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Wasteland Development by Community Institutions
Santhosh Pathak & Sonal Kulshreshtha
skpathak@devalt.org,
skulsh@gmail.com
O nce
resource rich, Bundelkhand region is now slowly turning into a vast
wasteland. Till mid 40’s, this region had one of the finest forests in
the country, abundant with rich wild life, water bodies, lush green
pasture lands and low human population. Water bodies comprised mostly of
small, medium and large tanks, which got filled up during the rainy
season and provided the required water and moisture regime, essential
for various activities throughout the year. During the last 60 years,
all this has changed due to the indiscriminate cutting of trees,
mismanagement of resources, reduced vegetal cover and uncontrolled
grazing. The resources are getting depleted and no sufficient efforts
are being made to replenish them. The reduced land cover, erratic
rainfall and topography of the region have added in the less
infiltration opportunity time, thus preventing enrichment of the
groundwater status in the region. The water bodies have started drying
up, affecting the land productivity, cropping system, cropping pattern
and ultimately the life style and socio-economic status of the concerned
community.
The Approach
It was felt that stagnation
and inertia are the main factors responsible for the failure (and
significantly short life span than expected) of the watershed management
practices. Development Alternatives adopted a different approach
towards natural resource management. Instead of first initiating and
installing the technical measures and then generating awareness in the
community, community mobilisation was initiated first and the community
was motivated to take up the watershed management activities. Programmes
were also taken up for formation of Community Based Organisations (CBOs)
and building their capacities. CBOs were oriented for watershed
management concepts and wasteland development activities and were also
mobilised and motivated to take up such kind of work on their own. This
approach ensured the sustainability of measures in the long term.
However, technical and financial supports, up to some extent, were
provided to the community by leveraging resources and working in
convergence with different government and non-government agencies.
Community
Mobilisation
About 240 Self Help Groups (SHGs),
nine SHG clusters and two federations were formed in the Niwari Block of
Tikamgarh District, Madhya Pradesh. Capacity Building and awareness
generation programmes were organized to mobilise the community. About 40
trainings, 22 workshops, and several exposure visits were organised to
orient the community and enhance the understanding about wasteland
development and watershed management. Demonstrations were organised and
the benefits were reflected in their wide adoptability and replications.
CBOs were encouraged to leverage resources of different government
agencies and other organisations for community upliftment. The
organisations also took advantage of their preferential status in front
of financial (Banks etc) and other institutions for loans and grants.
Initiatives and recognition by different agencies and organisations
boosted the confidence of the community. CBOs approached different
agencies for leveraging resources.
Community
Initiatives
Awareness, rise in the
confidence level, and leadership developed through CBOs helped the
community to create better linkages with different agencies and
government and non-government organisations. One of the clusters
approached the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, to get benefited from its
Gaushala Scheme. Appraising the application and the cluster’s
credentials, Government offered about 20 acres of wasteland near the
holy town of Orchha in Madhya Pradesh for fulfilling the recurring
requirements of Gaushala, in addition to the seed money of One
Lakh rupees. The cluster accepted the wasteland offer and took it as a
challenge.
The cluster
also managed to get 40,000 rupees from other sources. On the other
fronts, involved CBOs approached different research and other agencies
for getting updated technological know-how and other support for
development programmes. A strategy for wasteland development was
prepared. Activities like bunding and Cattle Prevention Trenches (CPT)
were also conducted. Soil conservation and water management measures
terraces were prepared. The Cowshed was extended for increasing the
capacity of cows. The cluster also came forward to demonstrate new
technologies for the region such as submersible pumps (according to the
water yield of the aquifer) and giant sprinklers (Raingun). The outcomes
and accepted benefits made the practices self-replicable. The cluster is
also promoting appropriate technologies in the surrounding villages.
Community approached a number of organisations to procure high quality
seeds for forage and other crops.
Effects and
Replications
The efforts
made by the community translated into replication of the activities in
surrounding areas. The replication took place not only in those six
villages represented by the eleven constituting SHGs, but in other
villages as well. For bunding and green manuring activities, about 170
acres of land has been taken up. Even the marginalised farmers have been
taking up these activities by self-financing. However, cheaper and cost
effective methods were facilitated. The cost is also distributed due to
the group approach. Efforts of community have significantly changed the
status of the cultivable land and the groundwater status. The net
cultivated land of these eight villages, which was previously about 600
acres land, has increased to about 175 acres. Check dams constructed in
the region, with active community participation, have improved the
groundwater status considerably.
In addition
to the technologies demonstrated, leadership, awareness and confidence
also replicated in the surrounding communities. Self Help Groups and
individuals have taken up about 170 acres of land for bunding, green
manuring and other soil and water conservation measures. Lands turned
into cultivable lands are being used for cash and other crops.
Wastelands
that require very high inputs for converting them into cultivable fields
by mechanical methods, are being adopted for energy plantation e.g.
Jatropha curcas (Ratanjot, Wild Castor, Jangli Erandi) and
Pangomia pinnata (Karanj, Honge).
Conclusion
Mobilisation
of community-based institutions achieved a remarkable success in
wasteland development in the area concerned. More than 170 acres of
wasteland has been adopted for soil and water conservation activities,
without any specific project or funding by the community. CBOs and
individuals contributed on their own or arranged funds from different
resources. Technical expertise has also been leveraged from different
agencies. Considering the community initiatives and leveraging resources
for soil and water conservation activities targeting wasteland
development itself is a new start. It is experienced that not only the
community participation is important but the community initiatives,
awareness, continuous involvement in all processes; especially the
ownership is required for successful implementation of such type of
programmes. The approach applying the sequence of awareness,
mobilisation and implementation with community involvement is far better
and much more sustainable than the implementation and awareness without
any community participation.
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