BNY Mellon, a global financial institution delivering pioneering financial services to its clients, in association with National Agro Foundation, has conceived and developed a novel Development Programme called Comprehensive Village Development. Manjarwadi, a village located in the Satara district of Maharashtra, has been the first village to witness multiple development activities as part of this programme.

Nitin Chandel, Managing Director and Head, BNY Mellon Technology, India, visited Manjarwadi on successful completion of the first year since the initiation of the Comprehensive Village Development Project (CVDP). The program is a three to four-year-long project with a versatile approach that takes on the multi-dimensional development changes facing the rural population. Throughout the year, some activities that were pivotal to the project include the resurrection of a drinking water well and the construction of a check dam. The activities in the first year majorly focused on entry point actions in addition to revitalization and reinforcement of existing water storage infrastructure. Manjarwadi is a water-stressed village inhabited by agrarian communities and supporting their water resources has helped over 187 families and 35 farmers.

At the end of the project, the aim is to make Manjarwadi a model sustainable village, equipped to meet the development needs of the community, enriching the lives and livelihoods of the population. BNY Mellon is striving toward establishing a water supply system that will help with irrigation, domestic use, and sanitation while focusing on empowering the community institutions for the longterm sustainability of the project components. Caring about communities has always been a cornerstone of BNY Mellon’s philanthropic philosophy. Under their CSR programs, they have successfully developed the Comprehensive Village Development Project that will enable a better quality of life for communities like Manjarwadi and many others.