Cleantech Solar CSR initiatives empower rural communities

Cleantech Solar – Hatkarwadi, Takalwadi, and Bhanakwadi are water-stressed villages in Maharashtra’s Beed district. Rain-fed agriculture and mono-cropping are practiced in these villages. However, due to the erratic rainfall over the last three years, several of these villages are suffering from extreme poverty and malnutrition. Here, 96% of farmers are small and marginal farmers who are unable to cope with crop failure pressures. Women, in particular, face enormous challenges. They are expected to manage household tasks, contribute financially to the family, and raise the children. Due to the pressures of failing agriculture, women from Beed frequently travel 400 kilometers away to secure livelihoods. During the peak summer season, most of these villages are often deserted as everyone travels outside for work. Lack

Cleantech Solar was eager to engage in community development activities that would benefit the local communities when it opened its 30 MWp plant in Beed in August 2021. Based on extensive consultations with local communities, Cleantech Solar decided to establish a rainwater-based stream rejuvenation program in Beed to improve the socioeconomic status of women and augment agricultural production. Cleantech Solar collaborated with Dilasa, a non-profit based in Maharashtra with prior experience working in drought-prone areas.

Cleantech Solar

Dilasa proposed building ‘Dohas,’ or rainwater harvesting structures built on river beds, as a solution to Beed’s thirst for water, along with livelihood development measures. For the deepening and construction of the ‘Doha,’ a seven-kilometer stretch of a local stream that ran through these villages was chosen. The project interventions were organized around three major themes:

• Water resource conservation and water scarcity are being addressed through innovative water-based solutions.
• Improving village access to land, water, and forests, thereby increasing the productivity of these resources
• Encourage and facilitate on-farm and off-farm enterprise development centered on women’s needs.

The program’s impact is impressive after one year of implementation (December 2021 to December 2022). Several tangible positive outcomes have resulted from the CSR project collaboration. An impact assessment of the program conducted by Dilasa revealed that the project’s financial and agricultural infrastructure support to the communities was effective in improving access to water resources, promoting livestock-based livelihoods, and assisting the communities in achieving a better standard of living that is both financially and environmentally sustainable. The following are some of the program’s key advantages:

The Dilasa team revitalized a seven-kilometer stretch of the local stream. This effort has greatly aided in the storage of rainwater and the recharge of groundwater, as evidenced by the rise in water levels.

Fodder cultivation was carried out on a 20-acre plot of local forest and farmer wasteland. This activity directly benefited approximately 100 farmers.

Farmers were encouraged to graft over 7400 saplings of local plant varieties to promote horticulture. Approximately 2400 trees were planted along the Doha’s sides. Drumstick trees, which grow quickly and provide a steady income to farmers, were also planted.

Women from 200 households received seedlings for kitchen gardens. While the majority of the vegetables were consumed in the home, over 40 women were able to grow surplus vegetables and sell them in local markets.

The project has set up two community information centers in Bhanakwadi and Hatkarwadi. Because internet connectivity and printers are now available, local communities can now access information about government schemes and services, as well as other information-related public services. Furthermore, one of these centers encourages micro-enterprise activities such as beekeeping, goat-rearing, and modern agricultural techniques to increase agricultural productivity.

This year-long project was successful in developing self-sustaining models of development that address critical issues such as water and livelihoods through women’s empowerment.

As a result, it is clear that empowering local communities and making them co-contributors in their own development process through the provision of opportunities, resources, and skills is the best way forward for rescuing farmers caught in the rural drought crisis.

Neighboring villages are also requesting that the Dilasa model be implemented in their communities. Cleantech Solar’s efforts have made the villagers happy, and they can now look forward to a water-secure future.

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