|
The purpose of the Vocational Training Team exchange is to study water management needs in the Tribal Regions of Nasik where water as a natural resource is plentiful in the monsoon season, tribal families lack the means to capture the water and store it for use throughout the dry season.
Recognizing that in Texas, whose climate and geography are similar to that of the Nasik region, members of a team from Nasik, India can benefit by studying techniques Texas engineers and water management experts have developed. Conversely, a team from Texas can work closely with Nasik RC representatives in identifying best locations and practices for capturing the water during the monsoon season, storing the water and ultimately arranging to transport that water to needed locations for drinking, hygiene and irrigation of crops.
Members of the Rotary Club of Nasik and a member of the Lewisville Morning RC in Texas, have performed a needs analysis in the areas Peth, Surgana, Trimbakeshwar and Igatpuri in Nashik district. Rotarians visited these areas, spoke to tribal leaders and learned where their water management efforts can most benefit these people.,
Background:
As is the case with most parts of our country with hilly terrain, the case of almost all villages in some talukas such as Peth, Surgana, Trimbakeshwar and Igatpuri in Nashik district, is very peculiar. In these areas, there is very heavy rainfall in the monsoon season, but due to the terrain and geological strata, all this precious rainwater flows off to the low lying areas and in some cases in the neighboring state. In spite of the heavy rainfall, these villages are left high & dry with no water left for even drinking purpose, let alone farming, etc. in the periods of summer season. As there is no water for farming or any other activity there is no work left for the youth & other earning members of these villages. Hence they migrate to the cities in the vicinity to earn a living. Such is the effect of scarcity of water, migration is common in these areas and the villages are left only with the live stalk animals and older people to look after these animals.
Approximately 28% of the Nasik regional population of 6.5 million inhabitants live in these tribal regions.
Hence approximately 1.8 million inhabitants live a life of poverty driven by lack of water. The needs analysis performed indicate that a focus on the area of water management techniques in the villages of Peth Taluka which has a severe problem of water scarcity in summers as discussed earlier. Zeroing in on a smaller area, which is around 75 kms from Nashik, we focussed on a small cluster of around six villages called Kalampada, Lavhali, Sadadpada, Ranvihir, Kelvihir and Khokartale for working on water conservation. Also another village called Zari was selected.
Tentative projects were discussed that involved erecting check dams in specific areas. It is our intention to adopt the techniques and observations of similar albeit larger projects done in the Texas area and apply those best practices in the villages listed above.
We plan to have a team of 8 participants inbound from Nasik region and 7 participants outbound to evaluate the areas being considered.
| 
