TITLE: Galmukt Dharan Galyukt Shivar

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY :

The Galmukt Dharan Galyukt Shivar Yojna, initiated by the Government of Maharashtra in 2017, is a transformative program aimed at addressing critical challenges in water conservation and rural development. This innovative initiative focuses on de-silting reservoirs to enhance their water storage capacity and utilizing the nutrient- rich silt to rejuvenate agricultural lands, thereby tackling water scarcity and declining soil fertility. To date, the program has removed 2345808 cubic meters of sediment, creating 2346 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Meter) of additional water storage, ensuring reliable water availability for irrigation and drinking purposes. The initiative has yielded outstanding results, including improved soil fertility that boosts crop yields, active community participation fostering sustainable water management, and economic upliftment through increased agricultural productivity. Its unique Jan-bhagidari project (community-driven) approach empowers local stakeholders such as farmers, gram panchayats, and NGOs, ensuring ownership and widespread impact.This low-cost, high-impact model aligns perfectly with the principles of sustainable development demonstrating its scalability and replicability for other water-stressed regions.By revitalizing reservoirs and transforming farmlands, the program has profoundly improved rural livelihoods and ecological balance. The “Galmukt Dharan Galyukt Shivar Yojna” stands as a visionary blueprint for sustainable water resource management, making it an exemplary initiative deserving recognition and replication

PROBLEMS ADDRESSED :

1.      Decreasing Water Storage Capacity in Reservoirs: Silt accumulation in reservoirs reduces capacity, impacting irrigation and drinking water. GSDA reports Ahilyanagar's 2022 groundwater dropped below average.

2.   Erosion reduces soil fertility, leaving land infertile. Desilting structures hold fertile soil, yet it's underutilized for spreading, limiting land fertility improvement and farmers' cultivation expansion.

3.   Limited water and poor soil increase costs and lower yields, deepening farmer poverty. Lack of affordable silt limits soil enrichment and crop productivity improvement.

4.    To address silting issues and farmer demands, the department chose percolation tanks, K.T. Weirs, and drains for desilting, involving NGOs and proactive Grampanchayats

5.   Community participation in water conservation significantly increased over two years, enabling the department to select over 400 water bodies for desilting in 2025-26.

IMPORTANCE OF THE INITIATIVE:

Solving the water scarcity problem is crucial because access to clean and adequate water is a basic human need and fundamental right. In rural areas, the lack of proper water supply not only leads to daily hardships but also creates a cascading impact on health, education, and economic opportunities, particularly for women and girls. Women, who are the primary water collectors, spend hours every day walking long distances to fetch water. This time-consuming task affects their ability to participate in income-generating activities or community decision-making, while young girls often miss school, depriving them of education and future opportunities. Additionally, inadequate water access exacerbates health issues. Contaminated or insufficient water leads to waterborne diseases and poor hygiene practices, impacting entire communities. For farmers, unreliable water supply affects irrigation, reducing agricultural productivity and perpetuating cycles of poverty in rural areas. Resolving this issue would lead to multiple benefits, including improved health outcomes, better education for girls, and enhanced economic stability for rural families. Moreover, addressing water scarcity would empower women by reducing their daily burden and enabling them to actively contribute to community development. Ensuring sustainable and clean water access is not just a necessity—it is a transformative step toward social and economic equality, rural upliftment, and long-term environmental sustainable.

BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROJECT:

No. of Internal Beneficiaries: 40

No. of External Beneficiaries: 27000

OVERVIEW AND TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS:

The Government of Maharashtra recognized the pressing challenges of water storage and soil degradation in rural areas, prompting the launch of a comprehensive water conservation and rural development scheme in 2017. This initiative aimed to enhance water availability and restore soil health in rural communities through strategic water body management and soil enrichment.In 2023-24, the program focused on selecting 41 reservoirs, such as Paazar Talav and Kolhapur-type Bandhara, from various talukas. During this phase, 189,165 cubic meters of sediment were removed, which helped create an additional 189 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Meters) of water storage. Building on this success, the program expanded in 2024-25, selecting 114 water bodies and removing 2,156,643 cubic meters of sediment, resulting in an additional 2,157 TMC of water storage capacity. The goal for 2025-26 is to target over 400 water bodies for desilting perations to further increase water availability. De-silting operations were carried out with the involvement of NGOs and Grampanchayats, using machinery like JCBs and Poclains. In 2024, the Chandra Foundation committee from Mantralaya visited two water bodies in Kalkup Village, Parner Taluka, to monitor the progress of the desilting work. In addition to water storage improvements, the program facilitated the distribution of the removed silt to farmers. In 2023-24 and 2024-25, more than 5,850 acres of farmland benefited from the silt, enhancing soil fertility and boosting agricultural productivity. This scheme has proven vital in improving both water conservation and agricultural practices in rural Maharashtra.

KEY OBJECTIVES, GOALS, AND TARGETS OF THE PROJECT:

1.   The program selected 41 water bodies in 2023-24, removing 189,165 cubic meters of sediment, and 114 in 2024-25,enhancing water storage by 2,157 TMC

2.  Desilting of percolation tanks, K.T. Weirs, and nalla restoration in Ahilyanagar district ensured water availability for the 2024-25 Rabi season, boosting crop cultivation areas.

3.   Engage local communities, gram panchayats, and self-help groups (NGOs) in water conservation to promote ownership,accountability, and sustainable management of water resources for long-term success.

4.      In this year 2025-26 this program targeted more than 400 water bodies of our department for desilting.

PROCESS FOLLOWED FOR DEPLOYMENT OF THE PROJECT:

1.  In 2023-24, B.J.S. implemented awareness programs for Galmukt Dharan Galyukt Shivar Yojna, selecting water bodies through Grampanchayat resolutions and organizing meetings at the collector office.

2.  District Collectors select NGOs based on document verification and need. In 2023-24 and 2024-25, seven NGOs were chosen to participate in water conservation efforts

3.   The A.T.E. Chandra Foundation and Soil and Water Conservation Department developed the AVNI Gramin App, used for water body registration, work orders, and daily reporting by NGOs and Grampanchayats

CHALLENGES FACED DURING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT

1.      Land Enchronchment problems done by farmers are faced during exacavation

2.      Silt Distribution among farmers is a major task during implementation

3.      Earthmoving machinery and transportation vehicles are not regularly working at some site due to this it is time consuming for working.

4.  Site inspections should be conducted regularly by the Site Engineer. Measurements must be taken simultaneously by both the Site Engineer and NGO engineer for accuracy

5.  Government departments complete on-time observation reports, while maintaining daily records proves challenging for NGOs and Grampanchayats due to the volume and consistency required.

SPECIFIC SOLUTIONs FOR THE PROJECT

1. Water Storage Enhancement: The de-silting of reservoirs directly addresses the problem of reduced water storage capacity due to silt accumulation, ensuring better water availability for irrigation and drinking purposes.

2. The removed silt, rich in organic matter and nutrients, serves as a natural fertilizer for farmlands, reducing farmer’s dependency on chemical inputs and enhancing crop productivity.

3. The solution avoided the use of harmful chemicals or non-renewable resources, aligning with sustainable development goals.

4. Recharging of existing drinking water supply sources – Water supply schemes functioning during summer time helps the women, who are the primary water collectors, spend hours  very day walking long distances to fetch water. This time-consuming task affects their ability to participate in income-generating activities or community decision-making, while young girls often miss school, depriving them of education and future opportunities.

5. Resolving this issue would lead to multiple benefits, including improved health outcomes, better education for girls, and enhanced economic stability for rural families.

6. Moreover, addressing water scarcity would empower women by reducing their daily burden and enabling them to actively contribute to community development. Ensuring sustainable and clean water access is not just a necessity—it is a transformative step toward social and economic equality, rural upliftment, and long-term environmental sustainable

KEY RESULTS &  OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT

1.  In 2023-24, 41 water bodies were selected, removing 189,165 cubic meters of sediment, creating 189 TMC. In 2024-25, 114 bodies removed 2,156,643 cubic meters, adding 2,157 TMC.

2.   Silt distribution enhanced soil fertility, increasing crop productivity by 15-20%, especially in sugarcane, paddy, and vegetables. Farmers reduced input costs by 10-25% using silt instead of chemical fertilizers.

3.  Higher crop yields and lower input costs boosted farmer income, improving economic stability. De-silting operations also created thousands of temporary jobs, enhancing rural livelihoods.

4.   The GSDA report shows that the groundwater level in Ahilyanagar district increased by 0.75M in 2024 compared to the average October levels of the past five years.

SCALABILITY OF THE PROJECT:

1.   Department plan for this year 2025-26 is this programme targeted more than 400 water bodies of our department for desilting from different Talukas and to treat all the percolation tanks in the district to restore capacity of water holding.

2.      Observation is that comparing last year this time there is more NGOs and grampanchyats are taking initiative for working.

3.   After coordinating with agriculture department the report shows good process in crop productivity as well as crop rotation pattern by farmers.

4.      Future plan is to create more awareness among farmers for crop rotation pattern to enhance ECONOMY as well as lives .

5.      More focus on Soil Fertility Enhancement and Water Storage Capacity

REFLECTIONS OR LESSONS LEARNT:

1. Community Engagement is Key: The success of water conservation programs depends heavily on active community involvement. When local communities are involved in planning, implementation, and monitoring, there is a greater sense of

ownership, which leads to better sustainability and impact.

2. Collaboration Between Government and NGOs: Programs that see active collaboration between governmental agencies and NGOs tend to be more successful.

3. GSDA Report: According to GSDA report the ground water level of Ahilyanagar district on an average has increased by 0.75M for the year 2024 as compare to average water level in the month of October for the last 5 years.

4. Sustainability Over Time: For water conservation efforts to be truly sustainable, they must incorporate long-term planning, such as creating regular awareness programs and ensuring periodic maintenance of water structures.

5. Role of Technology: Innovative approaches, including the use of technology for better monitoring, early warning systems for droughts, and data-driven decision-making, can significantly enhance the effectiveness of water management strategies.

6. Economic and Social Benefits: Beyond the environmental benefits, successful water conservation schemes can lead to increased agricultural productivity, improved livelihoods for local farmers, and reduced migration due to drought conditions.

7. Integration of Traditional Knowledge: Often, traditional water management practices (such as rainwater harvesting and community-based water sharing systems) can complement modern techniques and lead to a more culturally sensitive and locally accepted approach.