Kritadnya

In 2015-16, the state of Maharashtra witnessed yet another drought within a span of 3 years. It was a natural calamity of disastrous proportions. It affected public life in many ways throughout Maharashtra and its adjoining parts. The drought not only affected; it left a long lasting impression on the ecology (flora, fauna, land and lives) of the affected areas.

RSS Jankalyan Samiti, prominently known for its service orientation and disaster management, got ready to fight this menace and started its planning and preparations in November-2015 itself.

By the end of January-2016 it managed to take up various programs and projects required for countering the drought. Consequently as of now, over 325 villages from 11 district across Maharashtra got benefits of its relief measures which include water conservation (river bed development), fodder for livestock (fodder camps), free distribution of water storage tanks, supply of drinking water in affected Latur city and surrounding villages and arranging water sources for birds and animals.

RSS Jankalyan Samiti could mobilize sizable manpower both, from its regular pool of social workers and local populace. As a principal, it confirms, that every relief work it does, should have substantial participation of the locals, both in terms of cash and kind i.e. the locals should share some part of the project cost and have physical participation in relief work by offering their own labor on the sites being developed for them.

Jankalyan Samiti’s efforts had support from all strata of society viz., individuals, groups, unions, corporates, education institutions, banks and many others. This overwhelming response and reposed trust from different strata of society is always a great source of inspiration.

It is worth noting that Jankalyan Samiti is presently running 1042 service units across Maharashtra excluding Vidarbha.

Dear well-wisher and supporter; in a bid to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support and to keep you apprised of developments on the work being done and our future plans; we are reaching you through the booklet “Kritadnya” with a hope of progressively continuing our relationship which alone can do miracles in the area of social work and during natural calamities. The excerpts of this booklet are given here-below.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely

Dr. Ravindra Satalkar (President) Shailendra Borkar (Secretary)

 RSS-Jankalyan Samiti (Maharashtra Prant)

Drought Relief Measures

-An Overview

• Benefits to 325 villages from 11 affected districts

Districts: Latur, Beed, Dharashiv (Osmanabad), Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Parbhani, Jalna, Solapur, Satara, Ahmednagar, Nashik and Pune

• Water Conservation Mini Projects: in 30 villages from 10 districts
• Fodder Camps: in 16 villages from 8 districts. Over 12000 livestock were served subsidized fodder for 3-months.
• Water Storage Tanks: 270 villages / towns were given water storage tanks of 2000/5000 liters storage capacity.
• Drinking water Supply: 52 villages / towns were supplied regular drinking water through tankers.
• Water facility for birds and flocks of wild animals at twelve places in Beed district.
• Drinking water stall for pilgrims at Tuljapur (A holy city)
• RO units provided to 3 villages in Solapur district.
• Annapurna: Meals provided free of cost to needy students from drought hit villages in Dharashiv (Osmanabad) district.

Herculean role in an ambitious project of deepening river bed of Manjara River in Latur district.

Funds raising campaigns organized in cities.

• 2400 workers of Jankalyan Samiti engaged for three months.
• Total funds raised: Rs.6.00 crore
• Total Value of work completed: approx. Rs.6.00 crore.

Water conservation projects in villages

Facts before undertaking the task:

Drought hit villages experienced acute water shortage due to drying off of streams and rivers flowing through these villages. Jankalyan Samiti felt that the right approach to solve this perineal problem would be to rejuvenate the resources.

What Jankalyan Samiti planned and enacted:

It undertook water conservation projects in consultation with experts. Work done under water conservation was; deepening, widening, strengthening and desilting of water bodies such as reservoirs, streams and rivers.

Project sites were chosen based on the Participation of villagers and acuteness of water scarcity. On an average Rs. 10 to Rs. 12 lakh were spent on each of these project sites. Villagers participated happily and shared partial costs as margin. (30 villages from 10 districts got benefit).

Jalyukta Latur (Latur-with sufficient water) Water for all

Ground situation in Latur before undertaking the task.

Latur has earned, over a period a bad name as regards its public water supply due to irregular and unreliable supply system. Residents of Latur perennially face acute shortage. It has been in the news for the water trains which supplied water. Public water supply system was disintegrated and Latur city had to rely on private tankers for its daily use of water.

What Jankalyan Samiti planned and enacted:

Jankalyan samiti and Art of Living workers thought over the problems of Latur and planned accordingly to provide a permanent solution to Latur’s water storage woes. Consensus was evolved on an ambitious project of deepening, widening and other ways of modifying the flow of Manjara River. An Action Committee comprising of prominent persons was formed under able leadership of Dr. Ashokrao Kukde, a devoted social worker. This project was named as `Jalyukta Latur` i.e. Latur-with sufficient water. As per this plan; a river bed of 18 kms length was to be widened to 80 meters deepened to 3-meters. Actual work done was 11 Kms length X 80-meters wide X 3-meters deep.

This landmark project was executed with precision and completed in the decided time-frame. Residents of Latur supported the project by contributing a record Rs. 1.50 crore to the project fund. Support from the public was outstanding. Jalyukta–Latur has become a people’s movement now. This project has earned reputation as a pilot project in this field.

For survival of cattle

Facts on this project:

Farmers from drought hit areas were concerned about the survival of their cattle and other livestock as there was no fodder available to feed them.

What Jankalyan Samiti planned and enacted:

It started 16 fodder camps throughout 8 districts of Latur, Dharashiv (Osmanabad), Beed, Solapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar and Pune. 12000 cattle was served fodder for over three months. Entire working was very systematic and farmers friendly. A board displaying number of cattle served on that day and till that day, stock of fodder available and its cost got prominently displayed daily for easy understanding by the beneficiaries. Fodder camp at Pimpalkhunte under Solapur district was biggest serving 2100 cattle.

Water storage tanks to villages on demand:

Due to lack of water storage facility many Tandas (Banjara dwellings), Wadis and smaller villages suffered a lot. There was a practice of pouring water in dry well which was later lifted by villagers. This system used to cause loss of water due to absorption and evaporation.

What Jankalyan Samiti planned and enacted:

Jankalyan Samiti started providing water storage tanks of 2000 to 5000 liters  to these villagers on demand. 140 tanks of 5000 liters and 130 tanks of 2000 liters capacity were installed in villages. Cost of installing was borne by the beneficiaries.

Caring Through Sharing—Urban Sensitivity.

Drought relief measures required a huge funding. Jankalyan Samiti approached urban centers viz. Metros and Cities and appealed them to contribute at large. Jankalyan Samiti`s appeal got overwhelming response from Pune, Mumbai and other cities.

Pune citizens organized a funds collection campaign between 24^th April and 1^st May 2016. Hundreds of workers belonging to Jankalyan Samiti and other organizations carried door to door campaign. On the first day 52 facilitation centers were opened wherein Pune residents donated sizable amounts. Various companies, industries, education institutions, banks, credit co-operative societies, traders and their associations came forward to offer their donations.

Mumbai based BKT donated Rs.15.00 lakh for a specific cause of 82 storage tanks. Capgemini a donated Rs.18.00 lakh for “Jalyukta-Latur” project. On hearing Jankalyan Samiti`s active role and effective working `Mahindra Conveyor` donated Rs.2.50 lakh. Pune based education institute Balaji Institute donated Rs. 10.00 lakh, Vivekanand Education Society from Mumbai donated Rs.12.00 lakh, Maharashtra Education society and Deccan Education Society too contributed sizable funds. Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd. Pune, Janseva Bank Pune, Kalyan Janata Bank, Thane Janata Sahakari Bank, Dombivali Nagari Sahakari Bank, Sampada Bank Pune and Solapur Janata Bank donated handsomely. Their employees also individually contributed for this cause. Besides these corporate houses like Praj Industries, Paranjape Autocast .etc. donated through their CSR initiatives.

IndusInd Bank chose Jankalyan Samiti as its implementing agency for its proposed water conservation project at a village in Satara district for which the estimated cost was Rs.50.00 lakh. “All Script” an IT company channelized its CSR funds through Jankalyan Samiti for a water conservation project at Kharola village in Latur district.

Snapshots:

• During funds collection campaigns, workers of Jankalyan Samiti experienced that people look upon Jankalyan Samiti with a hope and trust; it was an acknowledgement to Jankalyan Samiti for the work it has done so far.
• Shri Pradipji Naik, Sanghachalak of Yerwada Zone of Pune Mahanagar started fund collection campaign by donating his own share of Rs.1.00 lakh to Jankalyan Samiti.
• “JALYUKT – Latur” got a huge response from the residents of Latur; the contributors were small donors right from a road-side ‘banana seller’ from Latur city to big business houses; Latur garnered Rs.1.50 crore funds in a systematically organized drive.
• Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Sanstha`s teaching and non-teaching staff donated one day`s salary worth Rs.5.50 lakh to our Drought Relief Fund. Besides this amount teachers collected donations from public and together with their own collection they paid a sum of Rs.16.28 lakh to this noble cause.
• Aakash Kumbhar, a physically challenged youth rose to the occasion. He organized a road show on his own and appealed public for donations which he handed over to Jankalyan Samiti.
• Other examples worth mentioning: i) Shri Chetan Walimbe handed over a sum, on the auspicious occasion of his own marriage. Similarly Shri Hiraman Jagtap and Shri Madhukarrao Patil paid donations for Drought Relief on the occasion of their respective daughters` marriages.
• A beggar woman at Ghodbunder, Thane, handed over Rs.100/ from her tiny income on that day to Jankalyan Samiti workers whom she was observing collecting funds through a systematic campaign.

Media Participation:

Drought Relief Measures undertaken by Jankalyan Samiti were duly noticed by the media. Photos and featured articles appeared in the Newspapers covering our efforts and peoples responses. Due to media support, people from remote parts of state could get information about our efforts. Radio and News channels also relayed news, reports and publicized these sincere efforts. Media was at the helm of spreading reputation of good job carried at various centers.

IBN Lokmat felicitated Shri. Anil Mohite, Vice-President of Ahmednagar unit of Jankalyan Samiti by conferring on `Panidar Manoos` meaning Man for water.