Rural blend powers agricultural advance
More than 24,000 villagers in Gujarat have made hay while banking on superior farming techniques, with water at the heart of the effort
‘Socially I feel more connected with my fellow villagers,” says Popat Govind Solanki of the community cohesion fuelling the well-being of a farming-focused livelihoods programme that has sustained him splendidly for the past two years.
“I came into the programme after attending a village meeting where we were told about improved agricultural practices and water conservation,” adds Mr Solanki, a 54-year-old farmer from Belada village in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district. “The regular interactions and field visits [in the initiative] have broadened my understanding of sustainable farming, resource management and, importantly, the benefits of community-based development work.”
Groundnut, soyabean and mustard are part of the family produce basket for Mr Solanki, one of more than 24,000 farmers who have gained from a project that has grown roots in about 200 villages spread across the regions of Talaja, Rajula and Jafrabad in the districts of Amreli and Bhavnagar.
The ‘sustainable agriculture management and water resources development programme’, seeded and implemented by the Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell (CSPC) and the Tata Trusts, comes under the canopy of Samvaad (dialogue). Samvaad serves as the framework in Gujarat for the Trusts and their partners, among them CSPC, to engage with communities, foster collaboration and drive social change through interventions in spheres such as livelihoods, education, and water and sanitation.
The big picture is substantial but it is on the ground and in the field that this extensive effort finds vivid expression. Mansukh Madhabhai Makvana is an example of what the programme has delivered. Mr Makvana has a family of 10 to care for, including his wife and two children, and traditional agriculture would not have enabled him to manage that adequately. Joining the programme proved a blessing for this 56-year-old farmer from Unchadi village in Bhavnagar.
Mr Makvana cultivates bajra (pearl millet), cotton, sesame, vegetables and fodder in his 1-acre spread. His expertise in the business has been buttressed by knowledge garnered through the initiative’s training modules, by technology inputs and advanced farming methods. Wholehearted support from the programme team has also helped.
Tremendous boost
“I have benefitted tremendously since joining the programme two years back,” says Mr Makvana. “I now have a laser irrigation system, vegetable kits and pheromone traps (to handle pests). I have learned about improved farming techniques, animal husbandry, pest and disease management, soil health and the criticality of water-efficient systems.”
Mr Makvana remembers a time when advances of the kind were rare in his village. “Before the programme began our village had limited knowledge of sustainable farming practices and water usage. That has changed. Desilting and repairing our check dam has led to improved water storage and water availability. In fact, the success of the water resources work in Unchadi has inspired nearby villages to take up similar projects.”
Water or, rather, its scarcity was what prompted Ramji Premji Tadha to enroll in the programme. A 44-year-old native of Thaliya village in Bhavnagar, Mr Tadha has a relatively large land holding — 10 acres — on which he grows groundnuts, sesame, onions and bajra. Getting to better understand the lay of his land and how to maximise its output has kept Mr Tadha in fine farming fettle.
“We were introduced to various water-recharge activities in our village and we were taught about the importance of water conservation,” he says. “Thanks to all the work done, we now have water available across all three cropping seasons. And I’ve got recognition and respect in my community for being involved in water-related work.”
Water is also the principal concern for Paresh Dhanji Panot in a state where the elixir is forever in short supply, for reasons that range from rampant overuse and climate change to salinity ingress. A 35-year-old farmer from Ragon village in Bhavnagar with 7 acres of land, Mr Panot is in a better place than most of his compatriots in the state and he is quick to acknowledge the role the programme has played in making that happen.
Says Mr Panot: “I have learned so many valuable lessons: the vitality of micro-irrigation systems, how to manage soil health, when and how much to irrigate, and how water quality affects crop yield. This programme has brought positivity to our community.
“People from nearby villages now approach us with curiosity and admiration. Their interest makes me realise that this initiative is not just about helping individual farmers like me, but also about spreading awareness and motivating others. This programme has opened my eyes in multiple ways.”
Launched in 2017, the current phase of the initiative has a host of partners backing it, among them HDFC Bank, DMart and Ernst & Young. Water is the most important piece in the programme, which also includes sustainable agriculture, soil health and animal husbandry.
Meetings, training sessions and field visits are a common feature of the programme. The wider matrix has in its fold water conservation, micro-irrigation and the rejuvenation of water structures; farming inputs, high-yielding crop varieties and horticulture plantations; vermicomposting, soil-health monitoring and improvement; and a slew of livestock enhancement activities aimed at upping incomes from dairy farming.
‘Water is of the essence’
“We have concentrated on livelihoods and agriculture — and water is of the essence to both,” says Meghal Soni, a senior programme manager with CSPC, established jointly by the Tata Trusts, the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme and Ambuja Cement Foundation in 2008. “In this context, demand-side management is more important than supply-side management. Because no matter how many water structures you build and how much water you conserve, these will not do any good unless you work on the demand side.”
That means farmers and what they do with the limited amount of water they can access. “Farmers are using too much water and wastefully so,” adds Mr Soni. “The thing is, you have to manage demand to reduce the overexploitation of water. We have water-usage groups and they comprise 12-15 members. Managing water usage, water conservation and water structures in their respective villages is the responsibility of these groups.”
On the supply-side front, 744 water structures have been constructed under the programme over the past five years and this caters to the irrigation requirements of some 5,000 farmers. About 65MCFT (million cubic feet) of water storage capacity has also been created. On the demand side, nearly 7,000 farmers have committed themselves to sustainable water use.
The programme gets local panchayats (village councils) and village elders involved before kicking off any intervention. Says Mr Soni: “Typically, 5-10% of villagers understand things quickly but, yes, it takes time to build a rapport with them. Once that happens progress is quick.”
Farmers who go all in with the programme can expect a 20-25% increase in annual incomes, and the money earned will keep increasing as they get further embedded in it. What about the sustainability factor? “We need an average of five-six years of continuous work in a village to make it self-sufficient,” says Mr Soni. “That’s when we can think of exiting.”
Mr Makvana may be on the cusp of such self-sufficiency. “I hope to continue improving my farm productivity through new techniques,” he says. “I want our village to become self-supporting in water and agriculture.”
“This programme has shown us what is possible,” says Mr Panot. “Migration has decreased and people are now more interested in staying and working within the village. There is this shared feeling that development is possible when we work together. I believe my village can become a model for water-secure, self-reliant rural development.”