About the Project

The Office of the MGNREGA Commissioner, Government of Maharashtra, has partnered with the Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF) to implement the High Impact Mega Watershed Project, a sustainable land and water management initiative. Using a ridge-to-valley watershed approach, the project will treat 4.39 lakh hectares across five districts namely Gondia, Chandrapur, Yavatmal, Gadchiroli, and Nanded, focusing on scientific planning through GIS mapping, active community involvement, and strengthening Gram Panchayats as implementing bodies.

The project prioritizes Maharashtra’s most deprived regions, selected based on poverty indices, high SC/ST populations, and socio-economic deprivation. Supported by Axis Bank Foundation (ABF), this five-year initiative (2023-2028) aims to boost agricultural productivity and rural incomes. Implemented across 26 backward blocks, the collaboration between BRLF and MGNREGA, formalized in September 2022, seeks to deliver lasting, large-scale impact in climate-resilient rural development.

Goal

Enhance income levels of One lakh households (by 70-100%) over a period of five years in 26 select blocks of five districts of Maharashtra.

Objectives

• Restoration of 4.44 Lakh- ha land through area treatment.
• 1.77 Lakh-ha un-irrigated area will be converted into irrigated land
• 65% expenditure of MGNREGA on NRM productive assets
• 1,137 GIS-based DPRs prepared & implemented following ‘ridge-to-valley’ approach
• 634 GRS & 6,000 PRI/SHG members trained for effective planning and implementation of DPRs
• Promote sustainable livelihoods (improved Agriculture, Dairy, Fisheries, NTFP, etc.) to 1 lakh HHs.

Key Strategies

• Adopting a holistic approach to promote sustainable livelihoods and rural entrepreneurship.
• Developing comprehensive training curricula and materials.
• Building a pool of skilled trainers and subject experts through Training of Trainers (ToT) programs.
• Promoting eco-friendly enterprises by training rural youth and women, with focused support for high-potential entrepreneurs.
• Strengthening the grassroots ecosystem by enhancing the skills of Community Coordinators, Resource Persons, and Extension Workers.
• Creating a digital platform for knowledge sharing.
• Developing standardized training modules and IEC materials on key agricultural themes and trades.
• Setting up field demonstration and exposure sites for hands-on learning and best practice adoption.

Key Deliverables and Outcomes

• Train 4,000 eco-preneurs across various trades, with business setup support for 400 high-potential entrepreneurs.
• Identify and train 60 Master Trainers to lead Green College training programs.
• Train 1,200 frontline community workers, including Community Coordinators (CC), Community Resource Persons (CRP), and Extension Workers (EW).
• Build a pool of 200 resource persons to deliver ongoing ground-level training.
• Provide livelihood and skill enhancement training, including record-keeping, to 80,000 Producer Group (PG) members.
• Train Board of Directors from 30 Producer Companies on market linkages and operational management.
• Develop 15 training modules, IEC materials, and learning videos on best practices.
• Establish 25 demonstration sites across different trades for hands-on training and exposure visits.

Government Partners

• MGNREGA – Government of Maharashtra
• PoCRA (Agriculture Department), Government of Maharashtra

CSO Partners

BAIF Development Research Foundation (BAIF), Gramin Samassya Mukti Trust (GSMT), Indian Gramin Services (IGS), Yuva Rural Association (YRA), Jivan Vikas Sanstha (JVS), Navnirman Sarv Samaj Hitarth Sanstha (NSSHS), Rashtriya Agro Education Sanstha (RAES), Krushi Vikas Gramin Prashikshan Sanstha, Navnirman Sarv Samaj Hitarth Sanstha Nandurbar (NAVNIRMAN), Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR)