A watershed development project across 11 villages in eastern Khed has improved groundwater availability and helped some farmers expand from two annual crops to three, according to officials and farmers who spoke during a review visit by Union Land Resources Secretary Dilip Kumar.
Kumar inspected watershed works in Varude, Gulani, Vafgaon and Kanersar in Khed taluka on Friday and reviewed the project’s implementation. He said the works completed under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana 2.0 were satisfactory.
The project began in 2021 and was completed in March 2025. The Union government sanctioned Rs 707.43 lakh for the programme, of which Rs 684.56 lakh had been spent, according to the report. The works were intended to slow the movement of rainwater, increase infiltration into the soil and improve soil and water conservation.
The programme covered Vafgaon, Chinchbaiwadi, Jaulke Budruk, Gulani, Vakalwadi, Gosasi, Pur, Kanersar, Varude, Chaudharwadi and Gadakwadi. The interventions included measures to retain rainwater, improve groundwater recharge, conserve soil and strengthen local water resources for agriculture.
After inspecting the sites, Kumar attended a review meeting at the Shriram temple in Vafgaon. The meeting examined the implementation of the project and the benefits reported by farmers. Officials said groundwater levels were being measured by the Groundwater Survey and Development Agency, which is responsible for assessing the change in water availability.
The report said improved water availability had allowed farmers who previously cultivated only limited areas to bring more land under cultivation. It also linked the increase in available water to better access to protected irrigation and higher agricultural production and income, although the report did not provide quantified figures for the increase.
Rupesh Ramane, a farmer from Vafgaon, said water levels in wells and ponds had improved after the watershed works. He said farming had earlier been restricted by water shortages, but the improved availability had made it possible to grow three crops instead of two and had supported higher farm production and income.
The inspection was attended by Union Land Resources Department Additional Secretary Nitin Khade, Maharashtra Soil and Water Conservation Department Secretary Jitendra Papalkar, regional district water conservation officer Chetan Kalashetti, executive engineer Kapil Bidgar and project implementation agency and taluka agriculture officer Vaibhav Vishe. Members of watershed teams, watershed committee office-bearers, Umed officials, village sarpanches, residents and women from the participating villages also took part in the review.
Dilip Kumar said the project had improved water availability for agriculture and that he was satisfied with its implementation and completion. The ongoing groundwater measurements are expected to provide the formal assessment of the project’s impact across the participating villages.
