Sustainable Agriculture and Watershed
Management is Improving Lives
at the Grassroots

Development Alternatives has been implementing the Watershed Development Fund of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in villages of Bundelkhand. This article gives success stories from the ground of how this programme has changed lives of the farmers for the better by improving water and food security, improving crop yield and increasing household income.

Case Study 1

Rajwati, a 24-year-old lady from Budpura village has just 1.5 acres of land to support her family of five, including a one-year-old child. Being the only bread earner of the family and with the yield of her land being inadequate, she had to work as a daily labourer to meet her daily needs.

In the year 2018, she was brought into the Watershed Development Fund programme of NABARD as a beneficiary. Her capacity has been built through training and demonstration of a kitchen garden on half acre of her land. Intervention of kitchen garden has not only met the requirement of vegetable and pulses of her family but also strengthened her capacity to lead the process of change as a woman. Seeds, training and technical expertise provided under the aforesaid intervention propelled multi directional impact in strengthening the livelihood and health aspect of her family.

Rajwati said that about INR 2000 per month extra income is added from vegetable production on half acre of land with minimum input or investment. “Extra income reduced my need to do daily labour work and enabled me to devote more time towards my one-year-old child,” Rajwati said with a big smile and sense of satisfaction.

Case Study 2

Availability of water for domestic use and agriculture has been the major problem for Budpura village of Babina block where Watershed Development Fund of NABARD is being implemented by Development Alternatives.

“Check dam formed the medicine for pain arising out of the unavailability of water,” said 62-year-old Vikram Parihar from Budpura. He described that the construction of check dam has brought greenery on 50 farmers’ fields of more than 100 acres of land including 3 acres of his own land.

He further shared that the check dam stops water for almost the whole year which has helped in animal rearing and ground water recharge of nearby area of 50-meter radius. Animal rearing adds to the income of the family significantly.

Vikram Parihar sighted his direct additional income of INR 3000 and soil and water conservation impact which lead to 20-22% enhancement in agriculture production and reduction of input cost by 15-20%.

Case Study 3

Drought, untimely rains, decreasing productivity along with climate change impacts makes farming a huge challenge in the Bundelkhand region. Pramod Rajpoot, a young 28-year-old became an agent for climate change adaption in his village. He started producing organic fertilizer through technology application and using cattle dung. He has been supported under the Watershed Development Fund of NABARD for setting up three units of tetra bed which can produce 25 quintals of vermi compost in a span of 45 days. This helps him earn INR 10,000 for every batch of compost that he sells. He decided to grow organic vegetables and fruits which is contributing to improving the health and well-being of his family.■

Rishabh Singh
rsingh@devalt.org