Enabling farmers' capacity for production
of millet farming in Niwari

Development Alternatives, under a project supported by Marico India, has initiated the work of tank deepening in the villages of Niwari block in Madhya Pradesh. Ubora, situated 20 km away from Niwari, is one of them.

There were no healthy water bodies left in the village, and due to the resulting water crisis, farmers faced difficulties in their agricultural activities. To help them, the Gochar tank was chosen for rejuvenation. With the agreement of the Sarpanch and the farmers living around the tank, the DA team started the work of tank deepening and cleaning on June 5, 2020. An earth-mover machine was used for the deepening of the tank. The soil that was extracted during this process was given to the farmers for free for use in their fields, as it is rich in nutrients and would enhance plant growth in their fields. The DA team told them that that they could use this soil for making bunds in their fields.

The farmers were also given forestry plants such as bamboo, neem, shisham, tik and drumstick to plant. With this, seeds of jawar and bajra, four kg of each, were also given to them to sow in one-acre area. By following the right technique and process explained by the DA team, the farmers sowed the seeds and also used vermi compost in their fields to promote organic farming.

When the monsoon arrived, the tank was filled with rainwater which increased the groundwater level. Domestic animals too could now drink water from the tank. The farmers were happy by the availability of water in the tank after the deepening work. They used this water in their fields and were thankful to the DA team for taking this initiative.■

Lalit Kumar Gangwar
lkgangwar@devalt.org