THE INITIATIVE

• Innovative utilisation of wastelands

THE BENEFICIARIES

• Villagers and farmers residing within a 400 acre radius in Dudhai village, Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh

THE CHALLENGE

• Quarrying activity which was forcing farmers to abandon agriculture and migrate to urban areas
• Acute water scarcity
• Ensuring availability of water for agricultural operations

THE SOLUTION

• NABARD extended support of ` 11.84 lakh to the Pragya Mahila Bal Kalyan Gramodhyog Sewa Sansthan for a unique area-specific project which aimed to improve agricultural productivity by recharging groundwater in abandoned mines
• 2 abandoned sandstone mines were transformed into large water reservoirs by cleaning and channelling them
• Ensuring community participation in project design and implementation

THE IMPACT

• Increased agricultural yield due to availability of water during monsoons and winter
• Reduction in migration of the local workforce
• Reclamation of abandoned agricultural land
• Reduction in the mortality rate of livestock due to availability of drinking water