Two Akola farmers donate land for dam

MUMBAI: At a time when several public projects in the state are stuck because of opposition from farmers to part with their land, two farmers from a small village in Akola have voluntarily donated a sizeable piece of their agricultural land for construction of a stone dam. Akash Khule (24) and his uncle Sitaram Khule (70) have donated one acre each for construction of a stone dam and a small canal which can supply water to farms in their village.
Akash, a fourth-generation farmer, owns close to 3.5 acre in Charmoli village in Akola's Patur district. His entire plot is rainfed and is located under a small hill. "If a dam is constructed there, a lot of water can be conserved. So I decided to give a part of the land for building a dam," said Akash, a graduate and constable with Maharashtra police who is currently posted in Washim.
After his father passed away, the responsibility of tilling the plot fell on him, and he has done it for years alongside his police duty. "Water is the biggest requirement for a farmer. If, by parting with a small piece of my land, I can guarantee water supply to many other farms including mine, I think it's worth it," said Akash. He said he had taken permission from three of this sisters before donating the land. He said the villagers have for long been demanding better irrigation facilities from the government, but their demands are yet to be met.
Most farmers in this village can take only one crop as most land is rainfed and minor water conservation projects are being undertaken to increase water-holding capacity. A 6,000-m-wide stone dam which will be 3-4m in height, with a storage capacity of 29 lakh litres of water, will be constructed on the land. Work will begin next week and will be completed in two weeks.