Vanrai turns 29,new initiatives in offing

More than 3,00,000 Vanrai bunds have been erected by using this cost-effective technology.

The organisation was also instrumental in carrying out the employment guarantee scheme in the field of farming.

Vanrai introduced the concept of reverse migration based on Gandhian philosophy ‘back to village’.

It has successfully implemented this and succeeded in achieving the concept in three villages—Gawadewadi (Pune),Varandh (Raigad District) and Zari (Latur).

Families from these villages who had migrated to cities in search of employment have returned.

Vanrai and Mohan Dharia have been instrumental in forming Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI),which has more than 6,000 non-governmental organisations as its members.

To celebrate its anniversary,Vanrai has organised various programmes among which prominent being a project to make one district in Maharashtra and one taluk in Pune district imported diesel-free by producing bio-diesel.

“Karanj (Pungamia Pinnata) plants will be planted on 25 hactres in each of the villages in the selected taluk. Vanrai will provide oil expeller that will allow villagers to extract oil from karanj seeds. The oil will then be collected and converted into bio-diesel after esterification at the taluk headquarters,” said Goramkar.

“A countrywide drive to popularise organic farming and reduce dependability on petrochemicals will also be launched in a couple of months through 6,000 members of the Confederation of NGOs of Rural India,” he said.