Vulnerability Converted
into Opportunity:
NRM Intervention in Shivpuri
Agriculture
is a predominant source of livelihood for over 80 percent of the
Bundelkhand community (Patel and Yadav, 2015).
However, Bundelkhand region is widely recognised for its vulnerability
to availability of water for agriculture and household purposes. The
groundwater recharge is a challenge because of the substratum of
impermeable rock, found at shallow depths across the region. For
instance, from 2003-2010, vulnerability to drought proliferated in all
the districts of Bundelkhand (Ibid.). During this dry spell, a steep
decline in the water reservoirs from 15% to 47% was observed in the
Madhya Pradesh (M.P.) districts of the Bundelkhand region (National
Institute of Disaster Management, 2014). The study also mentions floods
in 2011 in this region. Post this, late monsoons, low rainfall and
drought were observed in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively (Manku, 2016).
Migration and suicide rate of farmers substantially increased.
In 2015, Development Alternatives (DA) along
with Coca Cola Foundation, intervened in three villages of Pichhore
block of Shivpuri district, in Madhya Pradesh. DA undertook a baseline
survey to understand the existing and counter the probable threat in
this region. As per observations, out of the 1260 hectares used for
agricultural purposes, 400 hectares of land was left barren. This
amplified vulnerability to availability of water for agricultural
purposes, enhanced threat to the livelihood earning. DA undertook
meetings to raise awareness among all the age groups engaged in
agricultural activities.
After
careful analysis of the baseline survey data, water committees were set
up in these three villages. Their main job was to motivate and assist
farmers by yearly rainfall prediction and outline a watershed plan for
the villages. Within two years, nine check dams and nine farm lakes were
made and hundred fruit trees planted in over one thousand acres of land.
This project generated and improved the livelihood opportunities for
more than one hundred farmers in these villages.
One of the success stories of this project,
reflects in the happiness of a forty one years old farmer, Angad Singh.
Even after owning 4 acres of land, he could use only 1.6 acres of it for
agricultural purposes. The dry spell in his region had forced him to
migrate to cities for work to support his household’s financial needs.
After the introduction of this project in his village, he realised the
reasons for loss of soil fertility especially during the monsoons. Angad
Singh dug a farm pond on his field to store rain water and use it for
irrigation purposes. He also adopted the suggested crop diversification
and integrated pest management to boost agricultural productivity. His
intercropping practice of vegetables and pulses helped him increase his
yield on the land. The 95 fruit trees he grew under this project, helped
him earn a profit of 40,000 rupees per year. Additionally, he earned an
yearly profit of approximately 50,000 rupees, from the sale of fishes he
kept in his farm pond. As a result of all these interventions, his
agricultural land space expanded from 1.6 acres to 2.4 acres, which
further escalated his profits. He was finally able to bear all his
household expenses and send his children to school.
■
References
-
Gupta, A.K., Nair, S.S., Ghosh, O., Singh,
A. and Dey, S., 2014. Bundelkhand drought: Retrospective analysis and
way ahead. National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi,
148.
-
Moyna Manku, 2016. Bundelkhand cries out for
CSR, Available at:
https://www.livemint.com/Companies/m6buZulHLfzUbbgTfyB03O/Bundelkhand-cries-out-for-CSR.html
-
Patel, N.R. and Yadav, K., 2015. Monitoring
spatio-temporal pattern of drought stress using integrated drought index
over Bundelkhand region, India. Natural Hazards, 77(2),
pp.663-677.
KK Tiwari
ktiwari1@devalt.org
Back to Contents
|