From water-starved to water surplus: Govt initiative, CSR funds transform Maharashtra villages

The Maharashtra government's 'Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan' initiative has helped 150 villages in Mouda taluka overcome water crisis. The taluka now boasts of a 'water surplus' tag.

Nagpur: Until recently, Nagpur's Mouda taluka was infamously known for its drought-like situation, blame the inadequate rainfall. Cut to 2021, the taluka has seen a reversal of fortunes and now boasts of 150 happy villages that are water surplus, thanks to the groundwater recharge programmes launched by the state government here in 2017.

The Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan, launched with the funds granted by NTPC Limited, a Central Public Sector Undertaking, under its Corporate Social Responsibility, envisages 'Trap the rain where it falls' technique, which involves the creation of ponds and nullahs throughout the stretch of the river so that rainwater can be held for a long period. "Earlier, the rainwater would run off the ground, but now the water gets sufficient time to percolate deep into the ground," a villager said.

The project, also supported by the Art of Living's Maharashtra unit, has ushered in a new change not only in Mouda taluka but also in the neighbouring Hingana and Kamathi talukas.

NTPC, in a press statement, said it spent Rs 78 lakh on the project. It spent another Rs 1 crore to rejuvenate five lakes in the region, spread across 1,000 acres. With these initiatives, the villagers, who were once struggling for drinking water, have now been practising farming, a water-intensive activity, more aggressively and reaping rich benefits.