Maharashtra: Water Conservation Efforts Of District Police Help A Drought Hit Village To Become Water Surplus

In an awe-inspiring move, Pimpalner, a local police station in Tadsona village in Beed district of Maharashtra has adopted a drought-struck village, in order to help the villagers and farmers.

Tantamukht village

Maharashtra, on the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar in April 2019, became the first state in the country to enact a law banning social boycott. This model law was implemented by the state government to tackle caste-based atrocities and curb powers wielded by extra-judicial institutions such as community panchayats.

After being declared ‘‘Tantamukht (dispute free)’, the Beed police adopted Tadsona village and took the responsibility of efficient water management in the dry state. While a few years ago, the village was lush green and had cattle in abundance owned by farmers, but after the droughts, the farmers and villagers were compelled to sell their livestock as they ran out of resources to maintain the cattle.

While speaking to The Logical Indian, IPS Harssh A Poddar, Superintendent Of Police, Beed district said: “Cattle rearing was one of the main sources of income for villagers apart from agriculture. By this summer, almost 70% of the cattle in the village were sold.”

The beds of the streams irrigating the village had become silted with impervious rocks. This prevented percolation of water underground, causing the aquifers to dry up.

“To combat the water problem, the district police and the Pimpalner police station launched a desiltation campaign to remove silt for rivers using excavation tools and machines,” Poddar said.

“The aim was to ensure that water stays in the village and that the soil is able to retain it without any restrictions,” he added.

As a result of the combined efforts of the villagers and the police, not only did the village get access to water but also recorded a surplus of the resource. Tadsona, a village which did not have water for basic consumption is now capable of providing water to neighbouring villages for consumption and use.

This also helped villagers buy cattle and maintain it for their running sources of income.

“Recording excess water, the farmers could also grow crops like sugarcane which are water-thirsty crops. This marked a change in the cropping pattern in the village and helped farmers achieve a better livelihood and gain profits,” Poddar told The Logical Indian.

This initiative by the Beed police has been one of the many initiatives that the district police took to serve the people of Maharashtra in a better way.

As Maharashtra was preparing for its assembly polls, the Beed Police also made an awareness video on educating people of the state to vote fearlessly. The video shows how people are threatened to vote and teaches voters how voting is not only a constitutional right but also a civic responsibility.

“Don’t let yourself be threatened, don’t let yourself be bribed, don’t sell your right. These elections, come forth and vote. We are there for you day and night,” Beed Police send out a strong message to all the voters in the state.

In several courageous initiatives by the Superintendent of Police of Beed, Harssh A Poddar, and the entire district police, the people in the state are reminded of their power to vote and assured of strict action against corrupt leaders.

Also Read: The Water Paradox: How Earlier Drought And Now Rains Are Killing People In Maharashtra