India: How a Tool Bank Beats Poverty in Rural Maharashtra By Rina Mukherji Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service.

India: How a Tool Bank Beats Poverty in Rural Maharashtra By Rina Mukherji https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/06/india-how-a-tool-bank-beats-poverty-in-rural-maharashtra/ PUNE, India, Jun 10 2026 (IPS) - Dharashiv is one of the poorest districts in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Located in the semi-arid region of Marathwada, it has no major river and is not blessed with good reservoirs. The soil quality is poor and unable to retain water, even during heavy rainfall. Farmers depend on borewells and wells. Farm ponds go dry beyond February, leaving farmers bereft. The groundwater level is always low for most of the year. Generally rural, with agriculture as its mainstay, Dharashiv is mostly made up of landholdings averaging 4-5 acres. Rural unemployment is high, and large numbers of able-bodied men and women migrate to towns during the lean seasons. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service.