Brahmasandra village in the Sira Taluk of Tumakuru district in Karnataka has been adopted by the marketing arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Antrix Corporation Limited, the marketing division, has taken this step in order to save the lives of farmers who are struggling to live in the drought-stricken area.

The aim is to offer a better quality of life and prevent farmer suicides in the region.

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In collaboration with the Bharatia Agro-Industries Foundation and as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility, ISRO has designated Rs. 3.81 crore over a period of five years.

As reported, this particular village had the most numbers of farmer suicides due to financial distress, which is why it has been chosen.

(Also read: ISRO Begins Preparations For Mangalyaan-II, Seeks Proposals For Its Interplanetary Mission)

Thereby, ISRO's project aims to pump in better technologies and agricultural advancements for higher productivity. The basic agenda of this project is to create a sustainable model village with hi-tech skills, infrastructure, assets, support services and market linkages to make agriculture a profitable occupation.

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The village is 1,420-strong with 356 households. All these people are mainly engaged in farming, with livestock farming being the subsidiary occupation.

Thus, the intention is to create a vibrant village development committee for post-project sustainability.

(Also read: Farmer Suicides Cross 400 In Marathwada In 2016, Government Says It Can’t Change Things Overnight)

Apart from this, the village also struggles with issues like uncontaminated drinking water - the water here contains high levels of fluoride.

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Other issues in the region are proper drainage system, groundwater depletion, waste management, sanitation facilities, uneven rainfall, lack of basic infrastructure, shelter, poor vegetative cover and low agricultural productivity.

“We selected the perennial drought-hit village, Brahmasandra, to implement watershed development, tank rejuvenation and rainwater harvesting for drinking water, the construction of farm ponds to increase the groundwater table, and also to train farmers to use modern tools and advanced technology in agriculture.” said the Director (CSR), Antrix Corporation Limited, ISRO, Bengaluru, Dr. B.K. Ranganath.

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This is such a brilliant move to help all those troubled souls living in the region. More so, it will not just provide them with better opportunities, but a better way of life.

Kudos to ISRO!