NAME ORIGIN: Maliwada, whose name signifies “gardener’s village” is located approximately midway between the growing industrial city of Aurangabad and the ancient rock-hewn temple caves of Ellora. This position, as well as its proximity to Daulatabad Fort, places the village at a cross-roads where both local travellers and international tourists pass. The ruins near the village confirm the glory of the history of Maliwada.
GEOGRAPHY: Maliwada located fifteen kilometres northwest of Aurangabad in the State of Maharashtra, India. Maliwada is situated at the foot of Deogiri, the original name of Daulatabad Fort, the ancient citadel which commands the magnificent panorama of the whole Deccan Plateau.
POPULATION: During the past decade the severe droughts forced many residents of Maliwada to move away. Its population now is approximately 2000, most of whom farm their own varying-sized plots of land.
CHALLENGES: The Maliwada Human Development Consultation was the initiating step of an INDIA comprehensive development demonstration by the people of Maliwada, a rural village.
HISTORY: In recent years the rise of the “Industrial Princess,” Aurangabad, has refocused the commercial activity that at one time centered around the citadel fort. In 1977 a replication project began in the state of Maharashtra eventually covering one village in each of its 250 talukas. Around some of these cluster projects also began such as the Malegaon Cluster near Pune today.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The State Bank of India branch in Maliwada provides credit access to 13 villages.
Opening of numerous small industries and shops has tripled non-agricultural employment options and village income.
Many farming families doubled incomes in the first 2 years of the project by increasing cultivated land from 100 to 800 acres through the use of new methods and greater access to water and farm equipment.
Maliwada is the primary symbol of Nava Gram Prayas (the New Village Movement) and maintains that role through outreach to 232 villages and the presence of the Human Development Training Institute.
The radical reconstruction of over 40 new homes, home and village electricity, improved roads, and numerous public buildings.
The current installation of a drinking water system addresses the depth issue which in recent years had placed the very existence of the village in jeopardy.
A health clinic run by a newly trained local doctor, a core of trained village leaders, secondary and college graduates point tot the dramatic upgrading of village skills.
