Naam Foundation has resumed water-conservation work in drought-affected areas of Maharashtra, beginning with the deepening and repair of check dams in Pargaon and Nagargaon in Daund taluka, Pune district, within days of the death of its founder and actor Nana Patekar.
The work is being carried out in riverbeds at the two villages with two JCB machines, three trucks and 10 workers provided by the foundation. The Irrigation Department has supplied stones for the repair work, according to information shared by Nilesh Jawalkar, the foundation’s coordinator and former sarpanch of Khanapur in Haveli taluka.
The check-dam work is intended to improve water availability for farms in the surrounding area, including parts of Daund and Shirur talukas. The foundation said the work is being continued in line with Patekar’s stated commitment to supporting farmers, workers and economically vulnerable communities.
Patekar died last week. His last rites were held at his farm in Donje, near the foothills of Sinhagad. Following his death, the foundation decided that its water-conservation operations should continue, with the current work starting soon afterwards in drought-affected areas.
Jawalkar said Patekar regularly maintained that the foundation’s work should not stop and that supporting distressed farmers and workers was a responsibility. The current project is being implemented under the supervision of actor Makarand Anaspure, identified as one of the foundation’s founders, and secretary Ganesh Thorat.
Naam Foundation plans to undertake additional water-conservation work in drought-affected talukas across Maharashtra. The proposed activities include cleaning and restoring dams, check dams, lakes, streams and drainage channels, as well as carrying out works intended to retain water.
The initiative relies on a combination of foundation-provided machinery and labour and material support from the Irrigation Department. The report does not specify the total number of sites, project cost, implementation schedule or the volume of water expected to be stored through the current works.
The check-dam repairs in Pargaon and Nagargaon are therefore the first reported activity in the foundation’s post-Patekar continuation plan. Further work is expected to be planned across the Khadakwasla, Sinhagad and Panshet areas and other drought-affected parts of the state under the supervision of the foundation’s leadership.
