	19 Farmers
3	Pagulghavan	ENB Disilting	10	14	Bajara,OnianJawar, Cotton, Vegetables etc	27 Acres	31 Farmers
		ENB Disilting	14	11	Bajara,OnianJawar, Cotton,Tur  Vegetables etc	23 Acres	27 Farmers
4	Alajapur	CNB Disilting	9	5	Bajara,SunflowerJawar ,Tur  Vegetables etc	12 Acres	11 Farmers
TOTAL			78 Wells	62 Borwells		147 Acres	153 Farmers

 
All information & data collected from conducting FGD & personal interview
 
 Thanking you
 
Mr. Sakore Shantaram
Programme Director - AFARM
 

About AFARM
AFARM is an association of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)/ Non Govt. Organizations (NGOs) engaged in Rural Development in the state of Maharashtra, formed in 1969 to respond to an acute need of an apex institution that would co-ordinate efforts of Organizations in their task of providing water and agricultural extension services to villages affected due to severe and recurrent drought conditions in Maharashtra.Presently, 90 registered social development organizations are members of AFARM & more than 250 are associate organizations.
Since last many years, AFARMs major intervention areas are remained as natural resource management and rural livelihoods promotion with special reference to development of land and water resources in sustainable manner. Natural Resources Development Program(NRDP) are executed specifically focused at development and livelihood security of the marginalized communities and promoting sustainable agriculture technologies. Alongside, AFARM also extend its services in community based NRM, agriculture, irrigation and livelihoods development programs based on institutional expertise, knowledge and experience gained to government, international and bilateral programs through consultancies, study and research. Details of ongoing projects is as follows

Sr.No.	Project Name	Project Area/Coverage
		No of Villages	District
1	Jalvaibhav - An integrated water resources management (iwrm) initiative for rural development	15,000 Farmers from 30 Villages from Kalamb, Osmanabad, Latur, Nilanga, Karmala Blocks	Osmanabad, Latur and Solapur
2	Holistic Rural  Development Project (HRDP)	3569 HHs from 8 Villages from Phaltan Block	Satara
3	Enhancing Livelihoods Security for the Rural Women in Maharashtra through Sustainable Agriculture and Entrepreneurship Development	20,000 Women from 100 Villages from 9  Blocks	Pune Thane, Ahmednagar and Nashik
4	Water Conservation Project	28 Villages from Gangapur and Auranbagad Blocks	Aurangabad
5	Digital Sakhi Programme	30 villages from 8 blocks	Pune, Osmanbabad, Solapur
6	Participatory Watershed Development and Ground Water Management	9 Villages of Man Block	Satara
7	Poverty Reduction and Promotion of Food Security for Poor and Vulnerable Communities from Solapur & Beed districts of Drought Prone Region of Maharashtra	2 Villages in Karmala of Solapur District & 2 Villages in Ashti block of Beed district	Solapur & Beed
8	Ghod River Basin Development Project	20 Villages of  Shrigonda & Shirur Blocks  of Ahmednagar & Pune District	Ahmednager & Pune
9	Mahila Kisan Sahaktikaran Pariyojna	12,000 HHS from from 12 Blocks of Yavatmal, Amaravati, Buldana, Washim	Yavatmal, Amaravati, Buldana, Washim
10	Silai School Project	310  Villages from 31 districts	31 Districts
11	Small NGO Capacity Building Project	25 Organisations	14 Distsricts of Maharashtra

Drought situation in Maharashtra

The biggest challenge in 2019 for Maharashtra is drought. The period March to June will bring major challenges on account of sever drought. Maharashra State being located in central India, are suffering from recurrent drought situation/ extreme weather events since many years.   The number of Villages hit by drought in Maharashtra has increased by 931.  Earlier State Government has declared 151 Blocks having near about 18,000 villages and 208 revenue circles, each with about 30 to 40 villages. 931 villages newly placed on the list are spread over across 50 revenue circles and eight districts and 358 talukas

• Droughts affected villages are those which has reported production less than 50% and low rainfall.
• Vidarbha repots 88% post monsoon rainfall deficiency. Marahtwada 84%, Central Maharashtra 64%, Konkan and Goa 56%.
• Rabi crops will get affected due to post monsoon deficiency in rainfed area. This deficiency has  affected groundwater, surface water as well as soil moisture.
• 60% famers from State have been bit by drought and arount 80 lakh hectares of land uner cultivation  have been affected
• State Government has soughts finance assistance about Rs. 7,962 crore from the Central Government, 7103 for damanged crops, 535 providing fodder and 323 for water supply.

AFARM role in Drought Relief Work
In most of projects being implemented by AFARM, Soil and Water Conservation is main componants. Various measures are being undertaken for Drought mitigation in the project area. In view of Drought situation in Maharashtra today, AFARM is undertaking short term measures lin its project area like

• Drinking Water Supply
• Drinking Water for Cattles
• Fodder Production/ Fodder Availability
• Cattle camps

The funds will be used for these Drought relief works