LOCATION: SINNAR, NASHIK
In Sinnar taluka, Nashik district, old Diversion Based Irrigation (DBI) systems built over 150 years ago had stopped working. Dams and canals were filled with silt, farmers had lost access to water, wells dried up, and farm incomes dropped. Many DBI systems had been unused for more than 25–30 years. Farming became difficult, and many farmers lost hope.
Seeing this serious problem, Yuva Mitra started working in 2007 to bring these systems back to life. They cleaned and repaired old canals and dams, trained villagers on how to manage water responsibly, and encouraged farmers to form Water User Associations (WUAs) to protect their water rights.
The result was amazing. Water started flowing again. Over 5,700 acres of farmland came back under irrigation. Groundwater levels rose by 10 feet, 1,556 wells were revived, and nearly 3,000 families benefited. Farmers’ incomes increased by ₹12,000 on average, farm production grew by 33%, and input costs dropped by 22% thanks to collective buying through Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs).
Building on this success, Yuva Mitra signed an agreement with the Government of Maharashtra to revive 170 DBI systems across 142 villages, bringing water security to 55,000 acres and improving the lives of 71,000 farming families.
Today, because of this effort, dried fields are green again, farmers are hopeful, and villages have a stronger future. Yuva Mitra’s work shows that with the right efforts, old systems can be brought back to life — and with them, so can dreams.
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