On February 13, 2025, the Rotary Club of Bombay inaugurated its 40th Integrated Rural Development (IVD) project, along with its partner Chirag Rural Development Foundation. So, why am I writing about it?
Many reasons. Beginning with the emotional reason that a part of the village development was done in loving memory of my mother Seetha Narayan. Another reason is that though I have observed this IVD project at an arm’s distance, I understand social service having given 25 years of my life to volunteering in the social space.
Thirdly, I have continuously and almost obsessively heard about this project for over five years from my brother who has been a Past President of the Rotary Club of Bombay, my sister Geeta Keshavan who sponsored one village development and my friend Pratibha Pai who founded and runs Chirag Rural Development Foundation.
Of course, the numbers speak for themselves. This particular village, called Chandragav has been equipped with solar powered lamps, solar powered street lights and water for year-round agricultural operations from solar powered lift irrigation.
The local primary school and the Anganwadi have been solarised to provide not just a comfortable environment for the students, but also smart screens and content for engaged learning, and toys specially planned to provide different skills to the kids. Every house has been provided with a portable water filter.
Of course over five years the figures tell a different story. Forty villages translate into 13088 lives transformed, 35 educational facilities, 360 acres of land brought under continuous irrigation, 140 solar street lights installed and 50,000 litres of safe drinking water provided at a household level. And all this, powered by 229 KW of clean solar energy.
As a social educator myself, I have been impressed by the best practices that are continuously taught to the farmers, the provision of seeds and fruit-bearing saplings in some cases, and the constant monitoring that happens. In fact all these efforts have actually mitigated urban migration from many villages.
To me, this is not just an integrated village development project. It is a case study in sustainability, a true exercise in rural community welfare and a model in needs- assessment, project execution and impact- assessment that could be emulated by others. These tribal villages are just 4 to 5 hours from Mumbai the maximum city and yet they lack these basic inputs so necessary for a meaningful life.
Now, as my brother says, the women will not carry pots of water up to the villages. The farmers will not migrate to urban slums after the monsoons, the streets will remain safely lit, the kids will be preparing for a better future and, of course, he adds that these 40 villages are just an example of what can and should be done.
