Maharashtra

This document deals with a study by ACWADAM of Pondhe watershed area in Maharashtra based on rapid hydrogeological mapping through field studies. Large areas of India are covered by what are called “hard rocks” that are mostly of igneous and metamorphic origin. Many arid and semi-arid regions of India obtain water supplies from groundwater stored in these rocks.

This paper by Priya Sangameswaram in the Economic and Political Weekly deals with equity in watershed development in Hivre Bazar in Western Maharashtra.

The report on “Watershed Development in Maharashtra” by Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM) ), on behalf of the Forum for Watershed Research and Policy Dialogue (ForWaRD), deals with the present scenario and issues for restructuring the programme. The concept of integrated and participatory watershed development and management has emerged as the cornerstone of rural development in the dry and semi-arid regions of India. Over the years the country has been making increasing investments in this area with the objective of enhancing the production potential of rainfed agriculture.

The paper is based on the initiatives taken by the Sangli-Miraj Kupwad Municipal Corporation (SMK-MC) in the state of Maharashtra.

This presentation deals with a case study of rainwater harvesting of Thane city of Maharashtra. It begins with a discussion of the Environmental Status Report of the Thane Municipal Corporation for the year 1999-2000 which states that all the groundwater is non potable. The authors identify the research and development needs as follows –

This case study from FAO deals with participatory watershed management at Ralegan Siddhi village in district Ahmadnagar. In recent years the notion of sustainable development has emerged as a reaction to the highly technological and centralized processes that have governed thinking on development, the green revolution being a classic example.

To develop a watershed means, conventionally, to treat this whole area in such a way so as to conserve and nurture the natural resources of the area. These natural resources chiefly include the soil and water.

The collection includes the following four case studies from India:

CEPT University has received a major grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to research urban water and sanitation issues. The aim of this programme is to develop better information on water and sanitation performance at the local level. This in turn will be used by the state and local governments for extending services to the poor, strive for financial viability, and improve reliability and quality of services.

The research will focus on the use of performance indicators and benchmarks to facilitate consistent reporting, monitoring, planning, budgeting, and investing in water and sanitation services in all urban areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra states. Lessons from the project will be disseminated to other states and at the national level.

CEPT University with its partners will work with state and local governments to develop a reliable and sustainable Performance Assessment System (PAS) for urban water and sanitation services. The PAS envisaged in this project includes: Performance Measurement, Performance Monitoring, and Performance Improvement.