Ralegan Siddhi and Hiware Bazar Visit

A one day visit was organized to Ralegan Siddhi and Hiware Bazar by NSSVIIT
on the 25th of October, 2011. The main objective of this was not only to
marvel and understand the various factors that have contributed to these two
villages being "ideal" villages but also to incorporate and infuse the good points in
making Jamgaon (the village adopted by VIIT) more than a Nirmal Gram.

Siddhi. As opposed to the general mindset of villages being laid-back and relaxed,
Ralegan Siddhi was buzzing with a lot of activity. Due to the recent nation-wide
political stir brought about by its famous resident Shri. Anna Hazare, the influx of
visitors and supporters alike was coherent.

The Information Centre
which boasts of a collection of 640 medals and trophies including the Padma
Bhushan awarded to Anna Hazare for his invaluable contribution to the
betterment of Ralegan Siddhi and the society, as a whole. It also houses a pictorial
showcase of how this village went on to become sustainable and is now a role
model for others.

Ralegan Siddhi
although having faced this trauma has now become a pioneer on the energy
conservation front. The people, led by Hazare, have carried out various programs
like tree plantation, terracing to reduce soil erosion and digging canals to retain
rainwater. This has led to conserving water, plenty enough to keep the village
wells filled and available for use throughout the year. Over the past 25 years,
Ralegan Siddhi has metamorphosed from a poverty- stricken, drought-prone
region to a rich, water-abundant, liquor-free village.

Hiware Bazar

Hiware Bazar, was declared as "Adarsh Gram" by the Government of
Maharashtra. Both the villages, Ralegan Siddhi and Hiware Bazar seem to draw a
parallel in various aspects. Both have risen from an adverse existence and now
have a reputation of being "ideal", sustainable villages. Both faced several
problems such as migration of the villagers to the nearby urban areas, high crime
and scarcity of water.
After Shri.Popatrao Pawar was elected as the sarpanch(village chief), the
village used funds from government schemes and launched a program to
regenerate its ntural resources. The villagers implemented a drip-irrigation
system to conserve water and soil, and to increase the food production. They
avoided crops like sugarcane and bananas, which require a high use of water. The
program included rainwater harvesting, digging trenches around the hill contours
to trap water, afforestation. This has resulted in not only quenching the need of
water in Hiware Bazar but also that of the neighbouring villages.

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