Figure: Project discussions prior to the MoU signing.

ICRISAT News

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA), and the Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Government of Maharashtra have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on May 16, to propel a new era in groundwater augmentation across seven districts in Maharashtra using a landscape approach.

Mr Chintamani Joshi (IAS), Commissioner of GSDA, expressed his enthusiasm about collaborating with a world-class organization like ICRISAT. He emphasized on the pressing need to enhance agriculture water use efficiency and conserve vital groundwater resources.

This collaborative initiative titled ‘Water budget based NRM planning and groundwater recharge’ uses a landscape approach for groundwater augmentation. The initiative is mapped to Atal Bhujal Yojana, a flagship program of the Government of India’s Jal Shakti Mantralaya. This initiative will directly benefit more than 3000 farming families covering 10,000 ha with a population of more than 13,000 across seven districts viz., Satara, Solapur, Pune, Latur, Jalna, Nasik and Nagpur. Large-scale indirect benefits include various ecosystem services and strengthening the capacity of various stakeholders.

https://pressroom.icrisat.org/icrisat-gsda-forge-partnership-to-revolutionize-agricultural-water-conservation-in-maharashtra-india