Water harvesting ensures livelihood security for Dalit farmers

M.J. Prabu

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]OOD INITIATIVE: A desilted water tank has helped nearly 33 farmers in surrounding areas harvest onion crops.
The programme has been extended to cover two more villages
Villupuram is one of the most backward districts in Tamil Nadu. Major crops cultivated there are paddy, onion, pulses, millets, sugarcane, casuarina and groundnut, using water from tanks and open wells.
The open wells belong to small and marginal farmers and have been abandoned for a long time due to heavy siltation and damaged walls resulting in poor storage and ground water recharge. The district receives the least amount of rainfall during the north east monsoon season.
Most of the farmers who did not have access to water moved to growing eucalyptus and casuarina. Those who continued with their cultivation could grow only a single crop in a year.Labour drain
“What was more disturbing and challenging was that women started working as daily farm labour instead of farming in their own fields and men started moving towards cities for non-farm jobs.
“These people were ready to work in their fields provided there was water in the wells or tanks. They had no financial resources to desilt them, and the Government or the banks do not have credit facilities for renovating them.
“At this juncture MSSRF initiated a Community Managed Bio industrial Watershed project in Vanur and Milam block of this region in 2007,” says Dr. R.S. Shanthakumar Hopper, Director, Ecotechnology, M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). The project successfully mobilised the community and with their participation and financial contributions was able to rejuvenate major water bodies.
One such water tank in Karasanur village of Vanur Block was desilted. The tank is surrounded by 12 open wells on which 33 dalit, small and marginal farmers are dependent for their farming activities. Hindustan Petrooleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), as part of the programme came forward to support this.
Contribution
The project contribution was Rs. 1 lakh for each well and the community contribution was Rs. 25,000 per well. The well renovation was done in two parts — one is carrying out deepening by desilting to increase the water availability and groundwater recharge; and the other is steining wall (well wall) construction to prevent soil erosion and silting.
The fund was initially transferred to a water user group to ensure accountability and transparency.
A three- member committee monitored the activities and released the funds based on the activities completed.
“|We didn’t have money to contribute and it took six months to save Rs 25,000 and 60 per cent of our members mortgaged their jewels and sold their goats and contributed for wells renovation. Now I am earning Rs 60,000 by cultivating three crops a year and have got back my mortgaged jewels, ensured better education for my children, the entire family is now engaged in agriculture activities and there is no migration,” says Ms. Kalyani, one of the beneficiaries.
Training
About 33 small and marginal farmers were trained in water use efficiency, crop diversification, participatory technology development (PTD) of crops like onion, paddy, groundnut and pulses through farmers field schools.
“Each family was provided with a soil health card to monitor and implement the required nutrients. The land belonging to the 33 farm families are in one place, which makes it convenient for them to practise Integrated Pest Management (IPM) interventions.
“They were also taken to nearby watershed projects to understand issues of water use efficiency and management of farmer producer organisation.
“They are also share holders in the Nallamur Farmer Producer Organisation, which provides them support services like credit, certified seeds, marketing support etc,” explains Dr. Hopper.
Extended
The programme has been extended to cover two more additional villages benefiting 43 small and marginal farmers. Currently plans are on to replicate this model in Pudukottai district.
MSSRF was the runners up in the Global Humanitarian Water and Food award for 2014 presented at London on June 18th 2014. To know more farmers can contact Dr. Shanthakumar Hopper, mobile: 09445394394 and Mr. N. Nandeesha, Project Coordinator, M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation, Mialam, Viilupuram District, Tamil Nadu, email : nandeeshcp@gmail.com, Mobile. 9787644594.
Courtesy: The Hindu