Usharmukti project was launched by BRLF ( BHARAT RURAL LIVELIHOO FOUNDATION) and PNRD( PANCHAYAT & RURAL DEVELOPMENT Department, West Bengal) for initiating a collaborative project with different CSOs working in drought prone districts in West Bengal. The main objective of the project is river rejuvenation through watershed development by adopting ridge to valley approach so that water remains in those rivers for larger period in the year. Hence more water would be available for crop production and other purposes. Block and GPs are also important stakeholder and all the work has to be done with close association with them since activities will be implemented from MGNREGS fund. Thus it would help MGNREGS more effective and create more job opportunity to ensure 100 days wage for the rural poor as well as to create an asset for strengthening their livelihood in the long run. RDA has been entrusted to work in this project in both Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur districts covering 5 blocks.
MOU between RDA and BRLF was signed on 11th August 2017.
Project location:
RDA is working in 5 blocks from two different districts, namely Sankrail, Gopiballavpur 2, Jhargram block from Jhargram district and Keshiary, Salboni block from Paschim Medinipur district. Sankrail is the intensive block while rest of the 4 blocks are non intensive.
Work is going on in full swing.
- Aggregated Marketing_Cucumber
- Feed preperation for Nursery pond
- Field visit by fishery expert
- Fishery exposeure visit at Lalgarh
- Handhold in feed preperation for rearing pond
- Harvesting Fish
- Lime application in rearing pond
- Nursery bed preparation bittergourd using cocopit
- Training on regenarative agriculture
- Vermi compost preparation
- Aggregated Marketing_Bitter gourd
Case study- 1
They started dreaming:
Name of the mouza: Lauriadam,
GP: Salboni,
Block: Jhargram,
District: Jhargram
Lauriadam: This village is predominantly lived by SC community with very low land holding that too in upland. Large tracts of lands are lying fallow with very low moisture holding capacity though the annual rainfall is significantly high ranging from 1100 to 1600 mm per year.
In this village, UM team member had identified a patch of 4 hectors area for plantation purpose. Basically upland with moderate slope (3-4%) and the land owned by some 6 – 7 poor families which could be an ideal place for fruit plantation with 30X40 models. The land was completely barren with no hope for any production. And the most of the land owners were marginal farmer. They hardly have cultivable land for producing their own food for the year round. As per their occupation, somebody is agricultural labour, some are daily wage earners in the nearby places.
Pashupati Sau has only one bigha (42 decimal) of paddy land apart from this shared land. He works in a rice mill to earn his livelihood. Subhash Faruya doesn’t have any other land and works in brick kiln. Premchand Malik having very small patch of agricultural land and he works as agricultural labour, daily labour etc. Ashutosh Sau has a pretty business of puffed rice. SabitriPatro, widow and marginal farmer. Ganesh Mali – daily labour. These people are the owner of that patch of land.
When Gram RojkarSevak (GRS) and Dharasevak had approached them they straight away refused to give land for plantation. They clearly said that they don’t have any faith on NREGA activity, the land would go waste. After number of interaction and counseling RDA Usharmukti team along with GRS and Dharasevak was able to convince them for the work.
It was the story of 9 months ago.But after plantation of cashew along with 30X40 model in the month of July, 2018, difference was realized from October only. In other plantation site, when plant started drying, these seedlings were fresh. Now, the plant growth is also remarkable. Around 1400 no of plants are there in 4 hectors of land. Minimum 7 lakh rupees per year are supposed to come asreturn only after 5 years.
Pashupati Sau has 165 plants in 1 Acre 7 decimal land. He is expecting around 80 – 85 thousands rupees per year. Similarly, Subhash Faruya has 170 plants and expecting minimum Rs85000/- per year. Sadhon Bhuinya is expecting near about 1,15000/- per year. Premchand Malik has more plant; he is supposed to get around 200000/- per year. Ashutosh Sau is expected to get Rs 75000/- per year. Sabitri Patro, a widow woman runs her family with a great struggle; she is supposed get 47 – 50 thousand rupees per year. All of them are very hopeful to uplift their economic condition through this Usharmukti activity. We also hope for the best.
- Preparations for water recharge
- Attendance at the site
- Beneficiaries speaking with CSO
Sunil Soren – Hoping towards better tomorrow
Name of beneficiary: Sunil Soren
Name of Mouza: Sidadanga,
Name of GP: Nedabahora,
Name of Block: Jhargram,
District: Jhargram,
MWS Code: 4H3A3k7 (JHAJHA028),
Name of scheme: Cashew Plantation with 30X40 model
Sunil Soren, a poor tribal of Sidadanga village. He has four members in his family comprising of he, his wife and their two sons. Though he is the owner of 6 acres of land still maximum(5 acres / 2 Hectresofit is in upland not worth of getting cultivated.He hardly gets crop from 1 acre of low-land from which he barely manages to produce only one principle meal for year round. He was working as para military force to meet his livelihood. On 2013, he got retired from his service. He bought a Tata magic van with his retirement benefit for sustaining his livelihood. Now he and his younger son looks after this pretty business ongoods transport. Per day earning ranges from Rs 250/- to Rs 300/- and on an average 10 – 12 days in each month are engaged for this activity. So hardly Rs 3000/- to Rs 3500/- could be earned from this business and along with his nominal amount of pension, he runs his family. His elder son is under graduate student, so it’s very hard to maintain his cost of living with this small amount of earning.
Earlier he tried to grow cashew on his upland but it could not sustain due to lack of proper knowledge and moisture stress at the lean season. At the time of preparation of Usharmukti DPR, dharasevak had approached him to plan for plantation on high value horticulture crop with 30X40model, because the model itself is a solution for surviving at moisture stress condition. Initially, he refused to let dig pit for water recharge, he thought this is wastage of land but with the exposure of nearby villages, he started believing a good return from his horticulture patch. In the DPR, his all 5 acres of land has been planned for cashew plantation with 30 X 40 model. At present, all of his upland has been brought under 30 X 40 model and the change is very much visible, the entire plot has been covered with green vegetation. It has been planned for cashew plantation in coming rainy season in his entire land.
If everything goes well, he will be able to earn around Rs 1.5 Lakhs from 3rdyear itself and it will gradually increase with the maturity of the plants and on 10th year it may reach near about 9 lakhs which is beyond his imagination. All GP functionaries including NS, GRS, EA are very hopeful for his economic transformation.
- Along with beneficiary and NirmanSahayak (NS) of Gram Panchayat
Update: Aug 2021
After successful completion of 4 yrs’ project in July 2021, the project has been extended for 2 more years from August 2021. The name of the project has been changed to USHARMUKTI Plus. The main focus of this project would be land and water based Livelihoods promotion and Promotion of Farmer Producers Organisation ( FPO) for enhancing Market led Development of Agricultural produces. This would help enhance the income of the farmers.
Update: Aug 2024
USHARMUKTI towards Evergreen in West Bengal establishing ecosystem model for eastern India, supported by Indus Ind Bank Ltd.
This is a partnership Project with 5 CSOs working in Eastern Region of WB, Rural Development Association is one of those. The geographical areas under this Project are 23 blocks of Bankura, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Birbhum, Paschim Bardhamanand
Murshidabad.
The objectives of the Project are to
– Accelerate Natural Resource Management in Watershed mode to
rejuvenate15000 hectares of degraded by leveraging Government programmes,
– Increase the area of about17,500 hectares under assured agriculture production
through adoptionof remunerative and regenerative practices,
– Trigger growth in the farm sector with sustainable annual household incomes
more than Rs. 1,00,000 for 70000 small and marginal farmers
– Enhance knowledge of about 2000 community leaders, PRO, Government and
CSO functionaries on climate resilientpracticesand their impacts onenvironment
and people
Initially the project was sanctioned for 3 months, January – March 2024. Afterwards
tit has been sanctioned for 3 Years April 2024 to March 2027.
Progress during this period is depicted below.
Case story
Sm. Sujata Mahata
Vill.-Gira
Block-Jhargram
Dist.-Jhargram
Introduction:
I am Sujata Mahata, a resident of village Gira, falling under Jhargram Block of Jhargram
District. My family is a small one with my husband and two children’s, one son and one
daughter.
I came to this village after my marriage at a very young age. My husband had a piece of
land of 6 bighas and my parents found him a suitable one.
Problem detection:
Initially we could run our family with the income from paddy cultivating in the land
though earning was not very good. But after the children were born, we faced problems and
realized that we have to try for better earning.We decided to grow oil seeds, vegetables after cereals but the income was not sufficient to run the family as we could not select the right time and were not aware of good practices because of it our interest in cultivation was gradually going down.
Intervention:
At this juncture we met RDA Dadas who organized a meeting with the female members and how to make them aware of growing vegetables, oil
seeds at the right time and following a good package of practice which would help them earn a higher income through Usharmukti Towards Evergreen
Project supported by IBL. We were inspired through the training and later formed a Producer Group (PG).
We planned to cultivate sesame in summer. Dadas of RDA guided us in adopting good POP and also helped us to receive 15 kgs of sesame seed from
ADA office. We, the 15 members of the PG, purchased another 15 kgs of seed together for cultivation as cluster.
Changing in life & Expectations:
I cultivate sesame in 84
dec of land. From it expected
income will be Rs. 20000.
Also, I procured 5 Kilos
of fish fingerlings from Sumita di,
one of the members of our PG
who developed a nursery pond to
grow fingerlings. I started fish
rearing in my own pond. By the
end of the year, I sold 80 kilos of
fish and 20 kilos were consumed
in my family. I earned Rs. 10400
form it. Therefore, my total
income is increase into 30400.I
expect if I cultivate cereals, oil
seeds and vegetables in the land
throughout the year along with fishery activity, the income will be more than Rs. 80000.
Also, I am hopeful that if we together cultivate following the guidance of RDA dadas,
we the PG members would be able to earn good income each which would help to run our
families well and we would be able to spend more on our children’s education.
A Case Study: Expectations of Transforming Single Crop into Year-Round Cultivation through SLI
Shyamnagar
Lodhasuli GP
Jhargram Block
Understanding of problem:
The shyamnagar mouza under Lodhasuli GP which is 27 kms away from Jhargram district HQ , 32 hectares of mid upland is totally dependent on rainfall for cultivation. Farmers cultivate only paddy in the rainy season but during the flowering time the flowers dry up due to shortage of rain. Quantity of production hampers due to that. In winter few farmers cultivate mustard or paddy using Diesel pump set for irrigating the lands, which is quite costly.
Baby Mahata expressed the miseries of the farmer families who cannot afford to use Diesel pump set for irrigating their land. For 6 times watering of 1 bigha of land total cost comes to Rs. 3600 to 4000 @ Rs. 600-650 for one time. This is not affordable for all.
Intervention for resolving:
Kuyari khal flows by the end of the Shyamnagar Mouza. RDA’s Team primarily worked on Soil and water conservation in Usharmukti but could not solve the problem.
Under Usharmukti Towards Evergreen Project supported by IBL solar pump has been installed under guidance of PRADAN. This would help to solve the water crisis for agriculture to a big extent and the farmers will be able to grow cereals(paddy),oil seeds (mustard, sesame, ground nut) and vegetables(bitter gourd, ridge gourd) collectively which would help enhancing the production and hence their income to a considerable extent. Farmers with big, medium and small landholdings will be befitted in all the seasons.
Expected change in didis’ life:
Manimala di expressed her satisfaction and told that timely irrigation in three seasons would help increase the production of the crops. Khalana di reiterated that her 1 bigha of land will become 3 bighas (by crop rotation) now. She expects her family’s income to enhance by Rs 70000 to 80000 in a year. They would renovate their mud hut to a pucca house. Baby di wishes to send their children to a better school. Sumi di told that with the installation of the solar pump set vegetable cultivation of the families will increase and landless farmers will get jobs Bulbuli di expected higher production of vegetables and the women would not have to head load the vegetables to the market. Vegetables of all the families will be truck loaded and sent to the market for selling. This will help to less their work load.
Expectations of Impact:
5 hectares of land will be cultivated thrice in a year.
35 families will work together
Cost of irrigation will decrease: Irrigating land with diesel pump used to cost Rs.
108000 approx. Solar pump will reduce cost to Rs. 54000.
Growing vegetable on 5 hac of land farmers will be able to earn Rs. 120000
approx. (240000*5 =120000)