? Improve their own sustainability by developing a relatively stable means to finance their portfolios.
? Equitable sharing of benefits by the shareholders
? Providing the effective herbal medicine in an affordable price.
? Buying the raw materials from the collector or cultivators, this can provide them a better livelihood support.
? Involvement of the community members in the processing of the raw drugs.
? Involvement of the community members in the marketing of the raw drugs.
Appropriate measures have been taken into the planning process for ownership of the assets and infrastructure by the local level institutions with transfer of responsibility and capacity building.
Through series of training programs, PRIs, Watershed associations and water users committees have been strengthened for proper implementation of the rules, regulations and norms relating to the contribution of the users, water sharing practices, protection of the natural resources in the upper catchments, selection of the crops and cropping pattern and water use mechanisms. Convergence of the various institutions with in the watershed under PRIs has been possible through series of training programs to the PR members and watershed committee members. This has resulted in the convergence in planning process at the Panchayat Level as well as allocation of resources from the Panchayat Fund to supplement the watershed programs and institutionalization of the social norms and regulations of the water management at the Panchayat level. Improved systems of planning and preparedness for the natural calamity have been noticed at the Panchayat level.
Policy Influence
Major learning from this project has emphasized the importance of achieving a balance between, on one hand understanding and addressing people?s needs and priorities and one the one the other, the practicalities of developing effective and sustainable partnerships with local level institutions. Community level institutions built during the implementation of the program have achieved ability to enact and enforce sanction, social regulations and cooperation in terms of equity in water sharing, collective cultivation, collection of users fee and collective skills of negotiation
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
Poor, Small and Marginal Farmer (who produce their food for less than 6 months and mainly depends on forest extraction by NTFP collection and illegal cutting of forest) belonging to the Santal, Kolho, Bhumija, Bathudi, Bhuiyan, Ganda, Khadia, Mahali, Mankidia tribes were the target of the project interventions.
Policy Impact
Since PRIs have been involved in capacity building process, the implementation of new Haryalli guidelines would be a major challenge for PRIs. Community level institutions built during the implementation of the program have achieved ability to enact and enforce sanction, social regulations and cooperation in terms of equity in water sharing, collective cultivation, collection of users fee and collective skills of negotiation
Replication of project activities
Since the project was for a short duration the beneficiaries have not reached the stage of completely carrying the responsibility. So at this juncture our role is to function as a catalyst and we have also succeeded in availing co-funding from various Govt. depts. such as ITDA & Maize Research centers during the project. Process work for follow up activities have been continuing and the Farmer?s federation which has been emerged in the course of our implementation have been directed towards management & improvement of Ecological Farming through village meetings & federation meetings.
Gender Focus
The interests of the poorest groups in the project area especially women have been addressed through the social regulations of the water management . In each project village, a "livelihood support team" analyses the livelihood needs of the most vulnerable; initiates social organisation and capacity building; initiates non-land based activities for them and facilitate negotiation of resource rights for them within the watershed micro-plan.
Enhancement of the leadership status of socio-economic weaker sections inside the community with special reference to women have brought about social cohesiveness thus ensuring the sustainability of socio-cultural life. In most of the committees the woman has become the chairperson or secretary. Bargaining power of the people especially the women has also increased through this process. Gender employment has integrated women into the mainstream production system, and consequently, women?s social status has gone up on a sustained basis.
Capacity - Building Component
The main component of the project is the strengthening and competence building of community based organization on sustainable development & resource management. The community will also be trained on conservation soil & water through construction of water harvesting structures for successful agriculture promotion.
Capacities of watershed committees / users groups / PRI have been enhanced to support watershed based sustainable rural livelihoods initiatives for poor tribals. For this technical input training programs on Soil & moisture conservation, land use pattern, Cultivation of different upland crops, Cultivation of different vegetables and Forest conservation & management; the farmers were trained and the lessons learnt through training programs have been put in practice.of watershed committees / users groups / PRI to support watershed based sustainable rural livelihoods initiatives for poor tribals. For this technical input training programs on Soil & moisture conservation, land use pattern, Cultivation of different upland crops, Cultivation of different vegetables and Forest conservation & management; the farmers were trained and the lessons learnt through training programs have been put in practice.
Notable Community Participation
The project has been implemented through active participation of the Poor, Small and Marginal Farmers. Land development,
promotion of agriculture, setting up of bio-compost and vermi compost units have been undertaken by the community. The main actors in the implementation of the project were the Community based organizations.
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The project has directly reached 401households in 7 villages. The project?s target group are primarily the landless, small and marginal farmers, who comprise about 87 percent of the population. The project has directly covered a micro- watersheds comprising an area of 187.10 hector. In addition, the work on capacity building and promotion of an enabling environment has been operational much beyond the project watershed. Indirect benefits would accrue through improved poverty-focus and improved effectiveness of government schemes operating in the project area.
Project Results
160 people have been trained on conservation soil & water through construction of water harvesting structures for successful agriculture promotion,uses of upland, medium land & low land. The trained participants are committed to start composite nursery in their existing wasteland. Different plant protection measures have been adopted along with ddoption of High yielding variety of vegetables, cereals & pulses.
30acres of catchment area have been treated. One Loose boulder check dam, one stone masonry check dam & 5 dugwells have been constructed which irrigates 58 acres of land giving benefit to 70 families. Recharge of ground water have been ensured. Seasonal migration has been checked by creating 1990 mandays and 80% of women labour engaged in the construction work. As alternate income generation activity pisci culture started at the check dam of Bhalupani village.
Kharif crops cultivated in 58 acres of land. 35acres of land developed in Tamaksila & Badshol, Bhalupani out of which 5 acres have been developed by people on their own initiative. The waste barren land could be utilized for cultivation of cow pea & horse gram. Mixed cropping of Paddy & Arhar have been adopted by the farmers. 3 Farmers committee have been formed for management & maintenance of the irrigation structures and also continue the agricultural promotion without any external support.
As the project area is located in ?Similipal Bio-Sphere? which is known for its rich bio-diversity and playing a vital role in the control of climate not only of Orissa, but also of the adjacent states like Jharkhand, West Bengal, lack of livelihood options & unsustainable extraction of forest resources resulted in rapid degradation and put excess pressure on the biosphere. Thus through this project initiative have been taken on reducing excess human pressure on Similipal. The impact of the project has touched GEF focal area by creation of livelihood opportunities through promotion of eco-friendly agriculture and creation of mandays during the work which checked seasonal migration and stopped people entering into forest for cutting of timber.
? The project has directly reached 401households in 7 villages. The project?s target group are primarily the landless, small and marginal farmers, who comprise about 87 percent of the population.
? Promoted organic manure which resulted in increase of soil fertility, 67 bio compost units have been developed which will give benefit to 67 families.
? Farmers have started fetching an additional income of Rs.1000-2000/- at each household level through diversification of crop demonstration like pulses, maize and groundnuts, and groundnuts and cultivation of vegetables in 99 acres which includes more than 279 no. of farmers.
? Community contributed Rs.62, 800 in total budget of 14, 09,000 and the budget spent on
activities determined by village communities through the micro planning process.
? 160 people have been trained on conservation soil & water through construction of water harvesting structures for successful agriculture promotion, uses of upland, medium land & low land. The trained participants are committed to start composite nursery in their existing wasteland.
? 6 training programs conducted and 180 people trained on soil & moisture conservation, land use, cultivation in uplands, vegetable cultivation organic farming, forest conservation and management.
? 4 booklets published and disseminated and various indigenous practices of conservation methods documented.
