PUNE: City-based Raintree Foundation is making eight villages of Velhe taluka self-sustainable by facilitating them with the help they need via Integrated Rural Development programme.
Velhe taluka is situated 70 km from Pune and includes Ghavar, Sakhar, Phanasi, Meravane, Aavali, Dadevadi, Gunjavane and Chirmodi villages. The Foundation started their work in Ghavar and Chirmodi - two villages under the same Gram Panchayat in early December 2018.
Leena Dandekar, Founder and CEO of the Foundation, said, “We are working in the project area of 1,500 hectares in eight villages. We are not adopting any village rather we are facilitating the villages by providing expert advice in the form of NGOs. This year, we are mainly focusing on drinking water security and for that, we are taking the help of various NGOs, who have expertise in specific fields like Paani Foundation, Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR) along with Krishi Vikas and Gramin Prashikshan Sanstha, Buldhana, along with government departments.”
Focus of the Foundation is water security and livelihood, changing age old techniques of farming and creating a rural tourism hub.
The Foundation has bought villages together despite their internal disputes, showing them benefits of a community-led participatory approach. “With the help of community participation, silt was removed from an area and the villagers created a pond near the river bank so that the rain water can get accumulated. The silt is used to make a playground for children. Now, we are planning plantation activities. In all the activities, we have ensured that women are part of decision making, implementation and monitoring systems,” she added.
Sagar Kunsavlikar, Executive Assistant of CEO, Paani Foundation, said, “The Foundation had requested us to conduct workshops in the villages at Velhe taluka. We imparted four days residential training on watershed development and water management by interactive and gaming sessions.”
Prashant Kalaskar, Regional Resource Centre Head, WOTR, said, “We will give technical support on watershed development, drinking water and agriculture problems. The aim will be to control surface runoff and soil erosion, increase afforestation, which will increase agricultural production, and recharge groundwater.