Water resilience for all

Subhash Deshmukh, a farmer from Nashik, had struggled for thirty years with his barren 1.5-acre plot. Nobody wanted to buy his land, and he could not grow any crops on it. But in 2018, his fortunes changed due to the rejuvenation of a water body, Dhamani Nala in Yeola. As excavators removed silt from the water body, Subhash carted and applied eighty tractor trolleys (approximately 220 cubic meters) on his land. He spent Rs 42,000 on this transportation and leveling.

When we spoke to him in December that year, in that one season itself, Deshmukh expected a maize yield worth Rs. 60,000; this would be his first earnings in decades.

Six years later, in 2024, in Jamgaon village of Aurangabad, Ashok Shinde decided to conduct an experiment with his orange orchard. He applied silt to 150 of his 250 plants and discovered a striking difference in the first year of application: the silt-treated plants needed watering only once every sixteen days, compared to every four days for the untreated ones. It was obvious that the application of high-quality silt improved the soil’s water retention capacity, reduced the need for irrigation, and resulted in significant water and cost savings.

A study of the GDGS scheme five years post-implementation by the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) in Maharashtra revealed significant, lasting benefits. Farmers using silt saw a 120% increase in average net annual income. The rejuvenated areas experienced a 46% increase in vegetative cover and 2-4 times boost in groundwater availability compared to areas around water bodies which were not rejuvenated. Additionally, 44% more households gained access to livestock drinking water. These improvements have persisted for over five years, highlighting the scheme's long-term positive impact on rural livelihoods, agriculture, and water resources in previously drought-affected regions.

The GDGS scheme was initiated in 2017 by the Rural Development and Water Conservation Department, and is now managed by the Soil and Water Conservation Department. The scheme was created in response to severe drought conditions, focusing on enhancing water availability and improving farmer livelihoods by provision of fertile silt at no additional cost. Its unique strength lies in its collaborative approach, government, civil society organisations, farmers, and private donors towards a common goal. The huge farmer participation can be attributed to its immediate impact which was seen after the first monsoon post excavation in the form of not only increased water availability but also impact on farmer crop yield. Civil society organisations, farmers, and private donors towards a common goal. The huge farmer participation can be attributed to its immediate impact which is seen after the first monsoon post excavation in the form of not only increased water availability but also impact on crop yield.

We know that for any development scheme to work, the community and government must have adequate buy-in. This is why schemes like GDGS become extremely important to tackle water security. Having said that, it is also important that the role of each stakeholder is clearly defined. What really helped in making GDGS successful was a set of practices that ensured accountability, efficiency, and transparency at all levels of the process. Use of technology also becomes critical in ensuring this transparency and run-time project management.

Technology: A catalyst for change

The Government of Maharashtra has leveraged open-source technology to streamline and enhance the implementation of the GDGS scheme:

1. Avni Gramin App: Developed by Samanvay Foundation, this app is used to keep track of the rejuvenation of each water body under the scheme. NGOs, onboarded by district administrations, deploy Community Resource Persons who capture details of every farmer, water body, and government records on the quantity of work done and earth-moving machinery used for excavation. The data is captured in real-time, and the app follows a maker-checker system and is available in multiple languages.

2. Glific WA Chatbot: A multilingual WhatsApp chatbot helps immediately address any query from the users on the Avni Gramin App.

3. Dashboards: These provide consolidated data enabling quick decision-making and effective monitoring. This helps Districts understand progress in run-time - at a water body level and for the Department to look at how all the districts are doing. This information flow in real-time is especially critical because the entire work happens in around 45-60 days when the water bodies are dry.

4. CLART (Composite Landscape Assessment and Restoration tool): Developed by the Foundation for Ecological Security, CLART helps prioritise water bodies for rejuvenation based on their potential to recharge groundwater. This data-driven approach ensures optimal resource allocation and maximises the impact of the scheme.

Tying all this together is a Project Management Unit (PMU) embedded within the Soil and Water Conservation Department, consisting of a dedicated two-member team supported with philanthropic capital and department officers who oversee the project's progress. In addition to project oversight, the PMU supports the department in:

• Planning, training, and capacity building of stakeholders

• Monitoring data, highlighting exceptions, troubleshooting, rapid problem-solving

• Regular reporting to the state government

• Stakeholder management

Role of the District Administration: The District Collector's involvement is crucial for the success of the GDGS scheme. Their support streamlines the scope of work, provides approvals and oversees smooth execution. This active engagement increases accountability among block officials, leading to more extensive project implementation. Pro-active district administrations can also develop these water bodies I through interventions like such as bund strengthening, plantations of fruit trees maintained by SHGs through MGNREGA and the promotion of fisheries/ water chestnut cultivation , thus creating new livelihood opportunities for local communities.

Role of NGOs: In 2024, over 450 NGOs participated in the GDGS roll out. Once appointed by district authorities, NGOs are responsible for:

• Mobilising communities and engaging farmers, raising awareness of silt benefits.

• Deploying resources for real-time data collection and monitoring across intervention areas.

• Coordinating with district-level nodal officers to ensure smooth execution.

Leveraging existing government schemes, using the existing model template for implementation and embracing available open-source technology tools from prioritisation to data analysis, and fostering collaboration between stakeholders, will enable many more farmers like Mr. Deshmukh and Mr. Shinde to lead a better life.

The author is a Senior Manager at the A.T.E. Chandra Foundation -  a technical and knowledge partner to the Government of Maharashtra, supporting the implementation of the GDGS through open-source technology tools and supporting the PMU.