VILASRAO SALUNKHE CHAIR

for Effective Water Governance

About Vilasrao Salunkhe

Vilasrao was born on 18 February 1937 at Dhulgaon in Sangli district of Maharashtra. In 1961 - 62, he completed his electrical engineering from the College of Engineering, Pune. Within two years, he started his firm - Accurate Engineering.

Using indigenous technology and locally trained manpower, Accurate Engineering developed a number of import-substitute products in the field of Metrology. He gave a new vision to small scale industries, during his tenure as the chairman of Western Maharashtra Development Corporation.

Vilasrao was always deeply concerned about natural resource management issues in rural areas. During a devastating drought in 1972-73, he visited affected villages in western Maharashtra. After analysing the situation, he suggested the Maharashtra Government to take up water resource development activities, instead of other infrastructure works through the Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The alarming situation of water resources distribution in Maharashtra, compelled him to think afresh. He located a small village Naigaon, in Purandar taluka of Pune district and started the experiment of equitable water distribution with active involvement and participation of local communities. Through a voluntary organisation, Gram Gourav Prathisthan, the movement of equitable water rights, which was popularly termed as PANI PANCHAYAT, spread all over Maharashtra. Acknowledging the success of Naigaon, and 70 other experiments, the Government came up with a resolution termed as Naigaon Pattern.

He established the equitable principle about water distribution and the rights of ownership of water. He had constant interaction regarding these principles with political leaders, decision makers and government officials. Most of these principles are by now included in the policy directives of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

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