1. Hindustan Unilever Foundation
Unilever House
B D Sawant Marg
Chakala, Andheri (E)
Mumbai-400 099. India
www.huf.co.in
Water for Public Good
Connecting the last mile
May 2016
Commissioner’s visit in Soygaon Village village
Community-level training in progress
Automated weather station in Jalna
Farm bund under construction
Community members after training by KVK

3. 1
Water for Public Good
Connecting the last mile

4. 2

5. 3
Our country is reeling under an acute, unprecedented water crisis. The situation is especially dire in Maharashtra, with the State
Government declaring a “drought-like” condition in 14,708, or 34%, of the state’s 43,000 villages.
This is the second successive year of drought in the state, and the third in the last four years. The situation is particularly critical
in Marathwada: all of its 8522 villages being affected, this region accounts for 58% of the overall area under drought in the state.
Next to be impacted is north Maharashtra, which includes Nashik and Jalgaon, with 4869 villages, that accounts for 33% of the
area affected. Together, the two regions account for more than 90% of Maharashtra’s drought-affected area.
Given the magnitudeof the problem and its near-inevitability, theemphasis must beon long-term solutions. It iscritical that both
citizens and private corporates alike make valuable contributions. We all have a role to play in addressing this crisis.
Hindustan UnileverLimited has, forlong, beenanticipating the impending crisisand taking proactiveaction. Indeed, the Unilever
Sustainable Living Programme (USLP) is a result-oriented initiative that encourages both internal and external stakeholders to
create positive impacts in socially relevant contexts. Our not-for-profit social investment vehicle Hindustan Unilever Foundation
(HUF) was created in 2010 with the specific mandate to contribute to the water discourse and practice through a partnered
approach. The key thrust of this organisation is water for public good with focus on farm livelihoods.
In this publication prepared by HUF, we have articulated our experiences at the micro level with a specific focus on Maharashtra.
I sincerely believe that delivery-oriented actions on water are the need of the hour as it is a resource that we hold in trust for our
future generations.
Nothing articulates the finiteness of this most precious of life-forces better than the profound words of Benjamin Franklin: ‘When
the well is dry, we will know the worth of water’. For hundreds of million Indians, the wells have metaphorically and truly dried.
Let us not wait any longer.
Sanjiv Mehta
CEO and Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever Limited
Director, Hindustan Unilever Foundation
Director’s Message

6. 4
Preface
In our pursuit to democratise the understanding and practice on water for livelihoods (primarily agriculture and allied) and of the
interconnectedness of water and life, we have taken various initiatives.
l Local level
1. Portfolio of projects that attempt to capture the diversity of issues, perspectives and approaches to water.
2. Support result-oriented collective action between NGOs, communities, government programs, other corporate initiatives
and linkages.
3. Suggest processes that include measurements of various local variables such as water, labour and natural resources,
work relations, farm production, and so on; equip NGO field staff and community based volunteers to undertake such
measurements associated with projects and provide an enabler to start examining what lies behind the works.
4. Technology that can process field-generated data and transmit back to community-facing NGO field staff for facilitating
discussions at the community levels on the whys, whats, wheres, and hows.
5. Community forums where the planning, implementation, maintenance and use allocation decisions get made.
6. Make available corporate experience-based knowledge for adaption to the development space, for example, our Behaviour
Change Model being adapted to many parts of the Water for Public Good journey.
7. Enable NGOs to creatively unlock their potential for transformational change by using our partnerships as Thought
Incubators.
l Macro level
1. Open up connectivity between thinking that is associated with macro processes and platforms with those at the micro
level, so that community realities get better reflected at macro levels on the one hand and for a better understanding of
macro thinking at local levels. This happens through specific engagements such as the Alliance for Water Stewardship.
2. Facilitate exploration of multi-stakeholder alliances for thought leadership and action on agri water between various
players such as the 2030 Water Resources Group, International Water Management Institute, Global Water Partnership,
The Energy Resources Institute, and the Council for Energy Environment and Water.
3. Contribute to deepen thought and practice associated with water for livelihoods in business beyond value chains, for
instance, through our engagement with UNCEO Water Mandate.
Theongoing waterstress in Maharashtra hastriggered seriousthinking in HUF, inparticularon microaction thatcancontributeto
PMKSYthinking. Wearesharing thiswithaview to illustrateonepossibletrajectory forprivatesectoractionand more importantly
emphasise the importance of last mile connectivity for delivering “Water for Public Good”. I would like to thank Navin Kapoor for
co-ordinating and putting the thoughts together and Sambhaji for providing information on Maharashtra.
Ravi Puranik
CEO
Hindustan Unilever Foundation

7. 5
Director’s message 3
Preface 4
Abbreviations 6
Introduction 7
Hindustan Unilever Foundation 8
Water resources management in Maharashtra 10
Reflecting on our efforts 13
Converging investments (resources) 13
Enhancing the physical access of water on the farm and expanding cultivable area under assured
irrigation
14
Improving on-farm water use efficiency 16
Enhancing adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies 16
Enhancing recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices 17
Ensuring the integrated development of rainfed areas using the watershed approach 17
Promoting extension activities 19
Attracting greater private investment 19
Enabling the implementation of state-led development schemes 19
Building a set of data points 20
Forming and strengthening community institutions 20
Knowledge initiatives 21
Conclusion 22
Table of Contents

8. 6
Abbreviations
CBO Community Based Organisation
CFT Cluster Facilitation Team
FES Foundation for Ecological Security
GP Gram Panchayat
ha. Hectare
HUF Hindustan Unilever Foundation
IMD Indian Meteorological Department
IWMI International Water Management Institute
KVK Krishi Vigyan Kendra
MGNREGS Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Scheme
MITTRA Maharashtra Institute of Technology Transfer For Rural Areas
MMISFA Maharashtra Management of Irrigation Systems by Farmers Act
MWRRA Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority Act
MWSIP Maharashtra Water Sector Improvement Project
NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
NGO Non Government Organisation
NRLM National Rural Livelihood Mission
O&M Operation and Maintenance
PIM Participatory Irrigation Management
PIP Preliminary Irrigation Programmes
PMKSY Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana
PRI Panchayati Raj Institution
SHG Self Help Group
SIED Sanjeevani Institute for Empowerment and Development
SMS Samyukat Mahila Samiti
SOPPECOM Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management
SREC Solidaridad Regional Expertise Centre
VDC Village Development Committee
WOTR Watershed Organisation Trust
WUA Water Users Association

9. 7
Thestrainonwaterresourcesisexpectedtoincreasewiththe
growth in population, urbanisation and industrialisation.
Indiscriminate extraction and over-use of water resources
combined with unsustainable development pathways have
adversely affected the quality, quantity and availability of
water resources. This has cascading social and economic
impacts on, among others, the water for life (domestic water
use, environmental flows and others) and the water for
livelihoods, both rural (agriculture and other uses) and urban
(industrial, thermal power and other uses). Challenges to the
Indian economy will worsen given the limited potential for
improving the supply (extrapolating the changing trends in
precipitation, runoff and evapotranspiration), water quality
issues, and the expected shifts in the water usage of different
sectors.
Agriculture is the main consumer of water accounting for
more than 80 per cent of its use. With increasing demand for
freshwater resources, it is necessary to explore ways to remedy
Introduction
the impending imbalance between demand and supply for
the sustained availability of water for livelihood and poverty
reduction. The increasing scarcity of water resources makes
smallholders and the poor more vulnerable as they generally
are unable to harness alternatives. Moreover, it is universally
agreed that a disaggregated perspective is needed to reflect
challenges faced by different regions.
Various studies have shown that the water crisis is more one
of governance than of resource availability. Although several
steps have been taken in this direction, the main ones being
the 73rd Constitution Amendment Act and the passing
of legislation by several states for setting up Water Users
Associations (WUAs), much remains to be done if water has
to be governed in an effective and efficient manner.

10. 8
Water for Public GoodMission
Goals
Principles
Public Private
Partnerships
l Enable knowledge and action to democratise water management and involve communities and
other stakeholders in both policy and decision making
l Build water conservation and storage potential
l Promote community involvement and ownership of projects and initiatives
l Enhance agriculture production in project areas
Governance of water Quality of water Benefits to community
l Projects in watersheds, rain-fed and irrigated areas that show:
l Functional diversity – addressing different parts of the challenge
l Geographical spread – a good mix of factors, for example,. irrigated, river basin
l Convergence with other stakeholders ; adding and supporting others’ work
Hindustan
Uniliver
Foundation
HUF is a not-for-pr ofit company that anchors various
community development initiatives of Hindustan
Unilever Limited. HUF supports national priorities for socio-
economic development through its ‘Water for Public Good’
programme. It supports people centred, micro-level solutions
to the challenges being faced by the water sector and uses the
knowledge thus gained to shape the debate on water.
Recognising that more than half of India’s agriculture lacks
anykindof irrigationfacilitiesand thatagricultureisthemajor
consumer of water, HUF has been focusing on improving
agriculture’s water efficiency. It has interpreted that “Public
Good” is obtained when an enabling environment enhances
last mile connectivity that results in the following:
1. Waterrequired foragriculture is managed bycommunities
based on an owned understanding and action at the micro
level.
Triple bottom line measurements, Independent third party assurance, SROI and learning
2. Increased adoption of water-efficient agriculture practices
and varieties; use of organic farm inputs to improve the
quality of water.
3. Such understanding and action is codified and evidenced
through results by enablers.
4. The underlying processes have a scientifically acceptable
basis (tempered by practices that are owned and valued by
the community) that enablers generate and keep getting
upgraded on.
5. The processes and evidence are put together into
knowledge modules and made available for scalable
absorption into policy spaces.

11. 9
HUF contributes to both the creation of an enabling
environment and the delivery of results by:
1. Supporting NGOs and such other enablers for thought
and action with communities.
2. Supporting NGOs and such other enablers to aid in the
deployment and addition of value to existing schemes
of Government and institutions. These schemes are
leveraged for creating productive assets that can sustain
communities.
3. Supporting NGOs and such other enablers to codify
understanding and evidence.
4. Act to upgrade by seeking feedback from independent
assurance providers and experts.
5. Disseminating these experiences in the larger society.
6. Supporting systemic change through knowledge alliances
and institutional arrangements between and across
interest groups.
So far, HUF has reached more than 90 districts through
projects spread across 13 states and an equal number of river
basins. These projects are currently active in 57 districts over
nine states and two Union Territories in 11 river basins of India
(see Annexure 1 for project location map).

12. 10
Water resources
management in
Maharashtra
In Maharashtra, of the five river basin systems, only 55% of
the dependable yield is available in the four river basins
(Krishna, Godavari, Tapti and Narmada). These four river
basins comprise 92% of the cultivable land and more than
60% of the population in rural areas. An approximate 49%
of the area of these four river basins comprising 43% of the
population is already considered as deficit or highly deficit
in water availability. The size of these deficit areas is likely to
increase steadily with rising population and economicgrowth.
It is in this context that HUF is supporting community
initiatives in four regions of the state falling in three river
basins as below:
In Maharashtra, inconsistency of rains in the crucial times
of crop growth and their subsequent discontinuity create
drought-like conditions. Agriculture is heavily impacted. This
is further compounded by:
l Limited irrigation: according to a report of the Water and
Irrigation Committee, even if the entire irrigation capacity
is utilized, 44% area will remain dry land.
HUF
Partner
River Basin District Block
RAPI
Rank Region
Existing status of ground water
development (%)
MITTRA Godavari Nashik Igatpuri 35 Khandesh 49
WOTR Godavari Jalna
Bhokardan,
Jafrabad &
Ambad
161 Marathwada 42.76
SIED Tapi Dhule Sakri 97 Khandesh 53.55
SIED Tapi Nandurbar Navapur 138 Khandesh 30.1
MITTRA Godavari Buldhana Khamgaon 134 Vidarbha 59.84
FES Godavari Yavatmal Ghatanji 61 Vidarbha 24.40
Olam Krishna Kolhapur 452
Paschim
Maharashtra
59
SPS Tapi Amravati Dharni 121 Vidarbha 68
1. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Maharashtra-declares-drought-in-14708-villages/articleshow/49425716.cms
l Large coverage of drought-prone areas (52% of cultivable
area).
l Large proportion of poor and downgraded land (42.20%).
l According to Government Resolution No. JaLaA-2014/case
no. 203/JaLa-7, 184 talukas had an average 20% drop in
rainfall in 2014. On groundwater levels in the state, the
resolution states that:
n 72 talukas saw more than 3 metre drop.
n 116 talukas saw between 2 and 3 metre drop.
n 190 talukas saw between 1 and 2 metre drop.
Recently, the Maharashtra government declared a “drought-
like condition”1
in 14,708, or 34%, of the state’s 43,000 villages.
This is the second successive year of drought in Maharashtra,
with Marathwada being the worst hit. In fact, the state has
experienced three such calamities in the last four years.
Maharashtra has had a long history of farmer-managed
irrigation systems going back as far as the 15th or 16th century.
The first efforts at formal decentralization started with a few

13. 11
pilots introduced in the 1980s. As a part of the reforms for the
water sector in the 2000’s, the Water Sector Improvement
Project (MWSIP) was launched in 2003. The Maharashtra
Government initiated the water sector reform process which
included the State Water Policy (2003), the Maharashtra
Management of Irrigation Systems by Farmers Act (MMISFA
2005) and the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory
Authority Act (MWRRA 2005). These unambiguously brought
out the rationale for user participation and the need for
legislating participation. This departs from the voluntary
mode in which WUAs were set up in 80s and 90s under the
Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960. Through this
reform process and specifically through the MMISFA, the
forming of WUAs has become mandatory to access water. In
the current reform process, WUAs have an important role to
play as the new legislation now allows for federating of WUAs
from the minor to the project level.2
Several studies have been conducted on the performance
of PIM and WUAs in Maharashtra giving a mixed bag of
experiences.Dr.SanjayBelsare3
,inhisstudyofWUAsacrossthe
state, reveals that post the formation of WUAs improvements
have been recorded in irrigation efficiency, diversification of
cropping pattern and increase in water recovery charges. The
study, however, lists several issues that need attention:
l In WUAs that were formed in tail areas and are dependent
on Government forwantof managementand maintenance
subsidy, there was, in general, little increase in post-
formation membership.
l Canal systems were transferred without people’s
rehabilitation and a fixed time schedule for completion;
poor condition of canals restricts the sustainable
development of WUAs.
l WUAs were registered under the Co-operative Act, with
little attention on their development.
l WUAs were apprehensive about securing the water quota
provided in the agreements.
l Inadequate O&M funds deteriorated the canal system,
prolonging its transfer to the WUAs.
l Farmers’ participation was adversely affected by the
perception that it was Government’s responsibility.
2. Situational Analysis of WUAs in Maharashtra; Water Policy Research Highlight-45, 2012; IWMI-TATA Water Policy Programme
3. ‘Participatory Irrigation Management in Maharashtra‐- A Case Study’ Dr Sanjay Belsare, National Convention of Presidents of Water User Associations
organized by MoWR RD & GR. - IndiaNPIM at Delhi (7-8 Nov. 2014)
4. Situational Analysis of WUAs in Maharashtra; Water Policy Research Highlight-45, 2012; IWMI-TATA Water Policy Programme
l Untimely or sometimes no disbursement of grants to
WUAs slowed down their growth.
l Lack of understanding and enthusiastic support from
Department officials.
Yet another study conducted by SOPPECOM of 400 WUAs
in the state and published by IWMI4
points to the following
concerns that need attention:
l Although the majority of WUAs have been in existence for
more than 5-6 years, thedataon keyvariablesdid notseem
to reflect this.
l About 77% WUAs did not have an office of their own; 50%
of them had less than 20% women members; only 4% had
more than three women members on their management
committees.
l Actual handing over had been done only to 38% of the
WUAs, with joint inspection in only 39%.
l 48% of WUAs said that devices to measure the volume
of water were not in place; where they were, about 32%
reported that the devices were non-functional and 61%
WUAs said that water was not measured properly.
l Only 5% reported having held more than three general
body meetings, on average, in a year.
l Information about dam storages and rotation schedules
are rarely shared with the WUAs. Half of the WUAs
reported that preliminary irrigation programmes (PIPs)
are not prepared and shared prior to rotation even though,
under the state Acts, this is an important part of PIM.
l 70% of WUAs reported that crops are decided by the
farmers; there is no collective planning by the WUA based
on information on availability of water and the number of
rotations.
l A deep-rooted understanding of participation and
democracy needs to be internalized and practiced
by farmers along with a commitment for equitable
distribution and sustainable use of water.
l Very often, a strong nexus exists between some users and
the WRD. This leaves a section of the farmers without
access to water and with no say in the decision-making.

14. 12
5. hhttp://dsd.dacnet.nic.in/APY-Website.pdf
Apart from being oneof the frontrunners in PIM, Maharashtra
is also the largest producer of sugar in India. The area under
sugarcane in the state has increased more than two-fold,
between 2003-04 and 2012-13, from 4.43 lakh ha to 9.37 lakh
ha.5
Thisand the factthatsugarcane irrigation in thestateuses
60% of total irrigation supply, causes substantial groundwater
withdrawals.
It’s in this context that the PMKSY needs to deliver to the
populace in Maharashtra. We try to examine HUF’s actions in
this light through this publication.

15. 13
Reflecting
on our efforts
Sl. PIA Project location - District Villages (Nos)
1
WOTR
Jalna 101
2 Aurangabad 10
3 Ahmednagar 63
4 Dhule 8
5
SIED
Dhule 13
6 Nandurbar 13
7 MITTRA Nashik Nashik 4
8 MITTRA Khamgaon Buldhana 5
9 FES Yavatmal 25
10 Samaj Pragati Sahyog Amravati 51
11 Olam Agro India Limited Kolhapur 226
Total 519
HUF, since its inception, has been focusing on furthering
collective action in different forms and across different
levels. With the launch of PMKSY by integrating several
similar development programmes, emphasis has been
given to integrated and collective efforts as recommended
by the National Water Policy. HUF at present is supporting
community initiatives in 519 villages of 10 districts in
partnership with various implementing NGOs and business
companies as below:
Through this note, we attempt to detail our experiences and
learnings from our community initiatives in Maharashtra
to further support and strengthen national initiatives and
priorities.
1. Convergence of investments (resources)
Projectssupported byHUF havefocusedontheconvergenceof
the following resources available with different programmes,
institutions and organisations at different levels and in
different geographies:
l financial;
l human;
l technical;
l institutional
The convergence has been helpful in several ways:
l It has helped in the optimal utilisation of resources
(financial, technical, human and institutional) and
avoided duplication of efforts.
l Institutional and departmental convergence has been
helpful in developing an integrated perspective towards
water resources and its sources, improving synchronised
action.
l Ithashelpedinthefocusedimplementationofgovernment
programmes and in the realisation of benefits by those
who are the most in need.
l Convergence activities have happened both vertically as
well as horizontally and have been guided by ecosystem
needs and requirements representing different issues and
challenges faced by water sector hence needing diverse
solutions.
2. Increase the physical access of water on the
farm and expand cultivable area under assured
irrigation
HUF-supported community initiatives have resulted in more
than 14,000 ha of area being stabilised from the perspective
of agriculture production. This includes areas that have

16. 14
In In HUF-supported projects that are being implemented byWOTR in Jalna, SIED in Dhule and Nadurbar districts,
FES inYavatmal, and SPS in Amravati districts, resources from MGNREGS and the CFT scheme have been mobi-
lized for creation of community assets for water harvesting and conservation. SIED is also providing its support as
CFT in 94 villages in the Navapur block of Nandurbar district. Similarly in Nashik MITTRA, our implementing part-
ner, has furthered partnership with NABARD. Olam Agro India has deployed its resources with others, including
HUF, to bring about behavioural changes among sugarcane farmers to adopt water efficient agriculture practices
and technologies in Kolhapur district.
In yet another initiative, WOTR is partnering with Government of Maharashtra for further strengthening and ex-
panding the reach of Farmer-Centric Agro-meteorology which it has been practicing.This involves partnering with
the Government of Maharashtra in generating and disseminating farmer and crop specific weather-based crop ad-
visories.This collaboration specifically includes the development of a second generation Expert System that would
help automate advisory generation, reduce drudgery and errors, minimise dependency on specialist inputs, reduce
costs and create a data bank and repository of valuable information and knowledge.
In Nashik, MITTRA has established linkages with the Zonal Agriculture Research Station, Igatpuri, to provide tech-
nical and knowledge support to farmers in project villages. WOTR is leveraging technical knowhow from IMD,
KVKs, Agriculture Universities to advise farmers in Jalna district and equip them with climate-resilient agriculture
practices and techniques. In yet another initiative SREC is coordinating with Government’s Convergence of Agri-
cultural Interventions in Maharashtra (CAIM in the Amaravati, Akola, Wardha andYavatmal districts of Vidarbha)
where it is implementing a programme for soy farmers to adopt water-friendly practices. In Nandurbar district, for
example, Joint MonitoringVisits are organized by government officials and staff members of SIED.
Similarly, different community groups and sections irrespective of caste, class and gender have been supported to
come together on a common platform and oriented and sensitised to develop an integrated perspective towards
water. In Gandhidham, for example, Sahjeevan has been focusing on convergence between PRIs and community
groups in HUF-supported projects. As a result, PRI members have been trained on planning and management re-
lated to water. Resource Management Committees involving representatives from the community and Gram Pan-
chayats have been formed to take up community-oriented planning and getting them integrated into village level
development plans. In Jalna, where the project is being implemented on a socio-ecological unit along watershed
lines by WOTR, the target community belongs to a fairly homogenous target group. A village development com-
mittee (VDC) formed by theGramSabha is responsible for participatory planning, implementation, monitoring and
maintenance of project activities in the concerned village.The women’s SHGs, Samyukt Mahila Samitis (SMS) and
otherCBOs work in coordination with theVDC.All theseCBOs are linked with theGram Pachayats by way of taking
their representation and information sharing.
FES has formed a multi-actor platform, Waghadi Bhachav Committe, at the block level in the Ghatanji block of
Yavatmal district aimed at the rejuvenation of the Waghadi River with the involvement of representatives from
community andGovernment.Working on a river basin approach, the committee developed aWaghadi River Reviv-
al Plan and presented it before Government with an aim to develop an integrated perspective with synchronised
action. After approvals from the irrigation department, 44 water harvesting structures have been selected for sur-
vey that will help in rejuvenation of the river. Resources available with different government programmes are being
mobilised for the same whereas FES is providing human resources and technical know how.
benefitted from the construction of water harvesting structures such as check dams, ponds, earthen dams as also the areas where
soil and moisture conservation activities such as farm bunds, staggered contour trenches, continuous contour trenches, and gully
plugs, have been taken up. Increased soil moisture resulting from these has helped farmers to go in for a second crop which was
not possible earlier. While understanding the state of physical access, it is important to assess the availability of water when the
farmer needs it. This implies the need to look at the daily behaviour of water. We have used scientific methods to estimate the
daily runoff, which is a key evidence of this behaviour. The table below presents the aggregation of runoff for the period 2012 to
2016, for April to March each year.

17. 15
District Project location
April 2012 to
March 2013
April 2013 to
March 2014
April 2014 to
March 2015
April 2015 to March 2016
Dhule Sakri 1011.11 1344.18 944.82 500.61
Nandurbar Nawapur 1064.54 1309.78 803.08 610.95
Nashik Barsingave-Igatpuri 1136.86 1326.92 1816.02 1349.8
Buldhana Khamgaon 634.4 725.25 635.65 504.48
Yavatmal Ghatanji 820.8 1031.6 818.14 606.46
Rainfall (in mm) of different project locations over different years based on daily rainfall
District Project location
April 2012 to
March 2013
April 2013 to
March 2014
April 2014 to
March 2015
April 2015 to March
2016
Dhule Sakri 2934 3220 2458 759.17
Nandurbar Nawapur 3190 3191 1796 1685.15
Nashik Barsingave-Igatpuri 2424 3544 6755 4614
Buldhana Khamgaon 1639 1605 1902 670
Yavatmal Ghatanji 2611 3248 2935 662
Run-off (in m3
/ha) of different project locations over different years based on daily run-off
0 0
500 2000
1000 4000
1500 6000
2000 8000
Sakri Sakri
April 2012 to March 2013 April 2012 to March 2013
April 2014 to March 2015 April 2014 to March 2015
April 2013 to March 2014 April 2013 to March 2014
April 2015 to March 2016 April 2015 to March 2016
Khamgaon KhamgaonGhatanji GhatanjiNawapur NawapurBarsingav-
elgapuri
Barsingav-
elgapuri
Rainfall (in mm) in project location Rainfall (in cum/ha) in project location
From our analysis, it is seen that the runoff above exhibits the
following characteristics
1. Barsingave shows the maximum rainfall and runoff and
Khamgaon the lowest
2. Variation in rainfall and run off is highest in Sakri of all the
locations during the period. Rainfall in Sakri varies from
a maximum of 1344.18 mm and to a minimum of 500.61
giving maximum to minimum ratio of 2.69. Similarly run
off in Sakri varies from a maximum of 3220 m3/ha to a
minimum of 759.17 m3/ha giving maximum to minimum
ratio of 4.24.
3. Sakri and Nawapur both show decline in run–off during
April 2014 – March 2015 with respect to previous two years.
On the other hand, run–off has increased during the same
period in Barsingave and Khamgaon.
4. Ghatanji seems to be worst affected during the period
April 2015 – March 2016 with run off declining to as low as
662 cum/ ha in comparison to almost near to 3000 cum/ha
in the previous year
5. During April 2015 – March 2016 although rainfall in
Khamgaonwasabout100 mm lesswithrespecttoGhatanji,
but the yield has been more in Khamgaon.

18. 16
A daily dissection of this run-off and the associated soil
moisture is crucial to understand farm impacts and the limits
and possibilities of making physical surface water available to
harness and access.
A mismatch between crops and this water indicates the
farmers’ dependence on ground water. In the districts where
our projects are operational, the ground water stage of
development ranges from a low of 24% to a high of 70%. The
ground water dependence induced by crop water requirement
has different resource impacts.
3. Improve on-farm water use efficiency
Sugarcane is widely cultivated in Maharashtra. The area
under sugarcane in the state has increased more than two-
fold during the period 2003-04 to 2012-13: from 4.43 lakh ha
to 9.37 lakh ha.6
This, and the fact that sugarcane irrigation in
thestate uses 60% of total irrigation supply, causes substantial
groundwater withdrawals. This calls for improving on-farm
water-use efficiency not only in sugarcane but in other water
intensive crops such as paddy.
4. Increase adoption of precision irrigation
and other water saving technologies
Precision irrigation through drip is also being promoted in the
state. The needed technical and financial support are being
provided to farmers so that adoption becomes easy, especially
for smallholders. In the sugarcane area of Olam more than 100
ha of area have been brought under drip irrigation with Olam
providing technical knowhow. In the Barsingave integrated
6. http://dsd.dacnet.nic.in/APY-Website.pdf
Our partnership with Olam Agro India Limited in Kolhapur focuses on improving on-farm water use efficiency in
sugarcane cultivation, the target community mainly being smallholders. Therefore, such practices are promoted
that can be easily adopted by them. These include promoting the use of organic farm inputs such as farmyard
manure, green manure, biofertilisers, vermi-compost, neem cake and pressmud. Practices such as trench planting,
furrow irrigation, laser land levelling and trash mulching are also promoted. These have helped reduce consump-
tion of water on the one hand and enhance productivity on the other. During the year, more than 12,500 ha of area
belonging to about 18,000 farmers spread across 226 villages have been brought under these practices.
Similarly in Nashik, MITTRA is promoting system of crop intensification and mulching in paddy cultivation to en-
hance on-farm water use efficiency. Nearly 400 farmers have adopted the technique in the project villages.
watershed management programme which MITTRA is
implementing at five tribal villages in the Igatpuri block
of Nashik District with support from HUF and NABARD,
16 farmers have adopted advanced technologies such as
mechanical sowing and drip irrigationon morethan 15 acresof
land inprojectarea. In JalnadistrictWOTR ispromoting useof
drips and sprinklers for wheat and other crops. In Khamgaon
where HUF is supporting MITTRA, 79 farmers have adopted
drip systems to cultivate cotton crops, vegetable and fruits and
sprinklers to cultivate wheat and gram. Similarly, SREC under
HUF supported project promoted useof drip irrigation among
soy farmers in four districts of Vidharbha region.
5. Enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce
sustainable water conservation practices
a. Community Water Stewardship: HUF is supporting
WOTR to implement the Water Stewardship Initiative
withcommunityand stakeholdersatthecluster, village
and household levels, reachingouttomorethan 10,000
households in 106 villages. This process is expected to
result in communities formulating Water Stewardship
Plans which will include water management plans and
proposals on a watershed basis for implementation,
maintenanceand governanceof waterresources. These
will focus on both supply augmentation and demand
management by leveraging resources from existing
schemes to improve the moisture regimes in the
villages/ clusters, augment groundwater and surface
water, improve water use efficiency, and promote
adoption of conservation agricultural practices. Such

19. 17
an engagement will also include attempting to revive
governance structures in treated watershed villages
which may have become defunct or dormant.
b. River rejuvenation: HUF is supporting FES to
undertake rejuvenation of the Waghadi River. FES
has started initiatives with an ecosystem perspective
in the Ghatanji block of Yavatmal district. To restore
the base flow of the river first, FES has initiated works
on the restoration and renovation of water harvesting
structures in the river’s catchment area which hitherto
had become dysfunctional. This is being combined
with afforestation and other treatment activities in the
uplands.
6. Ensure the integrated development of
rainfed areas using the watershed approach
Most of the projects supported by HUF in Maharashtra fall in
the rainfed areas of Maharashtra. These include:
a) Barasingave watershed in the Igatpuri block of Nashik
districtwhere lessthan 5% of area is irrigated inproject
villages. It is being implemented in five tribal villages,
hometo848Tribalfamiliesoutofwhich26arelandless.
The project area consists of three micro watersheds in
an area of 2784 ha. Although average rainfall is nearly
2000 mm, the project area is facing acute shortage of
drinking water and irrigation water availability in the
project area. Therefore, in addition to water harvesting
and conservation, activities such as afforestation on
forest land (about 1000 ha); promoting use of water
saving technologies in crops such as paddy; and
cultivation of crops such as niger and potato suited to
the local ecosystem are being undertaken by MITTRA
under the HUF-supported project. Additional focus is
on ensuring availability of safe and hygienic drinking
water availability to nearly 85 families of the village.
This has been made possible through the renovation
of water collecting chambers of two natural springs
in the village and making separate arrangements for
livestock and other household chores such as washing
clothes. Women have been collectivised into groups
and entrusted with managing the groups themselves.
b) In 75 villages of the Ambad, Bhokardan and Jafrabad
blocks of Jalna district in Maharashtra WOTR is
promoting, along with the soil and waterconservation,
agricultural techniques and practices as part of its
adaptive sustainable development approach. These
include promoting low external inputs, increase
land productivity, use of indigenous seeds, and
reducing costs of cultivation. Also being promoted are
agricultural demonstration plots, vermi-compost pits,
training farmers on better practices of transplantation,
crop geometry (spaced planting), soil and manure
preparation, correct tillageoperations, seed treatment,
better sowing methods, among others. These are
being effectively combined with agro-meteorology
and water budgeting to make agriculture not only
sustainable but also efficient and adaptive. Water
budgeting exercises help farmers understand water
availability in the region so as to better plan the crops
they would sow in the season, keeping in mind food
security, nutrition security and market demands. The
idea and purpose is to promote resilient, adaptive and
sustainable agricultural practices and thinking that
generate optimum output per drop of water.
c) Similarly in Dhule and Nandurbar districts, SIED
with support from HUF is focusing on issues related
to livestock development and organising women in
SHGs and helping them take up income generation
activities in addition to watershed development.
The project area spans 13 villages of Navapur Block
of Nandurbar District and 13 villages of Sakri Block
in Dhule District. Special emphasis is being given to
treating and initiating agriculture practices in uplands
that are owned by small and marginal farmers.
d) FES in Yavatmal district has adopted a river basin
approach that attempts to restore water harvesting
structures and carry out afforestation activities in
uplands aimed at maintaining environmental flows
for the Waghadi River, a tributary of the Godavari, that
has gone dry.
7. Promote extension activities
Concerted efforts are being made by HUF and its partners
to undertake extension activities in project areas. The local
ecology, ecosystem requirements, ecological sustainability
and the local rural economy are providing guidance as to
whether market-based or need-based measures are required
to ensure the food security of the community. This has been
possible by adopting diverse approaches as seen below.

20. 18
Jalna district, where average rainfall in the district normally ranges between 650 and 750 mm, often experiences
drought with rainfall as low as 400 to 450 mm.Communities in the project area, which covers 75 villages ofAmbad,
Bhokardan and Jafrabad blocks, practice dryland and rainfed agriculture as only 7% of agriculture land is irrigat-
ed. Therefore, the focus is on providing services to farmers that ensure their food security. WOTR has established
automated weather stations with support from HUF that are linked with the IMD.These are being used to provide
weather and agriculture advisories to farmers on a regular basis that help them become more climate resilient. In
its Memorandum submitted to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture on 21st April 2016, WOTR
advocated functional extension systems for the regular transfer of information to farmers. It has developed a par-
ticipatory tool for climate-induced vulnerability assessment that enables stakeholders to identify their risks and
vulnerabilities for the building of resilience and adaptive capacities. HUF along with SDC has supported WOTR to
establish a ‘Centre for Excellence inAdaptation Research and Practice’.Through this,WOTR has started trans-disci-
plinary research and plans to disseminate findings to build a community of learning and practice that can advocate
and lead innovations in policy and practice for adaptation and resilience building. WOTR also plans to develop a
programme that will enable communities to articulate how they are being impacted by climatic forces, to Identify
and assess communities’ areas of vulnerability, and to provoke communities to plan for and undertake adaptive ac-
tions to build resilience and reduce vulnerability. Jal Sevaks are being appointed to foster community involvement
and prepare water budgest, along with community members, that take into consideration several parameters.
FES, which is operational inYavatmal district, uses tablets to make the collection and analysis of information more
efficient. It has also developed the Composite Land Restoration Assessment & Treatment Tool (CLRATT) as a rec-
ommendation map that takes into account several geographic and geological variables on the GIS platform to
assist in the planning of the area’s soil and water conservation measures This realises optimal benefits, generates
awareness and improves planning of interventions under the project and influences various government pro-
grammes.The tool can also help in the implementation of large scale programmes such as NREGS. Offline atlases
are available in .pdf format for 50 blocks. Plans are also afoot to make Dryland Portal, an online platform providing
free access to information on 640 districts and 2.5 lakh Panchayats, -from a database compiled from the 1950s on-
wards, shortly. It would make data available from different sources, at different scales, on more than 300 variables.
MITTRA in Nashik with technical support fromZonalAgriculture Research Station, Igatpuri, focusses on promoting
packages of practices suited to the respective areas which also involves informing farmers about the crop varieties
that can be taken up and are in sync with local ecology.
In Kolhapur, extension activities of Olam focus on bringing about behavior change among sugarcane farmers on
water management, adoption of water-friendly varieties, promoting water application efficiency, and use of organ-
ic farm inputs. Demonstration plots have been set up and farmers’ interaction is encouraged.
InVidarbha region,SREC has focussed on supporting smallholders to enhance their incomes and livelihood through
a sustainable soy value chain. The extension model of SREC focuses on behavior change among farmers towards
adoption of latest technology and Good Agricultural Practices. Early adopters are identified as lead farmers and
trained in sustainable practices. Demonstration plots are set up focusing onGAP, organic farm inputs, and water ef-
ficient practices, among others. Field training was organized in the three crop growth stages of soybean: pre-sow-
ing, post-sowing, and harvesting & marketing.

21. 19
Benefits of technology in extension services:
l Helped enhance efficiency in collection, collation,
compilation and analysis of information.
l Independence from factors such as literacy, as most of it is
image-based.
l Made dissemination of information easier and cost-
effective.
8. Attract greater private investments
Most of the projects supported by HUF are leveraged projects.
The basic intent is to foster collective action and thinking not
only at the community level but also among the concerned
institutions and organisations. This has also helped bring in
diverse perspectives through which water is viewed. Private
co-funding organisations include international organisations
such as Karl Kübel Stiftung (KKS) and Axis Bank Foundation.
9. Enable state to implement development
schemes
a. Collaborating with MGNREGS: In addition to the
direct implementation of HUF-supported projects
on watershed development, SIED is also supporting
execution of MGNREGS in cluster facilitation mode
for 94 villages in Navapur block. The main role is
to support district administration on awareness
generation; participatory planning; encouraging
community to demand for work in project area;
capacity building of community; and handholding for
executing MGNREGS works in the area. Since April
2014, work has been initiated in 94 villages of Navapur
block and training conducted in 74 villages. A plan,
with a spend of INR 1.3 crore, has been prepared for
soil and moisture conservation works covering 500 ha
and has been submitted to the district administration.
It is expected to generate 349879 person days of
employment.
FES, in an HUF-supported project for rejuvenating
common pool resources of water, initiated work in
villages of Ghatanji block of Yavatmal district in April
2014. With the broader objective of maintaining the
environmental flow of the Waghadi River, FES has
started renovation and restoration of water harvesting
structures and area treatment in 53 habitations
governing about 3409 ha of common land and forest
lands. Resources have been mobilised from MGNREGS
forcarrying out thework. FES hasalso beendesignated
as the organisation for the NRLM-NREGA-CFT
project implemented by the Government of India. It
also supports panchayats as project implementation
agencies for works under NREGS.
WOTR is implementing a watershed development
project on a Public Private Community Partnership
(PPCP) model with support from Government of
Maharashtra and HUF. The project covers 75 villages
of Ambad, Bhokardan and Jafrabad blocks of Jalna
district. The selected clusters are located in 3 mini-
watershedsand 122 micro-watershed having anaverage
area of around 500 ha that contribute to the Purna and
Godavari rivers. It is proposed to cover 25,000 ha area
in these villages. So far more than 8500 ha has been
treated with soil and moisture conservation measures.
The project envisages following the integrated
watershed development approach using MGNREGS
funds. An effective approach and methodology
for orienting MGNREGS to undertake works on a
watershed basis is being developed. At a systemic level
this will have a high value proposition as MGNREGS
is implemented throughout the state and top priority
is given to water conservation and management works
through employment generation. The watershed
development work is carried out in close association
with the Rojgar and Gram Sevak. The Rojgar Sevak
looks after many activities related to MGNREGS in
the village. So far proposals have been submitted for
more than 10000 ha of soil and moisture conservation
measures.
Collaboration with MGNREGS has helped in use of resources
available under the scheme for creation of community assets
that help harvest and conserve water. It has also helped in
providing employment to villagers and reducing migration.
b. Rejuvenation of Waghadi River: In Ghatanji block of
Yavatmal district, as part of HUF supported project on
improved governanceof common sourcesof water, FES
has initiated the process of rejuvenation of Waghadi
River, a tributary of the Godavari. Earlier, even during
summers, Waghadi had a base flow but the neglect
of common sources of water during the rainy season
has resulted in the flow being substantially reduced;

22. 20
it is now totally absent during summers. For the last 2
years, FES has undertaken several activities including
multi-stakeholderconsultation; studiesand analysis to
delineate the causes resulting in the present state of
affairs; selection of common water harvesting sources
falling in the rivers’ catchment, and their restoration
and rejuvenation. It has also formed a multi-
stakeholder platform at the block level, the ‘Waghadi
Bachav Committee’, involving representatives from the
community, government and people’s representatives.
FES has provided support to develop a rejuvenation
plan for the Waghadi River. The plan was presented
before government departments at the district, block
and state levels, local representatives, and Members of
Parliament and Legislative Assembly. This has resulted
in the Department of Agriculture sanctioning the
restoration works needed to be carried out in the area.
Collaboration with the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan has also
been developed to mobilise resources for these works.
c. NABARD: For the HUF-supported project, the
‘Barsingave Integrated Watershed Management
Programme’ thatbeganin2011, MITTRAhad mobilised
resources from NABARD in June 2013 for its expansion.
The project is being implemented in five tribal villages
which are home to 848 tribal families, 26 of whom
are landless, in Igatpuri block of Nashik district. The
project area consist of 3 micro watersheds, namely,
Barsingave, Sonushi and Mydara-Dhanoshi, with an
area of 2784.42 ha. The area considered for PPP mode
project is 2645.91 of which 1001.90 ha is forest land.
d. Maharashtra Ground Water Management Act: In the
context of Maharashtra, WOTR is development a
Stakeholder Engagement Methodology that would
help advance the operationalising of the Maharashtra
Ground Water Management Act, 2009.
10. Build a set of data points
a. Project specific indicators: To help decide the mix
of activities most suited for the development of a
particular landscape, HUF has developed project-
specific indicators in consultation with partner
organisation and the community. These have been
categorised into social, economic and environmental.
This also helps in capturing the diversity of local
interventions needed for India’s water sector. These
local solutions can then be aggregated at the policy
level. While a set of indicators apply for drainage
line treatments and the benefits arising out of
them, a separate set of indicators exists for soil
and moisture conservation works and the benefits
arising out of them. Similarly, social interventions
such as community collectivisation, formation and
strengthening of community institutions and other
similar initiatives are also monitored rigorously on a
continued basis. This makes for an aware community
that is capable of taking informed decisions for
sustainable management of the resource.
b. Demand and supply: HUF supports interventions
aimed at augmenting the supply of water both in
quantity and timeliness as well as those which support
farmers in the judicious use and management of water
for agriculture. A separate set of indicators have been
developed for both. For the former, the quantity of
water that is harvested through different interventions
is monitored; for the latter, the focus is on the amount
of water saved through improved agriculture practices.
11. Form and strengthen community
institutions
a. Diverse community institutions: Based on the need of
a particular landscape, different types of institutions
have been formed in the villages. These include Self
Help Groups of women which are supported to take up
income generation activities and help them take part
in local developmentand decision-making. Watershed
Development Committees, Village Development
Committees, Samyukt Mahila Samitis, among others,
have been formed in different projects based on the
landscape. The involvement of members of PRIs,
opinion makers and people’s representatives has also
been ensured. These community institutions are
supported to function in a transparent and democratic
manner and are also being technically capacitated on
water conservation, its management, and its use.
b. Administrative versus hydrological boundaries: Since
watersheds and water have a hydrological boundary
which may not coincide with the administrative
boundaries, in most of the projects village institutions
are being formed ona hydrological basiscovering more
than one village or even spread across different blocks.

23. 21
Although it increases the complexity of operations,
it is helpful in developing an integrated plan for the
effective management of water.
12. Introduce knowledge initiatives
To bridge the gap between micro and macro, HUF is
intensively supporting partners to undertake research studies
and implement knowledge initiatives. Through the “Centre for
Excellence in Adaptation Research and Practice”, established
withsupportfrom HUFand SDC, WOTR hasinitiatedground-
level collaborative and rigorous “trans-disciplinary research
in use” (TRiU). Plans are to widely disseminate the findings
and knowledge products at the local, national and global
levels; build the capacities of relevant stakeholders to build
a “community of learning and practice” that can effectively
advocate and lead innovations in adaptation; and resilience-
building policy and practice.
WOTR has initiated the following trans-disciplinary research:
1. Comparative Study of Natural Springs in 14 villages of
Akole and Sangamner talukas in Ahmednagar district
(Maharashtra).
2. A case study, “Impacts of the Rainfall Variability and
the Land Use, Land Cover Change on the Ground Water
Level”, in Dolasnevillage, Sangamnertaluka , Ahmednagar
district.
3. Study of the Ground Water Situation using geographical
survey in 7 villages of Thalakondapally and Veldana Blocks
of district Mahabubnagar, Telangana.
4. Aquifer Mapping using geographical survey data in the
selected area of the Purna river basin.
Plans are to set-up a water practitioners’ network, a virtual
platform through the HUF-supported projects with SPS. The
platform will facilitate the exchange of views and experiences
of communities, experts and practitioners related to the water
sector.

24. 22
Conclusion
The challenges faced by the water sector are complex. They
demand diverse solutions that take into account multiple
factors. Water resources need to be seen and analysed in
their entirety, given their multiple social, economic, cultural,
geological, and hydrological dimensions. The common pool
natureof theresource needstoberecognised, with its multiple
uses and multiple users with conflicting requirements.
If water use efficiency has to be enhanced for Indian
agriculture, equal emphasis is needed on both augmenting
supply and managing crop water demand. Both surface and
groundwater recharge must be ensured as it has implications
for our water bodies, be they lakes, ponds or rivers. Efforts
made by HUF and its partners have resulted in generating
collective and cumulative potential of 20,000 million litres in
the state.
Water management needs to be decentralised and
democratised as local problems need local solutions.
Collectivising people to form community institutions is one
such solution that helps in developing an integrated view
and finding solutions for sustained water management. An
aware community will be able to take informed decisions and
harmonious relationships will be helpful in implementing
those decisions. The focus has to be on smallholders, women
and marginalised sections of the community-- it is they who
suffer most because of their limited ability to cope with shocks
and stresses.
Finding solutions also calls for engaging different
stakeholders and developing governance mechanisms based
on the principles of inclusion, equity, non-discrimination,
participation, accountability, transparency, equality and
fairness, efficiency and effectiveness, and rule of law. This
sense of shared responsibility needs to be inculcated in the
thought and actions of different stakeholders and turned
into constructive opportunity. Governance mechanisms that
further sustainable use need to be supported.
Developing resilience among the rural populace to deal with
climatic variations which are increasing with the passage of
time is the next issue needing our attention. Information and
communication technologies can play a decisive role in this
for they bring in efficiency, help in wider dissemination, and
can be made independent of constraints such as literacy.
Thesynchronisedfunctioningofdepartmentsandinstitutions,
and a functional interface between them, both horizontally
and vertically, helps in the optimal use of resources, finding
solutions to complex problems, and increasing efficiency.
7. Partially assured

25. 23
ABOUT HUF
Future demand for water resources will increase significantly as the population, rate of economic
development, and consumption grows.
Estimates tell us that by 2030, the supply of water in India could be significantly lesser than the
demand. The adverse impact of climate change on agriculture will further compound problems
arising due to linkages between food, energy, and livelihoods in the country.
To understand and partake in meeting this challenge, Hindustan Unilever Foundation (HUF) was
formed in 2010. By 2020, the cumulative impacts of our collective actions are expected to generate:
66 Cumulative water potential of more than 500 billion litres
66 Seven million person days generated
66 Enhanced agriculture of 0.3 million tonnes
HUF is a not-for-profit company that anchors various community development initiatives of
Hindustan Unilever Limited.
HUF supports national priorities for socio-economic development through its ‘Water for Public
Good’ programme. Its projects also comply with the requirements of the Companies Act, 2013.

28. Hindustan Unilever Foundation
Unilever House
B D Sawant Marg
Chakala, Andheri (E)
Mumbai-400 099. India
www.huf.co.in
Water for Public Good
Connecting the last mile
May 2016
Commissioner’s visit in Soygaon Village village
Community-level training in progress
Automated weather station in Jalna
Farm bund under construction
Community members after training by KVK