Water Cup aims to teach villagers how to channel water into ground and conserve it for dry months
Maharashtra is among the states that have witnessed maximum farmer suicides and much of it has been blamed on successive droughts, which many say can be prevented with better water management especially in areas like Marathwada that get less rainfall.
Friday morning saw a starry affair in one of Maharashtra's worst drought affected districts, Latur. Aamir Khan and Alia Bhatt were at the third edition of Water Cup, where they got hands-on with the Paani Foundation organising the massive effort.
The Water Cup was started by Aamir Khan and his team in 2016 and it's a competition between more than 4,000 villages to see who can do the maximum work for watershed management and water conservation in the stipulated time.
It also creates a platform for villagers to apply their learning from the training programme to make their villages water-abundant.
At Fattepur village in Marathwada, the two actors did physical labour, digging pits to create water channels that will help in conserving water.
Alia Bhatt admitted she was inspired by Aamir Khan in this endeavour. "For example, I didn't know much about these issues, I got to know then and because of sensitivity only I have come here. I agree with Aamir, everyone is good at heart and everyone wants to do something for their country, for their state for Maharashtra. Only awareness is required," she told NDTV.
Aamir Khan said he was amazed at the change the villagers were bringing about and told reporters, "I feel energized seeing the villagers, seeing them doing shramdaan. There were people from outside the village also today. So I feel energized looking at them."
The Water Cup stated in 2016 with three districts covering 116 villages. In 2017 that was scaled up to 13 districts and 1,321 villages. This year there are 24 districts with 4,025 villages being covered under the competition.
The competition aims to teach villagers how to channel water into the ground and conserve it for the dry months through self-constructed structures like villages have done under the scheme.
Manaji Bhosale, a farmer whose village was part of the competition last year says, "This time last year there was not even a drop of water. But this year our entire watershed has become green."
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis put out an appeal to every one across Maharashtra. "I appeal to all of you to join this in large numbers and turn this into a Jan Andolan to resolve our water woes. From a proud Maharashtra we will become drought free Maharashtra with your shramdan and I wish you all the best," he said in a video message.