Once most drought-prone village in Maharashtra, Hiware Bazar in Ahmednagar today is India’s richest village and houses at least 60 millionaires families out of total 235. The village boasts the highest per capita Income in the country. With an overall population of 1,250, these villagers earn an average of Rs 30,000 every month.
However the village was not same few years ago when it local economy and agricultural production was almost negligible compared to present day figures. The condition in the village was so depressing that almost 90 percent of the villagers moved out for better future.
“Ours was a simple village with happy families. But lack of water turned our fields barren,” Laxman Pawar, a farmer told local media. “Out of desperation, people started to drink, gamble and fight,” he added.
But then destiny had something different store the people left in the village. The only postgraduate Popatrao Pawar present in the village transformed their lives.
Pawar contested the gram panchayat elections and became the Sarpanch. Immediately he convinced Villagers to shut down the 22 liquor shops and got the gram sabha to tie up with the Bank of Maharashtra.
Inspired by Anna Hazare’s work in Ralegan Siddhi, a village 35 km away from here, Popatrao started rainwater harvesting and water conservation programmes.
Pawar also convinced the bank to issue soft loans to farmers The villagers built 52 earthen bunds, 32 stone bunds, and 9 check dams. With rising groundwater level, the village started to prosper.
Today, the village has 294 open wells, each brimming with water. People who earlier migrated to cities return taking taking total family count from 90 to 235.lp eah other in their farms.
According to the Rain Water Harvesting website, the village is also currently maintaining a patch of land where 100 different species of plants are duly preserved.