This Village Is An Oasis Amidst Drought-Hit Maharashtra, And The Villagers Here Don't Care About Government Or Policies

Amid the desperate denizens scrounging for water in the drought-affected parts of Maharashtra stands a village which has not felt the need to call a single water tanker -in fact, it hasn't called for one since 1995.

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While other villages in the arid Ahmednagar district are digging borewells even up to 400 feet, the underground water table in Hiware Bazar is so good that the precious commodity is available barely 20 to 40 feet below ground level.

The village has banned water-guzzling cash crops like sugarcane and banana but the farmers here are still far richer than their counterparts in the region. For the record, no family qualifies to be below the poverty line.

Hiware Bazar, now a byword for watershed management and water conservation, had found special mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's `Mann ki Baat' programme on Sunday . "People in this village have done exemplary work," Modi had said. Village sarpanch Popatrao Pawar, who has been specially invited by Modi for acup of tea, said, "We are glad that our efforts are being recognized."

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But the road to shaping the village to be self-sufficient has been a long and arduous one. Like any other village in the region, Hiware Bazar used to face a major water crisis each year because of the measly 200-300 mm rain fall it gets. "We kicked off our water conservation efforts in 1994-95. Various watershed management programmes and water conservation initiatives were started. But we realized that this alone was not going to help. So we decided to choose a cropping pattern too," Pawar told TOI on Monday .

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The village decided to shun water-intensive crops and opted for growing vegetables, fruits, flowers and pulses. Dairy development was encouraged. "We resolved that no borewell would be dug in the village and that every drop of water would be used cautiously . We have a water budget. The villagers meet on December 31 each year, during which a review of the rainfall and available water is taken. We then decide which crops can be grown in the next season. In fact, we decided to take a break from farming this year as there was no rain. The villagers reaped the last kharif crop and have stopped farming for the last four or five months since then," he said.

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Mohan Chattar, a villager, said taking a break from farming did not affect earnings."The villagers are not completely dependent on farming.The daily collection of milk in the village is itself about 4,000 litres. Dairy farming brings in good money . There is also enough fodder here," he said, adding that people from neighbouring villages come to Hiware Bazar to fetch drinking water.

The village has a rule that no resident can sell his land to an outsider. "People from other villages migrate in search of jobs, particularly during tough times like these. However, it is migration in the reverse out here. Around 40 families have returned to the village from cities over the last few years. Farming is beneficial. But we must decide how much to exploit a natural re source like water," another villager said.

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Women in the village are glad that they don't have to trek miles in search of water."Though we have enough water in our village, we ensure that it is not wasted. Every drop is accounted for here," they said.

Modi's praise has brought joy to the villagers, but they are not resting on their laurels. The village is already chalking out a ten-year plan."The water scarcity is going to worsen. As part of our tenyear plan, we will opt for grow ing pulses and oilseed crops and brand them. This will not only boost our earnings but also help save water," Pawar said.

Pawar is unwilling to blame the poor monsoon for water scarcity . "It is lack of vision and discipline that brings about scarcity and drought," he said.

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Politics is a strict no-no in Hiware Bazar. Pawar admitted that he was once attracted towards politics, but then withdrew sensing that it was not his cup of tea. The village has not held a single gram panchayat election since 1995. For the general elections, the existing gram panchayat provides a platform for all political parties and also provides booth agents.

"There is neither politics nor liquor shops in the village. Both intoxicate and destroy development. Nowhere in the village will you find a statue of any leader. We have not asked anything from the government and don't expect politicians to do anything for us. We are strong enough to fight drought by ourselves. What we have done is not development; it is basic necessity," says Chattar.