How a drought-prone area in Maharashtra was transformed

In a small part of the historically drought-affected Mann Taluka of western Maharashtra, lies a healthy paradox. Living alongside the dried up riverbed, farmers seemed unexpectedly cheerful on a hot steamy day. Have they always been like that? “A year ago, the picture was completely different”, said the cab driver.

Declared as ‘drought-prone’ by the government, farming had become a struggle, though not completely out of favour. Farmers would habitually migrate to other areas for labour work since farming alone could not satisfy the needs of the household. And with Mann being part of the otherwise prosperous Western Maharashtra, the penury seemed much more stark. Affluence and agony were close neighbours.

However, the unprecedented drought in 2013 hit the last nail in the coffin. It wrecked havoc to the extent that it forced locals to get rid of their cows and buffaloes. “Guilt would surge over us watching the thirsty animal,” says Mangal Sawant, a farmer in Pulkoti village. “There was little water to drink. How could we feed the cows then?” Today, her five-acre land garners corn worth Rs two lakh per year. Three cows, two buffaloes and a few sheep are part of the family.

This transformation was inspired by Chetna Gala Sinha and Vijay Sinha, the founder couple of Mann Deshi Foundation. “We always thought that water was the responsibility of the government and we also had doubts about our capability in solving the problem,” says Chetna, who hails from Gujarat, but has been living in Mann since 1985. “But when farmers got compelled to sell off their livestock, we decided to address the issue.”

A tiny stream running parallel to the dried up river presented the ray of hope. With the consultation of some hydrologists and geologists, the foundation installed five percolation tanks, working as reservoirs to alleviate the drought. Every drop of rainfall, along with the stream, got stored in those reservoirs. As November 2014 approached, eight crore litres of water was gushing in each of the reservoirs, providing solace to 15 of the 106 villages and emancipating 4,000 farmers and their livestock residing in the 15 villages. Moreover, it has permanently solved the drinking water problem.

Merely two years ago, though, the jovial Sawant had decided to sell her cows. “Normally, the jowar fields would grow up to five to seven feet. But because of the paucity of water, its height was hardly two feet,” Sawant recollects. “We used that crop as fodder for our livestock, but that lasted only six months. As a last resort, we decided to get rid of them with a heavy heart.”

Now, many farmers have started harvesting multiple crops, informs Sawant. “The availability of fodder has enhanced milk products.”

However, between these two contrasting phases, Sawant lived a lifetime as percolation tanks were not the first step of Mann Deshi Foundation. As an immediate remedy to avoid sale of animals, the foundation organised one of the biggest cattle camps in the country, consisting of around 14,000 animals. “We decided to bring all the animals together, which made their fostering convenient,” said Chetna. “There was 300 acres of empty land where we installed the camp.” For the one and a half years that the camp lasted, it had become a home for most of the locals. “Because we provided water and fodder, villagers too started living in the camp along with their livestock. As the number started increasing, we made sure they had all the sanitation and kitchen facilities at the camp.”

Sawant has a lot to reminisce about her stint at the camp. Her favourite moment is when many of them teamed up to help a pregnant woman with her delivery. “It was hysterical. But we divided the work and in no time, curtains were mounted, hot water was arranged and scissors were in place”, she narrated with excitement on her face. “It was a boy. The mother was healthy post delivery. All of us contributed 10 rupees and conducted the naming ceremony as well.” Moreover, all the festivals were ritually celebrated at the camp, songs used to be sung. Kerabai Sargar, resident of Didwaghwadi in Mann, who arrived at the camp with her seven animals, took the lead in singing traditional songs. “I still sing for the local radio,” she said with a smile on her face, deepening her wrinkles. “I have physically cultivated my seven acre land, toddled kilometres with large cans of water, for little in return. As the resilience waned, the camp presented a lifeline and, later on, reservoirs healed our troubles for good.”

However, managing such an exponential cattle camp was not a joke. “The cost of maintenance would go up to Rs 10 lakh per day,” said Chetna. The government funding covered most of the cost, while donations and foundation money completed the remainder of the hurdle. Apart from financial challenges, some managerial skills too, were put to test. Chetna recollects the time when some of the animals suffered the ‘foot and mouth’ epidemic, where they could not control their saliva. “We segregated the infected livestock and started their treatment by consulting veterinary doctors,” said Chetna. “It was eventually managed well.”

Chetna’s ability to administer such a complex task comes as no surprise. She is the founder and chairperson of the Mann Deshi Bank that caters to the financial needs of rural women not just in Mann, but also in the rest of Maharashtra and Karnataka. While India launched its first state-owned bank for women last year, Chetna has been running India’s first rural cooperative bank for women since 1997. It has since grown to become the largest cooperative bank for women in the state with seven branches and over 185,000 clients. The bank also generated considerable employment, making survival in the time of famine a bit durable. Chetna is one of the 14 rare entrepreneurs; seven of them mainstream, to have been called for a meeting by American President Barack Obama. Another of her noteworthy introductions is the ‘Member of the Clinton Global Initiative’. Two photographs, one with Obama and another with Bill Clinton, sit pretty in her office, augmenting the aura around her.

Nonetheless, the camp could not go on forever. A long-term solution was the need of the hour, giving birth to the idea of percolation tanks. When the experiment of building reservoirs succeeded, the camp was no longer needed. Enough water had been stored for the families to enable them to return to their households. “We had gotten used to the whole atmosphere and the camaraderie,” said Sargar. “We got a bit emotional while saying goodbye to the fellow village-mates.” The 300-acre land, which was once buzzing with animals and locals, spreads across like a trackless desert, now has some tranquillity about it. A few oddly placed trees on the otherwise barren land calmly overlook the area. The spot, though, is still referred to as the ‘camp’.

Chetna credits the swift revival of farming to Jaykumar Gore, the local Congress MLA, for he did not let the complicated government procedure become an impediment. “I am a farmer’s son,” says Gore. “I understand their plight.”

Since 1995, more than three lakh farmers have taken their lives in India. According to the 2011 census, the suicide rate for farmers was 47% higher than the national average. 33,752 have occurred in Maharashtra alone from 2003 to 2012, at an annual average of 3,750.

Taking a cue from this small experiment, the state government plans to replicate it across the drought-affected areas in Maharashtra. “With the monsoon getting erratic, it becomes imperative to store each and every drop of water,” says Pasha Patel, farmer leader, now with the BJP. “The water would just glide away in the absence of reservoirs, being of scant use to farmers. Each and every stream or a small river can be optimized.” Last month, Mann celebrated the revival of farming, where Gore and Patel, keeping their political differences aside, pledged to aid the farmer of the remainder of Mann and Maharashtra.

The transformation of this part has motivated the foundation to imitate the project across the taluka. “Farmers no longer spend precious money on water tankers,” says Chetna. Moreover, the migration of villagers in other parts of the state for labor work has decreased substantially. “People have taken up farming as their full-time job.”

Senior journalist Jatin Desai, who has been privy to the whole process, said, “This is a great example of the wonders that can happen if noble initiatives are backed by political will and local support.”

Summing up the issue, Kerabai Sargar, said, “India is a country of farmers. Even a truckload of cash is of no use if farmers do not harvest a thing. If farmers are peaceful, so would the country.”