50-75 acres of land will be used for paddy cultivation in two seasons. 15 home gardens will be created. Reforestation will take place with community participation. Introducing inter cropping system, organic farming, live fence, "Agani" stove is introduced to serve energy.
80% of the indigenous both men and women and 20% of the educated but unemployed youth of the area are taking part.
Policy Impact
Applying the policy of minor tanks.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Energy saving using " Agagi " stoves, reforestation, organizing field trips to institute (Peredeniya in kandy) for the home gardening beneficiaries to learn about home gardening and soil conservation systems.
Inovative Financial Mechanisms
Introducing a revolving fund by South Asia partnership for the co-financing system. Introducing live fence, organic farm & compos system.
Replication of project activities
Now that the project is well documented as thesis of a Hardy institute graduate anyone can refer and replicate the project components. Many farmers are keen to be assisted to replicate the project and further strengthen the bunds and rehabilitate more lake systems so that agriculture will flourish in the area and water that precipitates in very high quantities in a short time span can be well stocked for use through out the year.
Notable Community Participation
Rehabilitating the dam, internal channel clearance, planting trees for dam?s protection, rehabilitating the gravel road leading to the dam, uplifting home gardening, creating live fence, digging a well for agricultural purpose. All these activities are done with the community participation
Planning gef grant
The beneficiaries would be really happy to do so as there are many unmet needs. They need the minimum of Rs. 75,000/- for the light poles (7) which they will need if electricity which is only 500 mt away in the Kuduvil project is available. The electric pump that was working with generated power has been abandoned owing to the cost of fuel and a small scale solar pump supplying a bare minimum of water for home cultivations only is available. The electric pump if not used will not serve the project purpose. The much needed second Agro-well was also not within the project budget. The lake sytem if revived ( Kudawewa is only one lake in an acient lake system) would greatly befit more paddy cultivators addressing the national self sufficiency issue as well.
Project sustainability
The communities in both the villages are happy that they have access to water and save time and gain self sufficiency in rice and vegetable cultivation owing to this project. They have understood the value of safeguarding their water sources to ensure a continued supply for cultivation. Successful water management strategies help the people. While the amount of water received in this area has not changed the storage, usage, management and the conservation of vegetation in the catchment area to reduce evaporation will bring much benefit to the people. Rainfall in some months in the so called dry zone far exceeds all other areas but 70% gets evaporated or seeps into the parched dry ground. Therefore strategies such as this for management of the precipitation to benefit the people are imperative. The Kuduvil community though less dependant on rain is hopeful that they will receive access to electricity soon so they could grow perennial crops and do multi-cropping in an organized manner.
Planning non gef grant
Through local government who are impressed with the project efforts are being made to broaden this activity district wide. and upscale the present efforts. Discussions to scale up the project have been held with CIDA Canada and SAP ( South Asia Partnership).
Gender Focus
Women participation is very high. 58% women, 42% men.
Capacity - Building Component
working with particular farmer organization. Field officers are appointed with one printer. working three permanent staff and three volunteer staff.
Project Results
? The Kuda wewa irrigation channel has been rehabilitated and is back in use. The bunds and sluice are in good condition Owing to this water has been conserved and used for irrigation and water is available for cultivation for more people.
? 80 acres of abandoned paddy lands have been successfully cultivated within the period of one year. 70 acres of uncultivated land were cultivated in both seasons. This amounts to 35 more farmers owning 2 - 2.5 acres cultivating paddy and benefiting from the project.
? Large tracts of land that were abandoned owing to poor land management and chena cultivation have been cultivated as organic cultivations and home gardens.
? The live fences will increase tree cover in the area supply firewood and food.
? The biggest harm to the banks causing them to collapse is from the cattle that climb on it. The planting on the slopes of the bund helps bind the soils and stabilize it while the people are careful not to set cattle free around the Kudawewa bund.
? The water availability owing to the large agro-well is an inspiration in Digavapiya to cultivate for domestic use and also saves time spent for collecting water in the dry seasons.
? In Kuduvil, where cultivation was only rain fed before owing to the continued availability of water there is no barrier for cultivation. However they cannot use the electric pump owing to lack of electricity. The fuel (diesel/ patrol) cost for the pump is not easy to bear and they are looking forward to the state giving them access to electricity which will reduce cost. ( Electricity is only 500meteres away and they need only 7 light posts for the distance to the Eragama lake pump house.
? Cultivations in both seasons and reduced dependency on the rains by storing waters in the tanks. A previous UNDP funded project had given a solar pump to the Kuduvil community which is sufficient for vegetable cultivation.
? The Hardy Institute?s final year agriculture student who joined the project Mr Nilanka Praddep Gunaratne for the practical component of his degree has written a dissertation which is a store house of information about this project. He has worked closely with the community and been an asset to the project
? Extra income form the organic produce and enhanced food safety f( fresh vegetables with no addition of toxic chemicals as fertilser or pesticide)or the community.
? 90% of the village inhabitants ( both project recipients and non recipients ) claim that the tank rehabilitation was very good - Hardy student survey data.Not one is negative while a very small % remain neutral.
