QUOTE
-‘Drought’ not just about deficient rainfall, it’s tough choice between life and death

                               

 

IN COLLABORATION WITH BIG NGOS WE HAVE HELPED PAST MANY VICTIMS AND BELOW ARE DETAILS OF ITS CAUSES
Marathwada AND VIDHARBHA
 THE MOST DROUGHT PRONE AREA IN MAHARASHTRA is the region comprising the many districts in maharashtra,india

                               

 WHY MAHARASHTRA IS FACING DROUGHT?
VIKAS KRUTTI SANSHODAN KENDRA [VKSK] NGO  SURVEY OF MARATHWADA -

 VIDARBHA AND MARATHWADA IN MAHARAHSTRA is facing one of the severe droughts, Over 15,000 farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra between 2013 and 2018, an RTI data has revealed.
Out of the total 15,356 farmer suicides during the six-year period, 396 cases were reported between 1 January 2019 to 28 February 2019. So far, the government has provided ex-gratia to 102 families out of 396 suicide cases, according to RTI activist Shakeel Ahmed.

                                     

SUICIDE CAUSE ?
 Already, 4,700 farmers have committed suicide in the last five years in Marathwada, including 947 last year. In Beed district, hundreds of villages stand deserted as people have migrated to western Maharashtra in search of a livelihood, our VKSK staff was surveying in recent 2019 summer.

Drought means ruined childhood for thousands of girls  who spend their summer vacation in search of water. It means backbreaking strife for women who wander in search of water. Drought means a tough choice between life and death for the family. So our vksk officials have started the awareness camps in many villages 

                                 

Example: 1
Name of the village: GHATANJI
District: YAVATMAL

This is a predominantly ST village and the government had allocated lands to them, but almost all of the 80 acres was barren land, completely uncultivated. After multiple visits and persuasion, the women in the village agreed to try organic horticulture plantation.

The agreement was that the farmers form a co-operative society, instead of working as individuals. After utilizing all possible government subsidized schemes for providing water (bore wells), electricity and drip irrigation facilities, each farmer is bound to pay Rs. 6000 per acre from their pocket.

Unfortunately, all these families are daily-wage laborers, hence Rs.6000 per acre is difficult for them to manage and banks cannot lend loans for them without any security. We contributed Rs. 3000 per acre and farmers have to bear the rest of 3000. This will encourage the community farming and they are going to have better bargaining power with the banks, government schemes and while selling their produce as a co-operative society.

This was almost a year ago. Since then, the cooperative has been formed and the bore has been dug, electricity connections has been approved and are right now awaiting the lines to be installed. The goal is to start cultivation this season.

Example #2
Tribal villages: CHAKUR, AHMADPUR, CHAPOLI, PANGAON
District: LATUR

These 5 villages were identified as vulnerable and poverty-ridden due to their heavy dependency on private loans for cultivating cash-crop, Cotton. Tribal villagers from villages are depending on private lenders, right from Cotton seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and their family expenses. They have to buy all their food products, because they only grow Cotton. All the private lenders were charging 36% - 48% as interest for their loans. This was affecting them severely, and they have no option but commit suicide, if a crop fails.


VKSK conducted training's to the farmers on how to prepare their organic fertilizer and pesticides, so that they can spray these instead of costly pesticides from the money lenders. This worked out quite well during the first year itself, as farmers saved money on the seeds during the drought season. In the year 2, VKSK introduced inter crop (Red gram) along with Cotton.  

While they are practicing organic farming, they were able to produce organic Red-gram as an inter-crop VKSK procured the Red gram through GRAM store and paid good money to the farmers. This actually helped farmers, when the Cotton crop failed due to drought conditions and lack of rains during the critical period, so they were able to save Red gram. This year (year-3), farmers are being encouraged to form co-operative societies in these villages, so that they can be eligible for government subsidies and other schemes. Red gram will be encouraged more as a main crop as well as inter-crop, as Cotton cultivation need to go down this year.

Also, a plan is being developed to make these co-operative societies as Farmer Producer Organizations,

 DROUGHT CRISIS?
 Frequent droughts and crop failure have not only disrupted the economy of one of the backward regions in the State, but also inflicted many a human tragedy on local inhanbitants.

                                  

VKSK HAVE IDENTIFIED THE PEOPLES AFFECTED IN MARATHWADA and VIDHARBHA ,MAHARASHTRA 


RECENT CASE -
women died because of standing more then 4 to 8 hours in line for water everydays and takes painkiller for the body pain so it’s the worst case for the womens & girls in Marathwada


Water Crisis
The majority of Marathwada districts, with a population of 1.87 crore, fall in the Godavari basin, but barring Godavari no other major river flows through the region. Small rivers such as Purna, Sindhphana, Bindusara and Shivna turn dry as summer approaches.
“Look at this. You think it is a desert, it is not. It is Sindphana, our river,” Drought is frequent in Marathwada, but this year the crisis has deepened. Groundwater level in 1,200 villages in the region depleted by 2-3 metre , while 1,948 villages saw depletion by 1-2 metre . But this has not stopped
 
  




 Type equation here.As of now, 2,092 villages and hamlets are completely dependent on 2,063 water tankers plying in the region. “  the quality of tanker water also bad,”  Government tanker comes once in a while and release water in plastic cans kept by the villagers. “The water is muddy and salty. Even the cattle is not drinking this water,” . Other villagers rush with complaints. Those who can buy drinking water are buying it, others are drinking this  bad water.

Crop Failure
At the beginning of kharif season, there was just 25 per cent water stock in major dams in the region, which further got depleted 18 per cent in December, 2018. With dry dams and depleted water table, Marathwada will not have any source of drinking or non-drinking water.
The kharif crop was withered by the drought and hence many farmers did not sow winter crops. All major crops, including maize, soya, cotton, mosambi, pulses, groundnuts suffered, due to poor rainfall and not surprisingly the Latur Agriculture Farmers say that not a single drop of water was available for plantation at crucial times

No Fodder
The VKSK has promoted fodder camps in many region of marathwada which have sheltered about 3 lakh livestock. “



Quest for Work
Every year an estimated 15 lakh small and marginal farmers leave Marathwada after sowing to work as cane cutters in the sugar belt of western Maharashtra. “This year, there is more migration. Many who had gone for cane-cutting have not come back as they are looking for some work.  many more who have migrated in search of jobs. Migration has gone up by at least 40-50 per cent, according to VKSK officials.

NO EMPLOYMENT FOR YOUTH


 Though maharashtra is one of the better off states in the country, but there are many pockets in different parts of the state, having highly deplorable socio-economic conditions. Wide disparities can be seen different strata of the society. A large segment of population is still struggling for survival and they are not finding opportunities in the societal dynamics for betterment of their quality of life. The district of Latur is one of them, where situation is tragic, to recurrent natural disasters.

And specially we want to work in latur as it’s the most affected as there are very less trees as per the official maharahstra government data and a famous drought of 2016 was the worst case in the history as water stored train came from western mahastrashtra.



                                     CHAOS OF WATER COLLECTION LATUR

VISION FOR THE AREA

The organization has visu¬alized that India is primarily a rural based society and agriculture is still the only sustainable path of development. It has also realized that India can be made stronger and development is sustained. Revamping the rural economy is the only way to make the rural society self-sufficient, the rural communities integrated and bring back the original glory and prosperity. The organization also considers self- employment a viable and feasible alternative approach of development to the so-called industrialized development . which displaces the people, creates environment damages and mushrooms Under developed cities with slums. the eventual consequences of which are poor health status, environmental hazards, social dislocation, acute food shortage and loss of resource control, involuntary settlements and social problems.

                                   VKSK STAFF ON MISSION KICKSTARTING
 


HOW WE WILL WORK
VIKAS KRUTTI SANSHODAN KENDRA

IMMEDIATE SOLUTION

1] WATERSHED PROGRAMME
In order to provide irrigation facility, control wastage of rain water and creating employment opportunities in the target areas, watershed programme will be undertaking  by VKSK in 120 villages of  Marathwada and vidharbha. A part from training the farmers on maintaining the land fertility, maintaining water reservoirs, livestock and afforestation, the organization will also undertook creation of check damps. With active participation of farmers.

VIKAS KRUTTI SANSHODHAN KENDRA WILL DONATE THE REALLY NEEDY PEOPLE WHERE FARMERS HAVE COMMITED SUICIDE AND HELP THEIR FAMILY  IMMEDIATELY AND START REFORMS FROM GRASSROOT LEVEL AFTERWARDS.

IMMEDIATE SOLUTION
1] 1000 cement dams.
2] 5000 soil check dams.
3] 8000 earthen structure.
4] 10000 lose borders.
5] Plantation will also be undertaking in 3000 hectors around the dams, to check soil erosion and improve the environment.

2] ELDER WELFARE

We will provide old age homes with physiotherapy  , mobile medical check up camps, cataract surgery camps,eye check up camps to around 5000 elder people in eight districts of Marathwada.

3] SPECIFIC TO WOMEN

 Another important thrust area is women's development. The organization feels that it is the women community which is the back bone of rural community, rural economy and rural family. The organization will create and will give 1000  2000 SELF HELP GROUP and 60 WOMEN VILLAGE FEDERATION Will cover entire Marathwada comprising of 8 district

 4] CHILDREN WELFARE

Development and support to the vulnerable children and helpless old people are another focus of the organization. Health, Nutrition, education, skill training and income generation are the different kinds of social support services that the organization pledges to provide. Sanitation, environment and safe drinking water programs in the rural areas and will cover 5000 CHILDREN IN MAHARASHTRA

5] LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITY

ORGANIZATION WILL PROVIDE THIS PROGRAM  TO 2000 SELFHELP GROUP , SMALL ENTERPRISES AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING TO SHGs
Promotion of local and village-based industries in the
rural areas are encouraged so that the self-employment avenues may be opened.

6] YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

The organization will provide  vocational skill training development to 5000
Youths

7] RAINWATER HARVESTING & SOLAR


                      RAINWATER HARVESTING PLAN AND SOLAR  PLAN
 



ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROJECT   
     
    Cost, as estimated by our NGO VKSK, will be around Rs. 3,28,45,000 
 which will be covered in 4 phases.
PHASE 1-
 we will acquire 4 acres of land & thereafter construct the building for DROUGHT CENTRE & EDUCATION CENTRE.

PHASE 2-
 we will buy Equipment for WATERSHED PROGRAMME, Computers and Printers, Chairs, Solar Systems and Other Equipment and will start recruiting staff of social workers for running the main project.

PHASE 3 will consist of implementing the project like tree plantations, educating the peoples, innovative solutions like solar pumps and many renewable energy implenation of equipment in whole of Marathwada.

PHASE 4
 will consist of making dams for watershed activities and involving the community to help us and develop the model which will henceforth make Marathwada more of prospering.

[1] 100 cement dams

[5] Plantation will also be undertaken in 300 hectors around the dams, to check soil erosion and improve the environment

PEOPLE'S ORGANISATION-
1) Village level organization (CBOs) = 147 villages .
2) women forum = 200 villages
3) youth organizations = 115 villages
4) Self Help Group  =1200
               
 DONATE US FOR THE CAUSE
You are our most trusted partner in the fight for betterment. We are so close to our goal. your gift today will help put us over the top before December 31, 2020.
 

WE WOULD LIKE OUR SPECIAL PARTNER NGO PROJECT MAHITI TO HAVE PARTNERED IN MANY IMPLEMENTATIONS IN NASHIK,VIDHARBHA AND MARATHWADA AND NOW ITS DESTINY IS TO END THE CRISIS WHICH IS GOING ON.