Successive years of scanty rainfall in the villages of Marathwadi and Kolhewadi, in the districts of Ahmednagar and Beed, had made the life of villagers miserable and helpless. Lack of water had changed the natural landscape of the villages. Agricultural productivity was going down, cattle were not producing enough milk, the ground water table was declining, people were migrating, and children were suffering. This was how these villages were described, until BGVK intervened with its ‘Water for All’ project.

To improve water security and water management, BGVK focused on facilitating groundwater recharge and retention of water to improve soil moisture, de-silting of the canal-bed, increasing green cover, laying a pipeline to the village. Along with the pipeline, BGVK completed an excavation of 2 check dams for de-silting and recharging village wells, and constructing 2 drinking water tanks of 10,000 liter capacity each. The local villagers provided the technical support and manual labor, while Salesian Missions gave the financial support.

Fr Rolvin D’Mello, Executive Director of Don Bosco Development Society, said during the inaugural speech: “Water for drinking and irrigation is a lifeline to people in the villages. This project is our small effort to help people improve health and income and thus lead a better quality of life.”

This project has benefited 1,200 people in two villages and saves at least 1,000 man hours daily, now used more productively. It has also made the life of village girls and women more comfortable as they traditionally have the primary responsibility of fetching water for their families.

With the groundwater level in the villages improved, water is now available for drinking as well as for agriculture. Fr George D’abreo, the BGVK Director who executed this project, expressed his gratitude for the cooperation and participation of the local villagers. He remarked, “Water for all is a mission for us in Marathwada. Water has given a new lease of life to these villages.”

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