This is a story, a true story about a village called Hiware Bazar in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. This story begins a few decades back, in the 1970s. In order to have a picture of this village in mind you can recollect the similar village of 'Champaner' in the film 'Lagaan'. This village lies in the rain shadow region of Maharashtra with an annual rainfall of around 400mm (Kerala gets an annual rainfall of more than 3000mm). In 1972, a severe drought affected this village and the inhabitants entered into abject poverty. There was a mass exodus and the villagers started to live on daily wages in the nearby cities. The village was caught in the scourge of alcoholism and started to witness frequent brawls and violence. Female foeticide became rampant in the village in the following years. Agricultural land started to diminish and water became scarce. Crime rate increased. A sense of hopelessness prevailed throughout.
This story begins to turn around in 1989 when the only post graduate of the village, Popatrao Pawar, decides to stay in the village in spite of the opposition by his family members. He stood in the panchayat election and was elected as the sarpanch almost unopposed. What Hiware Bazar experienced next was its unimaginable transformation. Knowing the fact that social change is imperative for economic development, all the 22 liquor shops which existed in the village were closed down. Inspired from the self sustainable model of Ralegaon Siddhi of Anna Hazare, he began the watershed management programme with the aim that not even a single rain drop should go waste in the village. Bunds, percolation tanks and check dams were built. Water intensive crops and grazing of cattle were banned to save water. Community farming was encouraged. Even the uncultivable land was converted into cultivable ones by rigorous ploughing. Dairy farming got strengthened. A government school which was non functional got renovated. In order to change the climatic conditions around 10 lakh trees were planted and the annual temperature got reduced by 2 degrees. Schemes were introduced to bring gender equality. Expenses of every second girl child was borne completely by the village. Health schemes and sanitation facilities were introduced. Energy management also began later on.
Today, Hiware Bazar is inhabited by around 235 families, none of them below poverty line. It has now a per capita income of Rs 30,000 per month and has 60 millionaires. The village experienced heavy reverse migration in the last couple of decades. Number of girls in the village today is almost same as that of boys. Cement houses and clean roads are present in the village today. Every house here has a toilet. Hygiene in the village makes it almost free of any communicable disease. Cultivable area has increased several folds here. Milk production has increased almost 10 times in the last two decades. Around 32 students in the village today study medicine. This village has won number of awards both nationally and internationally. Several villages in India today try to adopt this development model.
I don't think that i need to tell you about what this story infers and I hope that you liked it!
This story begins to turn around in 1989 when the only post graduate of the village, Popatrao Pawar, decides to stay in the village in spite of the opposition by his family members. He stood in the panchayat election and was elected as the sarpanch almost unopposed. What Hiware Bazar experienced next was its unimaginable transformation. Knowing the fact that social change is imperative for economic development, all the 22 liquor shops which existed in the village were closed down. Inspired from the self sustainable model of Ralegaon Siddhi of Anna Hazare, he began the watershed management programme with the aim that not even a single rain drop should go waste in the village. Bunds, percolation tanks and check dams were built. Water intensive crops and grazing of cattle were banned to save water. Community farming was encouraged. Even the uncultivable land was converted into cultivable ones by rigorous ploughing. Dairy farming got strengthened. A government school which was non functional got renovated. In order to change the climatic conditions around 10 lakh trees were planted and the annual temperature got reduced by 2 degrees. Schemes were introduced to bring gender equality. Expenses of every second girl child was borne completely by the village. Health schemes and sanitation facilities were introduced. Energy management also began later on.
Today, Hiware Bazar is inhabited by around 235 families, none of them below poverty line. It has now a per capita income of Rs 30,000 per month and has 60 millionaires. The village experienced heavy reverse migration in the last couple of decades. Number of girls in the village today is almost same as that of boys. Cement houses and clean roads are present in the village today. Every house here has a toilet. Hygiene in the village makes it almost free of any communicable disease. Cultivable area has increased several folds here. Milk production has increased almost 10 times in the last two decades. Around 32 students in the village today study medicine. This village has won number of awards both nationally and internationally. Several villages in India today try to adopt this development model.
I don't think that i need to tell you about what this story infers and I hope that you liked it!
