The Maharashtra government has decided to set up committees to focus on climate resilience in over 5,000 villages of 15 districts in the state.As per a Government Resolution (GR) issued yesterday, under the Nanaji Deshmukh Krushi Sanjivanee Project, Village Climate Resilient Agriculture Management Committees (VCRMCs) would be set up at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore.
The project would be funded by the World Bank, said the GR.
It also said that 4,210 villages in the state are most vulnerable to climate change hence, they have been selected for the project. Besides, 932 villages facing the challenge of salinity of water are also included in the project.
The selected villages are mostly from Marathwada and Vidarbha regions and Nashik revenue division.
A 13-member committee will be set up in all these villages to stress on adopting new agricultural practices, judicious use of water and soil testing to keep a check on its health, as per the GR
The project recommends use of seed technology, precision farming along with diversification of agriculture to coarse grains, an official from the state agriculture department said.
With 82 per cent of the state’s cultivable area falling under dry farming coupled with consecutive drought, the state government has now decided to push for this project, he added.