Wadgaon Mahure: A booming village in Amaravati District, Maharastra, India
Author: Dr Deepak Acharya

No days you can borrow,
No time you can buy.
Don't trust in tomorrow,
It's a lie.

-Don Mclean

Villagers in Wadgaon Mahure believe in present. This village is emerging as one the most wide-vision village in Amaravati District of Maharastra. Residents of the village are looking forward for development and scientific activities in their village. They are heading toward making a landmark.

I had been to Wadgaon Mahure village in March’ 04 for conducting a training on medicinal plants organized by Department of Biotechnology, Amaravati University, Maharastra. I came across few facts about the awareness among the people and infrastructure of the village.

WADGAON MAHURE: It is a sub-urban village in Amaravati District of Maharastra state. Wadgaon Mahure is situated at Amaravati – Nagpur road about 10 km away from Amaravati.

*FEW FACTS ABOUT THE VILLAGE:

- The village belongs to Amaravati Block.
- Gram Panchayat of the village was established in 1956.
- Population of the village is 1912 (as per the year 1992 census)
- Other Backward Castes like Madis and Patels dominate the population.
- Total population of Scheduled Caste (Boudhha) and Scheduled Tribes (Bhoi and Banjara) are 500 and 87 respectively.
- Main agriculture crop includes: Cotton, Orange, Soybean and Tuar
- One school upto class 8th is run by the Jilha Parishad (District Council).
- One sub-centre clinic (Hospital) is run by Jilha Parishad.
- Number of total public well in the village is 6, whereas, there are 125 personal wells.
- There are 2 public tap and 8 water hand-pumps in the village.

*IMPORTANT PUBLIC CAMPAIGNS IN THE VILLAGE:

- Sant Gadge Baba Gram Swachyata Abhiyan (Village Sanitation Campaign)
- Rastra Sant Tukdoji Maharaj Swachh Gram Abhiyan (Village Sanitation Campaign)
- Samajik Vaniki Abhiyan (Social Forestry programmes)
- Water conservation by making stop dams
- Complete Biotech Village

*IMPORTANT AWARDS WON BY THE PANCHAYAT

- Fal-Utpadan Puruskar (Fruit Production Award)
- Best Gram Panchayat award for Sanitation Campaign in the year 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.

*Source: Gram Panchayat, Wadgaon Mahure, Amaravati District, Maharastra

SWACHYATA ABHIYAN (VILLAGE SANITATION CAMPAIGN)

Village societies have been responsible for growing awareness of the importance of cleanliness among the children and common men of the village. These village societies have been concerned mainly with local activities. The society does organize meetings and then villagers are encouraged to work. The works mainly involve: white washing of the office walls/ homes, road sweeping, water tank cleaning, drainage cleaning, water purification, well cleaning, eradication of alien plants from areas where they have invaded etc. Group discussion, play performance (Nukkad), drawing and poetry writing competitions are also organized for awareness generation. Major constraint is FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS.

ROLE OF AMARAVATI UNIVERSITY:

In the year 2002, Department of Biotechnology of Amaravati University adopted this village as Biotech village. University has been involved in awareness generating activities among the villagers. University is trying to set a basic Biotech infrastructure in the village. Villagers are walking hand in hand with the Department of Biotechnology of the varsity. Farmers are encouraged to cultivate medicinal plants and advised to use biofertilizers. A garden of medicinal plant is also being set up by the department with the cooperation of the villagers. Farmers are employing methods of vermiculture. Things are changing very fast. They (villagers) want something new in their day-to-day life. They participate in workshops and training programmes conducted by the University. Department of Biotechnology had organized a training programme on BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT in the year 2003. As much as 100 farmers from the Wadgaon Mahure village participated in the training programme. It was a huge success. Farmers came to university to learn methodology for implementing biotechnology in their village, and now, University people with some experts from outside of the university heading towards the village to show and implement the biotechnological approaches in the village.

AIMS BEHIND THE BIOTECH VILLAGE PROGRAMME

- to develop awareness attitude and skills among the children and village folk
- to encourage and involve the village community to participate in biotech related activities
- to teach the community about the proper utilization, cultivation of medicinal plants and conservation of endangered species
- to make the people aware of various methods of environmental improvement

This LAB to FIELD technology is going to set a mark in village success. “By the end of year 2008, this village will be a sign of success. In the months ahead, we will bring conservation practitioners and policymakers to the village. And we will continue to expand our biotech efforts, as well as links to many of our partners in biotechnology for the development of this village” says Dr MK Rai, Head, Department of Biotechnology.

More than 25 farmers are making vermi-compost. They have started avoiding chemical fertilizers. Farmers want to cultivate medicinal plants in their fields. University is taking help of experts from CFRHRD (Centre for Forest Research and Human Resource Development) Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. According to Dr P B Meshram, Scientist from CFRHRD, “Villagers of Wadgaon Mahure want to make a difference. They have a desire to learn and do something new. We shall help them in this context. We are ready to provide them training and resources.”

Department of Biotechnology, headed by Dr M K Rai, is keenly looking towards the developmental processes in the village. Dr N J Chikhale, Dr P A Wadegaonkar and Dr Mrs Ramteke of the same department are trying their hard to make this village an ideal one. Village head (Sarpanch) Mrs. Pushpa Tai Mahore and Village Secretary Mr P B Nichade are also among the people who wish to make Wadgaon Mahure an Ideal Village. “We want to send our farmers to CFRHRD for learning medicinal plant cultivation methods. We are working in this way.” Says Mr Nichade. Village-Head Mrs Pushpa Tai is happy with the efforts made by University people.

WRAP UP OF THE STORY

The village development by Universities and educational institutes has been a topic of discussion. But less implementation has been made outside the academic institutions. There is a pressing need of non-formal education because it is the powerful way to create awareness, percolate knowledge and develop skills among the people to conserve environment and use of newer scientific approaches for the betterment of villages. Government institutions, Universities and NGOs working in the field of village development programmes may play vital role in achieving the target. We must emphasize on “eco-friendly and economically viable” way of village development. Awareness could be generated not only by teaching villagers but also by involving them and involving ourselves also in their day-to-day life. Thus, scientific approaches may open up new doors for the conservation of environment and development of remote areas of the country. Efforts by Amaravati University and Gram Panchayat should be appreciated. Government agencies and NGOs should come forward to help them.

“Nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.”

- Arthur Balfour

ACKNOWLEDMENT

I am thankful to Dr M K Rai, Head, Department of Biotechnology, Amaravati University, Maharstra for encouragement. I am grateful to Dr AK Patra, Director, CFRHRD for giving me a chance to deliver a lecture in village Wadgaon Mahure. Thanks are also due to Mr P B Nichade, Village Secretary, Wadgaon Mahure for providing some valuable information.







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Dr Deepak Acharya, MSc PhD, a Botanist from Chhindwara has been doing herbal research in Patalkot since 5 years. He has been involved in several environmental activities. He has given trainings to various villagers for self establishment. His research interests include: Microbiology, Ethnobotany and Environmental Education; He has Published 20 research papers and more than 100 popular articles in various Journals/ magazines/ newspapers/ websites of repute.

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