Rampur is a backward village located in Uttar Dinajpur District in West Bengal. Agriculture is the major source of livelihood for most of the villagers here who depend on rainwater for the cultivation of their crops. Agriculture is practised only in one season as the rest of the year is marred with inconsistent to no water supply for irrigation.

Chunu Kisku is one such small farmer in Rampur having five members in his family. He has three bighas (4.839 acres) of land where he cultivates vegetables. During the dry season i.e.  February – May, water shortage reaches its peak thus severely affecting crop production as the water level in the well goes significantly down. It is also difficult to rely on the river Kulik for irrigation as it is quite far from Chunu’s land. Making matters worse, the water service from the irrigation department is highly irregular as the water reaches their village once in three or four days.,

Inflicted with unreliable circumstances around his livelihood, Chunu was constantly worried about supporting his family. Rampur village is one of the project areas under the U3 programme also known as Uttoran in West Bengal, which is supported by Caritas India and Miseroer. U3 programme focuses on self-sustained communities, securing their livelihoods and security through the people-led process of empowering animation, dialogue, volunteering and sharing communities.

Raiganj Diocese-Social Welfare Institute has been closely monitoring this area and providing capacity-building training to the community on Bio-Waste Management, Water Management/Low-Cost Water Shed Preparation, Post-Harvest Management, Integrated Pest Management, Organic Manure preparation, and IMO preparation.

The water irrigation problem of Chunu was discussed with the staff of SWI and Mr. Parimal Kisku one of the Community Educators from SWI organisation who recommended the initiative for water conservation. He suggested the construction of an artificial pond where water can be collected through a low-cost method i.e., by digging a pit and covering it with a polythene sheet to store water. In this way, water can be stored for 4/5 days thus capacitating Chunu to cultivate crops or vegetables in the small piece of land he holds.

Following the guidance, Chunu dug a 3ft deep pit with 7×5 ft dimensions and then carved out a channel to fill the pit by diverting wastewater from the tap into the pit. He collected the running wastewater to water the crops. In this way, he started seasonal crop cultivation. Chunu now irrigates the land twice, in the morning and the evening to shield them from heat.

He cultivates cauliflower and cabbage and earns Rs 55,000 per year from the produce. This time he also cultivated brinjal and tomato. The action proved to be a success as Chunu now saves enough water to irrigate his crops earning him Rs 82,000 annually.

Though vegetable brings Chunu income on a regular basis, he earns enough from the vegetable and has overall improved his livelihood. Other farmers have been motivated by Chunu’s intervention and have taken the initiative to increase their yield. This is one of several exemplary cases of the U3 programme’s successful intervention that has contributed to not only helping to sustain but improving the livelihood of the farmer. Chunu is now planning to explore small-scale pisciculture to utilize the resource at its best.