In the sun-drenched landscapes of Maharashtra, where the land often thirsts for just a drop of rain, drought is a relentless visitor. Its aftermath is all too familiar — parched fields, failed crops, and, for too many farmers, a desperate turn to unthinkable acts of taking their lives.

With the farmers of Marathwada and Khandesh bearing its brunt, year after year, a sombre saga unfolded here in 2016. Drought had gripped the state, hitting its agrarian communities with a ferocious intensity. Farmers saw not only their fields drying but also their dreams.

Among the voices echoing the emptiness left by deceased rains, the suicide of a farmer in North Maharashtra struck a personal chord with an IRS officer, Ujjwal Kumar Chavan. Moved by this tragedy and the collective cries from his homeland, he found himself compelled to act.

Amid a successful career in the Indian Revenue Service and a promising life ahead, the silent plea of his drought-stricken homeland was a call he could not ignore. It was during a visit to his village around the same time that he decided to spearhead an initiative that would harness the power of water conservation to change lives.

Building hope, one drop at a time

With a vision to alter the course of his drought-stricken village, Ujjwal embarked on an ambitious water conservation project. His plan involved constructing a reservoir capable of storing 10 core litres of water. But what began as a prototype soon blossomed beyond expectations — the initiative yielded a........

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