Nashik Social Worker Pramod Gaikwad’s Water Initiative to Be Presented at Singapore International Water Week 2026

Gaikwad’s paper, titled “Water as a Catalyst: A Nexus-Based Model for Tribal Empowerment in Rural India,” has been selected under the “Stakeholder Engagement” category. The presentation focuses on how access to drinking water in remote tribal villages can influence education, health, nutrition and livelihood conditions.

Gaikwad, founder of the Social Networking Forum (SNF), has been working in tribal regions of Nashik and nearby districts for over 15 years. According to details mentioned in the abstract, the organisation has implemented community-led drinking water initiatives in more than 35 villages.

The paper discusses how water scarcity affects daily life in remote areas, especially for women and children who often spend several hours each day fetching water. It also examines the changes observed in some villages after access to drinking water improved, including school attendance, local health conditions and day-to-day economic activity.

Along with water projects, the model includes linked initiatives such as village libraries, nutrition support programs and rural health activities. The approach highlighted in the paper combines low-cost infrastructure with local participation and community ownership.

The Singapore event is expected to feature delegates and experts from multiple countries working in the areas of public policy, environment, engineering and sustainable development. The selection of the paper will place a community-level initiative from tribal Maharashtra within a broader international discussion on water access and rural development models.

SNF began around 2010 through educational support activities for tribal students and later expanded into water, health and rural development work across several villages in Maharashtra.

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