PANLOT WARTA

It is the past experience that Watershed Development plays a major role in upliftment of Rural India. We have formed a Trust - CENTRE FOR MANAGEMENT OF LOCAL RESOURCES (CMLR) which works with the view to achieve the same goal. Mr. Vilasrao Salunkhe, pioneer of Pani Panchayat movement in Maharashtra and well-known personality in the world of rural development is the Chairperson of CMLR. Mr. C. M. Ketkar, who has devoted his life for two basic aspects of Rural Development namely Goat and Neem tree, is deputy Chairperson of CMLR. Other personalities are also well known in the field of Watershed Development.

Main aim of the CMLR is to work for Sustainable Development through appropriate management of land and water resources. To spread message of watershed development amongst the grass root villagers, CMLR organises workshops, seminars, slide shows and books publication etc.

VIKAS - 94 : International Workshop on Sustainable Village Based Development was organised in Pune in May 1994. About 60 participants represented 10 different countries.

PANLOT WARTA : A monthly magazine on Watershed Development was started in association with GRAMAYAN, since February 1996 to spread the message of Watershed Development and its importance in arid zones of India. PANLOT WARTA is the first magazine on Watershed Development. We have a mailing list of 2500 all over Maharashtra. According to our survey the readers are about 15,000. Panlot Warta reaches Farmers, Villagers, Social Workers, Social Organisations, Government Organisations & Officials, Researchers, MLAs and many others. Panlot Warta gives an award to a person for his/her contribution in the field of Watershed Development on 15 February (Watershed day) of every year.

CORRESPONDENCE COURSE ON WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT : CMLR runs a course on watershed development through correspondence in local language Marathi. About 105 students including 12 women, from all over Maharashtra have enrolled for this six months course.

FUTURE PLANS : We hope that Panlot Warta can be used as platform by many Organisations in the field of Watershed Development as co-ordination between different Government Agencies and Social Organisations is also important.

A P P E A L

Water Development is very important for development of India, where arid and semi arid zones are predominant. Watershed development consist of soil conservation, water conservation, forestry development, agricultural development keeping people at Centre of development. There are many government and non governmental sponsored schemes for development of watersheds all over India. At many places villagers have taken a lead and they are implementing the scheme for their own benefits.

Considering large scale implementation of watershed development programmes all over India, there has no significant change in ecosystem of villages. There are many reasons for this. But as rightly pointed out by many eminent personalities that motivation of various departmental staff, research institutes, VOs and villages is lacking out. Can we resolve that one day out of a year that should be celebrated as WATERSHED DAY, on the lines of water day, soil day, etc. On this day there will be awareness programmes, seminars, gathering of all concerned people, etc.

We at Centre for Management of Local Resources celebrate WATERSHED DAY by giving a award titled Panlot Mitra (friend of Watershed) to a person from Maharashtra on 15th February every year. This year the award giving function will be held at Ambejogai, a town in Beed district of Marathwada.

WHY 15th February - Every year in India we face scarcity of water and drought like situation in the last four month in summer. February being the first month when the situation starts getting worst. If people from villages start work on watershed development in their own villages, impact of next drought will be reduced to a great extent. For this there are many government programmes where people can come together and do some constructive work.

I appeal all concerned to kindly join hands together and celebrate WATERSHED DAY and begin a process of maintaining ecosystem balance of the rural area and finally India.

For further details please contact -

Prasad Rasal, Editor Panlot Warta (first magazine on watershed development) Pune Email - prasadrasal@yahoo.com