Bajaj Water conservation Project

Project background 

Under the Corporate Social Responsibility activities of Bajaj Group, the Bajaj Water conservation Project (BWCP) is under implementation in 22 drought prone villages in Gangapur block of Aurangabad district. AFPRO is working from 2017 onwards with Bajaj Auto Ltd. to support the overall aim of BWCP to cover an area of 59,830 ha (13000 ha through AFPRO project) addressing the need for water conservation and increasing the water availability in the project areas. The major highlights of the project are its unique model of community participation through means of cash and kind both, use of satellite images and remote sensing for thematic mapping, Institutional development and structured monitoring & evaluation procedures. Also, Government participation has been ensured through convergence with the Department of Agriculture, Soil & Water Conservation Department, etc.  in their various ongoing schemes in the project region. This project is running in the fourth year and till date 17 villages have become tanker free (earlier they were dependent on water tanker supply for drinking water) and total 2000 TCM water storage capacity has been created through various interventions under Water Resource Development. The overall objective is improving lives of people through integrated approach for water and livelihood enhancement in the selected villages.

Objective of the programme:

To build the capacities and promote effective functioning of water centric CBOs to undertake planning, implementation and post project management; To enhance the physical access of water on the farm and expand cultivable area under protective irrigation through improved on-farm water use efficiency through precision irrigation; To achieve drinking water security in project villages through sustainable ground water management; To achieve soil moisture security for the rainfed crops through in situ soil moisture conservation and arresting surface runoff. To reduce the risk of extreme climate events through promotion of climate resilient agriculture practices. To build the capacities and promote integrated pest management, Soil and nutrient management, Development of market linkages /supply chain and Promotion of decent work practices for Cotton growing farmers. To reduce the impact of water and pesticide use on human and environmental health. To improve soil health and biodiversity.

Major Interventions & Impact of the Program

Nala Deepening & Widening (NDW) work of 24.50 km nala has been completed in eight villages. Total 80914 cum work was completed under NDW and total 243 TCM water capacity has been created for storage..Desiltation of percolation tank work was completed in Nine village and total 353416 cum of fertile soil has been shifted to Agriculture land of farmers. Total 1061 TCM storage capacity has been created. Constructed three cement nālā bund in two villages; which has created 43 TCM additional water storage capacity.Four Repairing of Cement Nala Bund structures completed in Two villages; which has created 56.14 TCM additional water storage capacity. Constructed one Core wall Gabion(CWG) in one villages ;which has created 2.58 TCM additional water storage capacity. Tree plantation of 5838 plants in eight project villages which covered orchard & forest species like Mango, Guava, Lemon, Custard Apple, Bamboo and Neem tree on degraded area & farmers land with 50% contribution.

Conducted 90 training programs for farmers in all project villages on BCI program principle & criteria, decent work, fibre quality, importance of FFB & Water Management for rabbi crop.  Conducted 5 Soil health Management training program on the occasion of World Soil Health day. In total 69 project villages, conducted campaign & create awareness among village community on personal protective kits, cocktails of pesticides, decent work, major Cotton pest & management of Pink bollworm. In Maharashtra, 99 producer units have received 3 Years licenses for selling cotton as BCI Cotton from Better Cotton Initiative. Total 14 SHG trainings have been conducted in project villages and 312 members have been oriented about record keeping, importance of saving & government schemes for livelihood. Total 16 WUG trainings have been conducted in which 343 members have been participated. Total 12 VDC trainings have been conducted in which 203 members have been participated.