The village Devpimpalgaon is situated in Jalna district of Maharashtra state. The village lies in the drought prone area and was neglected as regards to development. The Village was like any other village situated in Drought Prone Areas of Deccan Plateau. Meagre and uncertain rainfall averaging 700 mm degraded lands, absence of vegetative cover and victim of severe soil erosion. However marginal may be the agriculture in the region, it was still the main-stay of the people. The drought cycle was becoming shorter. It also continued for years. The environment and ecological balance in the area was shattered. Dev‑Pimpalgaon (Dist Jalna) during 1974‑76 after the big drought. This work could show respectful impact by 1978. MSSM started promoting the approach and making it more people-based in the early eighties. The word to go was, development in such areas can only be achieved through regeneration of the environment, in which afforestation and provisions of other vegetative cover is provided through soil and water conservation. Integrated water resource development was planned and achieved through topographical survey, contour; water harvesting, recharge, contour cultivation, tillage and conjunctive use of water. The story of Devpimpalgaon is the documentary of such a development; an experiment in regeneration of environment.
In the year 1973-74 the area was affected with severe drought causing extreme scarcity of fodder and water. At this stage the people of Devpimpalgaon approached Marathwada Sheti Sahayya Manadal (MSSM), for some form of work. MSSM, while arranging for ‘Food for Work’, undertook water conservation measures by proposing a percolation tank in northen oart of the village. MSSM then requested AFPRO Geohydrological Investigation Team (GIT) for survey and site selection. The percolation tank was financed by OXFAM, an International Development Aid Agency. With the construction of the tank, the wells located downstream of the tank had raised watertable in succeeding years, making irrigation possible within area commanded by the wells. This was the beginning of realization by the people of Devpimpalgaon, that water conservation measures could result in benefit for the villagers. The year after, as requested by people of Devpimpalgaon, MSSM and AFPRO undertook survey and planning for water resource development and land use with the aim of ‘agricultural development’. The plan envisaged as follows :- |
The phenomenon in Devpimpalgaon was that people were interested in such a development. People’s need, social action and technical inputs had all facets to set towards the experiment in integrated water resources development and land use in drought prone areas. Financial support was leveraged through Swiss Development Cooperation in April 1980. Estimated cost for ‘phase I’ was Rs 30.00 lakhs with a component of Rs 9.00 lakhs as contribution from villagers’ or other donors. Devpimpalgaon comprises of 1,414.40 hectare, of which 1,280.20 hectare is cultivable area with the then population of 1,200 consisting of 243 small and marginal farmers. |
It was assumed that the above plan will be completed in phase I of the project by 1982 resulting in better economic returns and improvement in the standard of living and generate development for phase II, comprising of animal husbandry and dairy, poultry and such other cottage units through own resources or bank finance. |
