Desilting water woes

Pandurang Devkar, a resident of Mavadi village, District Pune, reveals how they have been facing water scarcity since 2013. Even the water provided by the Govt. schemes was impure and unusable. The issue seems to be now addressed with desilting the stream flowing near their village and repairing the bore well, which was not functioning since three years. CybageAsha is attempting to bring some sweet reprieve for more than 50,000 villagers across 15 villages in the state of Maharashtra’s drought-prone areas. With persistent drought-like conditions in Marathwada and the western regions of the state spanning the scorching summer months of March-May, the impact on life and livelihood has been calamitous.

From what Cybage further informs, CybageAsha swung into action, identified the villages affected, and assessed the impact. It took up a large-scale desilting project in villages across Pune, Aurangabad, Jalna, Nanded, and Latur districts with support from local inhabitants. A total area of 43 kilometers, covering the clogged river beds, defunct check dams, damaged reservoirs, and dried up water bodies and wells was desilted, transformed, and revived. CybageAsha’s desilting project covers the following villages.

Ritu Nathani, Director Cybage, and Managing Trustee CybageAsha and CybageKhushboo said,   “Desilting is one of the major projects of CybageAsha. Over the last three years of its implementation, this initiative has brought long-term and sustainable relief to the locals by reviving groundwater levels, harvesting rainwater, resurrecting agriculture, and renewing drinking water supply. Our constant endeavor is to replicate this activity in other holding areas too.”

CybageAsha Trust was founded in October 2003 to fulfill Cybage’s moral responsibility towards the society and its scope of activities covers adoption of village and implementation of various programs pertaining to the development of infrastructure, education, and sanitation; providing free medication and counseling facilities to alcohol addicts in slums; and creating awareness on environmental issues.

Ask Avinash Jairmod, a resident of Samrala village, District Nanded, and he tells that CybageAsha helped them in the desilting work of the existing stream, which was almost dry. Now, they have sufficient water for drinking and agriculture purpose. Roads were also constructed to their fields with the silt they got from the de-silting work. People, and Govt. officials such as Block Development officer and District collector, who visited the site, appreciated the work CybageAsha has done throughout the Nanded district, adds the company.

It looks like that the work has just begun as neighboring villagers continue to visit the desilted site and seek to replicate the same model in their own village. With their water scarcity problem being solved, they are now working on other aspects of their village development such as livestock development and livelihood programs.