Deep inside Rajgarh, one of the most backward districts of Madhya Pradesh, water conservation methods bring prosperity and a second crop to Kotra village, as water levels make a stunning turn- around.
Agriculture yield has gone up by 30 percent and most wells have water round the year. The dry summer of cracked terrain and dead trees is a story of yore as different hues of green paint the village throughout the year.
Gender Application in the Programme • In the project area animation programmes are underway and women Self Help Groups have already been formed. • Women were represented in the watershed committee. • Womens’ opinions were taken into consideration before making all decisions. • Equal wages were paid for women and men. • In the watershed programme women members of SHGs were given work. • Women had an equal role in decision making. • Women’s groups were given priority in allocation of work.
Topography of the Area The area has undulated land. There are no big hills but there are sloppy land and small hillocks. There is a beautiful watershed area formed in a cup-shape between different slopes. Three streams flow from the hills down to the plain land. Rainwater flows from the hill side through the plain land and top-soil is always washed off. Soil erosion is a serious problem during rainy season. Naturally, it is a fantastic land for watershed works. Nature of Soil Different types of soil formations are visible in the project area. Very shallow soil depth was observed in the villages due to lack of treatment measures and excess soil erosion in the area. In most of the places one can see black cotton soil. There is no sand in the soil and moisture is very low. During dry season soil becomes hard and dry, and cracks appear across the surface. During rainy season soil become slippery. The entire area suffers from acute shortage of water for irrigation, cattle and drinking purposes. The proposed area is declared as “drought affected” by the state government. Water sources had dried up and villagers trek several kilometres to fetch drinking water. Some hand-pumps exist in the locality, but do not serve any substantial purpose. Climatic Condition The project area is under humid sub-tropical climatic zone. Extremes of temperature are experienced in summer and winter in the area. After February temperature rapidly increases, and by June, the hottest month, the average daily maximum temperature reaches 44°C and average daily minimum comes around 30°C. After October both day and night temperatures fall steadily. The average daily minimum temperature in winter is 9°C. During the peak cold season the minimum temperature drops down sometimes to 4°C. There are three main seasons in a year: Summer (March-June), Rainy season (July-October), Winter (November-February). Life here is heavily dependent on the climate. Rainfall Runoff The project area receives most of the rainfall from southwest monsoon, which reaches the area between June 10 and 15 and withdraws by the end of September. The project area receives an average rainfall of 1000 to 1100 mm per year but for the last few years it is facing drought due to drop in rainfall. The relative humidity is high during the southwest monsoon season, generally exceeding 70 percent. During summer months of April to May humidity is just 25 percent or even less. During winter humidity falls to 45 percent. Water Resources The occurrence and movement of groundwater is chiefly controlled by the degree and depth of weathering, extent of inter-connected joints, fractures in compact rock and quartz vein. The fracture and jointed granites form the aquifer in this area, quartz reefs act as underground barrier restricting the subsurface movement of groundwater. The depth of water level varies from 20-metre to 30-metre but in some places even below 40 meters water is not available. Agricultural Practice Agricultural activity is one of the prime activities for livelihood of people in these villages. Use of chemical fertilizers ie, urea, nitrogen phosphate etc was prevalent. The region has chiefly two seasons of cultivation: Kharif & Rabi. The kharif crops mainly are soya bean, maize and jowar. The chief rabi crops cultivated are wheat, grams linseed and peas. Objectives of the Project • Improve the agriculture yield through water management measures. • Strengthen the animation programme and peoples organization. • Recharge the wells and ponds through water conservation measures, and to provide drinking water for residents. • Provide work to the people in severe drought situation. Activities The activities that the project undertook aimed at generating employment and creating soil and water conservation measures. The following were some such programmes. Farm Bunds: This structure reduces soil erosion and also stores water in the field, helping in retaining moisture of the soil. Gully Plugs: It reduces the velocity of flowing water in the gullies and also controls soil erosion. Ponds: Store and collect rain water and provide drinking water for animals after rainy season. Earthen Dams: Small form of pond, useful to collect rain water and maintain moisture of the land. Implementation The watershed programme was introduced in Kotra village with the cooperation and participation of local people. Kripa Social Welfare Society of the Diocese of Ujjain already had animation programmes in the village, and SHGs had already been formed for both men and women. Majority of the people are engaged in agriculture activities, but due to the continuous drought situation people had extremely challenged lives. They had no regular work and they struggled to make both ends meet. Many agricultural laborers did not get any work at all in some months. Their livestock was also affected by the drought. It was amid such miseries, that the villagers requested for some kind of activity in the village to improve their plight. The situation was very critical for the village people. When the Society officials went to the people with the idea of drought relief through water management measures it was very difficult to convince them. The people were taken for an exposure programme to another location and it helped convince them the benefits of such a programme. People discussed their experience and planned for the project. In the meanwhile Kripa conducted the baseline survey and created the village profile to know the overall situation of the people in the village. Many people in the project area had land but due to lack of water there was no crop in their field and they sold their livestock because of lack of water and fodder. Before getting the sanction for the project Kripa officials held many discussions and meetings, besides conducting awareness programmes for the villagers. A watershed committee was formed comprising local people. An exposure programme conducted for the committee members and selected village leaders helped in effective implementation. After the meetings and discussions people began to work together and actively participate in the programme. The diocesan society followed a weekly payment system. Work was given on a priority basis to landless poor and marginalised. Women had an active role in the programme. Socio-economic, Political and Cultural Situation The project area comes under Rajgarh, a backward district of Madhya Pradesh, where extreme poverty and vagaries of weather are a common feature. The area falls under Narsinghat block. Some 89 percent of the district population lives in villages, depending mainly on agriculture. Annual family income is less than 1,800 rupees. Literacy rate of the target group is just around 26 percent. Child labour is rampant. The target groups are from the disadvantaged section of the population, especially women and children who live below the poverty line. Their communities are Banjaras, Chamar, Balai, Bhami, Takur and others. The project activities are arranged to cover the whole population of the target area. After the Implementation of the Project A strong relationship was built among the people. Groups became stronger and more groups were formed. People started to work together. More cooperation and mutual understanding developed among the groups. People are now aware of the watershed programme. They have given voluntary contribution for the programme. Beneficiaries All the villagers have benefited from the programme. Landowners, landless, agriculture laborers, marginal farmers, women and SHG groups and all people directly and indirectly benefited from the programme.