VANARAI

People’s movement for Sustainable Rural Development and Green India

 About Vanarai

Founder
Padma Vibhushan Dr. Mohan Dharia
President
Shri. Ravindra Dharia

Vanarai was formed by Dr. Mohan Dharia in the year 1982 and registered under charitable
trust Act in 1986. He conceived this organization in the follow up of Stockholm conference
which he had attended as a part of government delegation in 1972 . During last three
decades Vanarai has reached all parts of country and globally it's credited as originator of
Joint forest Management. The organization has been instrumental in changing Government
policies for development through people's involvement.

Vanarai is not only an organization. It is a People's Movement for sustainable Rural

Development, reverse migration, empowering women & youth, Scientific Micro Watershed
Management and bringing 1/3rd area of the country under green cover through horticulture
and other plantations and make India "Sujalam - Sufalam".
Advisory Council

Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar Chairman

Dr. Jayant Naralikar Member
Dr. Vijay Bhatkar Member
Dr. Vijay Kelkar Member
Dr. Madhav Gadgil Member
Dr. Ram Takawale Member
Dr. Bhushan Patvardhan Member
Dr. Chandrakant Pandav Member
Board of Trustees

Shri. Ravindra Dharia President

Shri. Nitin Desai Trustee
Shri. Kamal Morarka Trustee
Shri. Avinash Bhosale Trustee
Shri. Rohidas More Trustee
Shri. Girish Gandhi Trustee
Shri. Ganpatrao Patil Trustee

Shri. Shriram Gomarkar Secretary

 Our Vision

Let us go back to villages as preached by

Mahatma Gandhiji
Let us make our villages prosperous and self reliant
through the ideals of self-help, modern technology
and motivation.
Reverse migration no longer remains a concept,
Vanarai Oath Contains

 Shramdan and Involvement of all in Development

 Development above party politics
 Literacy
 Healthy nourishment to malnourished children
 Prevent soil erosion
 conserve every drop of water
 Kurhad Bandi (Ban on illicit felling of trees)
 Charai Bandi (Ban on uncontrolled grazing)
 Latrine and Gobar gas plant for each house
 No addiction
 Clean, green and self reliant village
 Use every inch of land with better productivity
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

Major Achievments
Making Waste Lands Productive

Out of 329 M. Ha. of total geographical area of India, more than 50% lands are waste
or degraded lands.
VANARAI was pioneer organization to attract the attention of the country towards this
massive problem of wastelands and suggest necessary measures to make them
productive.
During Green Revolution, lands under culture were made more productive by using
hybrid seeds.
However, no effort was made to make these waste lands productive.
They are not waste but wasted lands, and VANARAI has been insisting to make them
productive.
This has a potential to take care of the food grains and other agricultural produce in
the years to come.
Making Waste Lands Productive

By now several States in the country including Central Government and Planning
Commission have accepted the approach of Scientific Micro Watershed Management
programme.
VANARAI reasonably feels proud for successful implementation of this approach all
over the country.
Taking EGS to the field of Farmers

VANARAI was instrumental in carrying the Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS)

in Maharashtra to the fields of farmers, in addition to community programmes like
nallah bunding, road construction etc.
As a result thousands of acres of land has come under horticulture and other crops.
The achievement of Maharashtra in horticulture has been remarkable.
Fortunately Central Government has accepted similar programme known as
“Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme”, which is supposed
to be flagship programme of the Government of India.
Joint Forestry Management

While Dr. Mohan Dharia was a Member of the National Wasteland Development
Board, He had moved a resolution for Joint Forestry Management (JFM) to involve
local Adivasi and nearby people to protect and conserve forest in the country.
As a result in spite of illicit tree cutting, nearly 170 million hectares of forest lands have
come under forest or green cover since 1991-92.
Development of Several Villages

To conserve water and make our lands productive with peoples’ cooperation,
VANARAI decided to develop several villages. This has now become “Peoples’
Movement”.
VANARAI’s main objective of self-reliant village has succeeded in several villages.
Reverse Migration

We have now introduced the concept of “Reverse Migration” based on Gandhian

philosophy “Back to village”.
From such villages, nobody migrates to cities in search of employment.
On the contrary poor families from villages who had migrated to cities in search of
employment have returned back to their own village.
They earn more incomes, get better educational, medicinal and other basic facilities,
and lead a better quality life.
It was a Herculean task. However, by involving people, VANARAI has already
succeeded in achieving Reverse Migration in Gawadewadi (Pune District), Varandh
(Raigad District of Konkan), Zari (Latur District), Bazar vahegaon (Jalna District) and
many more villages are now progressing to achieve the “Reverse Migration”.
Reverse Migration

Hon. President of India after visiting Gawadewadi has expressed satisfaction over the
Reverse Migration.
All the dignitaries who visited Gawadewadi have expressed that Reverse Migration is
the “New Direction” to the whole country.
Due to enrichment of village, nobody migrates to cities. It is possible to plan the
growth of our cities in a better way.
Vanarai efforts over the years have given a new direction to the development of
villages. More than 300 families have migrated back and are living a happy and
hygienic life.
Vanarai Bunds

To conserve water, VANARAI invented erection of Vanarai Bunds by using empty

cement or fertilizer bags to be filled with soil or sand available locally.
This has proved to be the most cost effective simple technology.
Vanarai Bunds have reached all parts of the country.
More than 3,00,000 Vanarai Bunds of this type are erected every year immediately
after the rainy season when velocity or run-off of water is too low.
Because of erection of Vanarai Bunds, water is conserved, lands on both side of the
same become productive and employment opportunities are generated along with
wealth. Vanarai Bund is perhaps the most precious gift of Vanarai to the country.
Workshops, Seminars and Conferences

VANARAI organizes Workshops, Seminars and Conferences to consider –

 Soil and Water Conservation,
 Afforestation,
 Make Waste or Degraded Lands And People in the country Productive
through Scientific Micro Watershed Management.
Distribution of Plants to Farmers

VANARAI has provided more than 20 million seeds / plants particularly to farmers
who have taken due care of these plants.
All VANARAI villages have become “Clean and Evergreen”.
Family Planning Propagation

VANARAI has propagated family planning in several villages.

During the last 10 years, the population growth rate in these villages has come
down, as against the vast increase of population in the country.
This will help to bring down the burden on the infrastructural facilities to be provided
to the people accumulated in the cities and pave way for better planning of the cities.

Many more villages will be developed by the Vanarai pattern

Self-Help Groups

VANARAI along with Disha and other organizations has so far formed many self Help
Groups in several villages.
This has helped in providing additional income from Rs. 500/- to Rs. 2,000/- per
month to more than 5,000 women members.
Efforts are being made to cover 10,000 women within next few years.
Eco Clubs

With a view to educate and create awareness in boys and girls, VANARAI has
established 2,000 Eco-Clubs all over Maharashtra.
Each club consists of more than 50 boys and girl students along with a teacher.
All these boys and girls have been taking great interest in protecting our environment.
VANARAI aims at enhancing this activity to cover many more schools in the State
within the next few years.
We believe in inculcating awareness amongst children from childhood enabling them
to contribute to the development of environment.
Public Sanitation

Thousands of pilgrims come together at yatra places.

More than a million people congregate at Pandharpur.
It is impracticable to construct permanent latrines for such vast number.
VANARAI along with it’s associates has, therefore, developed spraying of bacterial culture
“Enviro Mitra” to be sprayed on excreta and other food waste, which considerably reduces
bad odour, flies and mosquitoes. In addition the waste is converted into valuable organic
manure in a short period of time. This activity is undertaken by VANARAI since last 10
years, and is being appreciated by local citizens and Varkari (devotees).
Over the last 8 years, Sanitation programme has been propagated through construction of
toilets encouraging kitchen gardens and soak pits for effective waste management.
More than 1000 toilets have been built especially for women in Vanarai villages.
Training Centres

To make our youth and famers more productive, it is necessary to establish several
Vocational Training Centers.
VANARAI has already created 13 Training Centers in various parts of Maharashtra,
regarding new Science and Technology for increasing their productivity and improving
their life style.
They have helped in generation of local employment opportunities and enhance agro-
produce in the concerned areas.
Watershed Park

VANARAI has developed a Watershed Park on about 1,400 Sq. Mt. area in co-
operation with Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri and Agriculture College,
Pune.
Education and Health

Vanarai has also been in the following activities across different villages:
 Training of Teachers regarding environment which can be then passed to the
children for implementation in years to come
 Computer education for all making the children tech savvy and preparing them
for the future in an effective way
 Toilet facilities in many schools
 Health Camps which include general check up for children, adult and senior
citizens, eye testing and gyaneic check-up.
 Installation of dustbins at various located to improve hygiene levels
Media and Publications
Vanarai also publishes informative books, booklets, documentary films and monthly
Marathi magazine- Vanarai devoted to Sustainable Rural Development and
Environment.
Special Issue of VANARAI has been showered with accolades as below
Collaboration with Corporate Sector

VANARAI introduced concept of collaboration with Corporate Sector for village

development. Corporate Companies like –
Silver Jubilee Function
Presently Vanarai is engaged in

 Sustainable Rural Development

 Eco Clubs
 Joint Forestry Management
 Soil and Water Conservation
 Public Sanitation Programs
 Vanarai Bunds
 Training in Various Fields
 Empowerment of Women and Youth
 Self Help Groups
 Integrated Watershed Management Programme being implemented as
Project Implementation Agency of Vasundhra Project of Government of
India in 52 villages on about 20,000 Ha. Of area
Success Stories

 Villages like Gavadewadi Pune District, Varandh Raigad District, Bajar

Vahegaon Jalna District and others.
 Many families staying in filthy slums of Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad have
returned back and leading better life.
 Collection of milk increased from 200 to 12000 liters per day in fifteen years in
Gavadewadi.
 Production of tomatoes increased from 5000 Kg. per acre to 25000 Kg. per
acre. Similarly production of all crops has increased.
 95 % literacy has been achieved and result of SSC is more than 95% .
 Women have started production of Agarbatti Papad and other domestic
products through self help groups.
 Every woman is earning from Rs. 1000 to 2000 per month through various
vocations.
 Almost every house has latrine and gobar gas plant.
 Plantation of Mango, Cashew, Custard apple etc. on all waste lands.
 Protective irrigation through Vanarai bunds and other treatments.
 Computers installed in the village school.
 Villages has a social centre for vocational training and information
dissemination.
It has been possible for VANARAI to attain such achievements only because of the
sustained cooperation of the donors, the people, the Government, sister organizations
and devoted workers.
Vanarai looks forward for the same support, love and cooperation in future.

Help us take it further…

THANK YOU