Locals come together to desilt two rivers in Latur

Latur in Marathwada region of Maharashtra, which had become the face of the unprecedented drought and water scarcity in the state this summer, is now emerging as a role model for collective effort to revive the rivers.
Residents of the city in the last two to three months collected more than Rs six crore to desilt Manjara and Rena rivers.
District Collector Pandurang Pol said with this desilting through people's participation, the two rivers now have enough water in the reservoirs along their courses to last for at least another eight months.
The district hit national headlines when the government started providing water by railway waggons to the Latur town from the second week of April.

While the government was busy supplying water, the locals decided to take the matters in their own hand to make the city drought-proof in coming years.
Social activists Mahadev Gomare, Dr Ashok Kukade, B B Thombare, Makrand Jadhav and Trimbakdas Zawar formed 'Jalyukta Latur' committee.

Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh, his brother and local
Congress leader Amit Deshmukh and the local BJP unit donated Rs 25 lakh each, while the doctors association and Cap Gemini contributed Rs 40 lakh each.
"Agriculture Produce Market Committee and RSS's Jankalyan Samitii contributed Rs 11 lakh each," said Gomare, who is a farmer.
The rest of the money came from common people.

"The cost of desilting was estimated at Rs 7.5 crore. School students, teachers, professors, lawyers and others contributed. Even the youngsters who sell knick-knacks on the footpath contributed Rs 1 lakh. A sanitation worker who had retired from the municipal council contributed his first pension amount of Rs 18,000," Gomare said.
The oil companies offered the diesel required for the work at a concessional rate. "People provided machinery at cheap rates and we worked for 22 hours a day. All this saved us Rs 1.50 crore and the project got completed in only Rs 6 crore," he said.
As of today, Manjara river is full of water along a stretch of 15.5 km and Rena for a stretch of 6 km. There are several barrages across the two rivers which are now full.

Pol said the government spent nearly the same amount for water conservation and desilting work on Manjara river (from beyond the point where the people's committee carried out desilting).
The collector agreed that the committee proved that the work through public participation can be done more swiftly and at a less cost. "We hope at least for the next eight months, the reservoirs along the rivers will provide sufficient drinking water to the city and its surroundings," he said.