New Delhi, May 30, 2024: A water conservation project initiated by Rotary Club to improve water resource management and farming practices has been awarded a grant of USD 2 million to help farmers in India.
‘Partners for Water Access and Better Harvests in India’ is Rotary’s fourth Programs of Scale recipient – an annual competitive grant process that awards US$2 million to an evidence-based program that aligns with one of Rotary’s causes and has the capability for scaling-up to help more people. The programs are sponsored by Rotary members in collaboration with local communities and partner organisations.
With limited irrigation facilities in India, many farmers are dependent on rainfall, leaving them vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Extreme weather events like droughts, floods, and storms affect soil fertility, crop yields and livestock production – all of which have led to reduced productivity and income for farmers.
To improve water resource management and farming practices in India, the Rotary club-led initiative is making significant strides to help farmers improve their harvests, increase yields, and raise their incomes to help them enhance conditions for their families and create more resilient communities.
Rotary members, experts and technical advisors will collaborate with local and national governments to strengthen farmers’ capacity at the community level in four states – Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
The program aims to increase groundwater tables by 10-15 per cent each year, extend the area of cultivation by 20-30 per cent by increasing the availability of water, improve the incomes of approximately 60,000 farmers by an estimated 25-30 per cent, introduce drip irrigation to reduce soil erosion on 4,113 hectares (more than 10,000 acres) of land by planting native species and fruit trees.
“In a country where only 50 per cent of the arable land is irrigated, I have seen the plight of farmers who pray fervently to the rain gods so that they may have enough bountiful harvest and enough income to survive till the next crop. I have seen the distress in families of the marginalised farmers in years of failed monsoons. Making more water available is the panacea for the more than half of the population that subsists on agriculture,” said Sudhanshu Pachisia, Club President of the program sponsor Rotary Club of Delhi Premier.
Throughout India, Rotary clubs have supported the construction of rainwater harvesting structures and improved irrigation, which allow farmers to harvest crops more than once per year and increase yields.
“Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Delhi Premier and their partners for taking action on their vision to empower rural communities in India to improve their crops and increase their yields through water security and climate-resilient practices,” said Rotary International President Gordon McInally. “With these life-saving and sustainable innovations, farmers can now begin to plant the seeds for a healthier and more hopeful future,” he said.
Rotary members throughout the world develop and implement sustainable, community-driven projects that fight disease, promote peace, provide clean water, support education, help mothers and children, grow local economies and protect the environment. Over the last 100 years, USD 5.5 billion has been awarded through The Rotary Foundation – Rotary’s charitable arm that helps clubs work together to perform meaningful, impactful service.
Bharat Pandya, Trustee, The Rotary Foundation, said, “As People of Action focused on increasing impact, Rotary members invest in relationships, make decisions grounded in evidence, and mobilize their networks to create solutions that last. Programs of Scale is an effort to implement sustainable projects that empower our communities and create measurable impact. I’m very proud that this year’s Program of Scale has been awarded to Rotary Club of Delhi Premier in India for addressing the issue of water scarcity and its impact on agriculture and livelihoods of farmers. The grant will help the club in bringing a change, advancing environmental sustainability, and ensuring a brighter future for rural communities in India.”
Mayank Gandhi, Managing Trustee at Global Vikas Trust, said, “I congratulate the Rotary Club of Delhi Premier for getting this prestigious grant to help the farmers of India. We know that it is the poorest of the poor that bear the greatest brunt of the climate crisis, and we at Global Vikas Trust believe that the only way to transform their lives is by sustainable agriculture at scale. We have been planting trees and working on water conservation for several years now, and through this association with Rotary, we hope to help thousands of farmers in one of the worst-hit areas of India, which is drought-prone, poverty-ridden and reports some of the highest numbers of farmer suicides. We look forward to working together on this collaboration and hope that we can impact the lives of farmers significantly in the long term.”
Sharad Jaipuria, Chairman of PHD Rural Development Foundation said, “PHD Rural Development Foundation in partnership with Rotary looks forward to empowering farming communities in remote rain-fed rural India. The partnership will focus on climate resilient agricultural practices to improve the socio-economic conditions of 30,000 farmers, with 45 percent being women, by diversifying to high value crops like fruit plantations and multilayer vegetable farming, along with groundwater recharge by generating a water potential of more than 10.45 million Cubic feet through sustainable natural resource management. The project will be executed in an integrated community participatory approach in collaboration with the Government; with the community being one of the key stakeholders."
Prasanna Khemariya, CEO, Self-Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action (SRiJAN), said, “We are pleased announce SRIJAN's partnership with the Rotary Club of Delhi Premier to empower women farmers and foster sustainable livelihoods in Jhansi and Niwari districts. Through our combined efforts in water conservation, climate-smart agriculture, and livelihood initiatives, we aim to benefit 1500 women farmers and facilitate the plantation of 7000 trees. This project will create eight crore litres of water potential, transforming 700 acres of agricultural land. Together, we are committed to driving positive change and creating a resilient, prosperous future for rural communities.”
