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| Rajasthan - Activities |
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Rabriyawas
The ground water in Rabriyawas, as in other parts of Rajasthan, has high fluoride content. The desert state has almost no perennial rivers and the ground water is at a very low level and of poor quality. Rural populations depend on ponds and wells for their water needs. Hence ACF has accorded water resource management a high priority in the villages of Rabriyawas. ACF undertook de-silting and deepening of the ponds with the help of the villagers. This has proven to be a cost effective method of increasing the availability of water. The water accumulated in such de-silted ponds serves to recharge the groundwater, increase the water table and improve the overall quality of the water. Besides this, it helps irrigation and enables farmers to cultivate rabi crops. In 2009-10, ACF de-silted 30 ponds in 20 villages, increasing their water storage area to 10.04 mcft. Four dykes (an innovative way to check sub-surface drainage of water in the sandy river beds in the area) were constructed on the Lilari River, resulting in274 wells in 3 villages getting recharged and over 1200 farmers benefitting.
Besides the dykes, ACF constructed a major check dam in Thothi village of Ras Gram Panchayat, ensuring a supply of water for at least 4 months after the monsoons. Three khadins (structures designed to harvest surface runoff on farmland) were constructed in Rabriyawas, Amarpura and Sevariya villages, with a contribution by the villagers in 2009-10.
Wadis cultivation has been encouraged in 8 villages and plants like ber, amla, lemon and pomegranate are being grown. Drip irrigation was introduced in 10 wadis under the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) to showcase them as model wadis. The remaining wadis used other water conservation techniques like pot irrigation, mulching measures and tank irrigation. Sprinkler irrigation systems were installed in 68 Ha of land in 3 villages. Vegetable cultivation was also promoted and crops like cluster bean, tomato, chilli, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, ghia, tori, okra and cucumber were grown. ACF has arranged for good quality seeds from various agencies like the National Seeds Corporation (NSC), Gujarat State Seeds Corporation (GSSC), Rajasthan State Seeds Corporation (RSSC) and private suppliers to make these available to the farmers. ACF rallied the farmers under the NSC, RSSC and Rajasthan Seed Certifying Agency (RSSCA) to introduce and implement the seed production programme. NSC and RSSC produce and supply them with good quality seeds through cooperative societies.
Several training programmes and exposure visits were organised for the farmers periodically. ACF has developed a 6 Ha plot of land for research and demonstration of organic farming. Farmers visit the plot and are given training and live demonstrations.
During the year animal health camps were conducted in the villages in coordination with the Government Veterinary Department and 39,648 animals were vaccinated and treated for various diseases. Prior to the camps, farmers were given training on health and disease prevention. A farmer was trained as an artificial insemination worker. Green fodder is a necessity for improving milk production, and is in short supply in the region. ACF promoted multi-cut fodder for this.
In 2009-10, the Skills and Entrepreneurship Development Institute (SEDI) conducted 18 security guard, cutting and tailoring, beauty parlour, household equipment, electrical home appliances, plumber and computer DTP related training programmes. SEDI was established in partnership with State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur to train youth to take on vocations other than agriculture. In a span of 3 years since its establishment, 70% of those who graduated from the institute have found employment.
A mobile dispensary staffed with qualified doctors and trained nurses regularly visits 8 villages. The 30 trained Village Health Functionaries (VHFs) provide basic curative and preventive health services to 27 villages. The VHFs encourage health and sanitation amongst the community, ensure maternal and child care through the relevant Public Health Centre (PHC), promote institutional deliveries, strengthen the Village Health and Sanitation Committee (VHSC), hold meetings with Integrate Child Development Scheme and Health Department officials, and provide referral services. They also educate the community about social taboos and conduct khelwadis to promote good health and hygiene practices amongst children. ACF also organised speciality health camps on asthma, paediatric medicine, gynaecology, infertility, sexually transmitted diseases / infections (STDs/STIs), ayurvedic and dental care.
ACF worked with Peer Educators and Master Trainers to disseminate information about HIV and AIDS amongst Ambuja Cement’s employees, community members, truckers and dhaba owners. One-to-one contacts, group and community meetings and sensitisation programmes were held. In addition free condoms were distributed through 16 outlets in and around the plant area. Eleven HIV positive persons were identified and put in touch with the Pali Marwar Network of Positive People (PNP+).
Fifty Self Help Groups (SHGs) have been established in the area with a membership of 566 women. Hundreds of members attended the training programmes organised for them. In 2009-10, 25 SHGs took bank loans to invest in cattle and agriculture and to buy sewing machines to take up tailoring as a vocation. These SHGs were taken on training cum exposure visit to the People’s Education Development Organisation (PEDO) at Mada village in Dungarpur district and to Kherwa village where they observed income generating activities. The SHGs also participated in regional, district and local level fairs and flea markets to sell products made by them.
Marwar-Mundwa
In the remote dhanis or hamlets ponds are the only source of drinking water in Marwar Mundwa as groundwater is not fit for consumption. In 2009-10, 31 community / village ponds were de-silted and renovated. ACF provided the technical and financial support and the community took the responsibility of removing the excess silt. The farmers used the silt in their fields to improve productivity. Water storage has now increased by 5.60 mcft and the people now have access to drinking water.
A khadin is a structure designed to harvest surface runoff for agriculture. It helps in improving the fertility of the soil. The water collected can be used for irrigation and rabi crops like gram, which require high moisture content can be planted. ACF constructed the first khadin structure in Marwar Mundwa at Kharda village, which was very useful to the farmers. Ten farm ponds were constructed during the year.
Thirty RRWHSs were constructed during the year with a contribution from the people. The fluoride content in the groundwater in Nagaur district ranges from 3 ppm to 16 ppm causing Skeletal fluorosis and dental fluorosis on drinking. To counter this ACF is organising training programmes and creating awareness through wall paintings about the benefits of appropriate nutrition . Water samples from different sources such as ponds, tube wells and the supply water from Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) were collected and sent to the PHED laboratory for chemical analysis.
ACF has established wadis and farmers have been trained and supplied with saplings of ber, pomegranate, lemon, papaya, custard apple and sapodilla which they planted in the wadis. The wadis were monitored regularly to ensure good results. Vermin -compost pits were built on farmers’ fields to help them turn to organic farming. Drip irrigation systems are becoming popular in the Mundwa region. Systems were installed in 40 acres of wadis. Farmers now save almost 50% of their water, electricity, labour and costs. The farmers of Marwar, who had given up their traditional construction of tanks to harvest rain water, were finding it difficult to irrigate their wadis. Ten tanks for support irrigation were constructed during the year, with a contribution from the farmers.
Regular training was organised for farmers on subjects like vegetable production, horticulture, integrated pest management, integrated nutrient management, organic farming, animal husbandry, cattle nutrition management and dairy development. On-farm training sessions were followed by classroom sessions. Resource persons from Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Rajasthan Agriculture University, Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), and the Agriculture Department, Government of Rajasthan were invited to facilitate the trainings. Animal health and vaccination camps were conducted in the villages with the help of the Animal Husbandry Department of the Government of Rajasthan, at which several animals were treated. Awareness programmes were carried out in the camps by veterinarians.
The formation of women’s self help groups (SHGs) gained momentum in the area during and the groups are involved in the milk collection centre of Nagaur dairy. A new centre has been opened in the villages for the collection of milk. The SHGs have begun collecting milk at the centre and have eliminated the role of the middle man who would otherwise stand to make a huge profit from the collection.
ACF implements a special programme for the rehabilitation of persons impacted by the company’s project as this group is a very important stakeholder for the Foundation and the Company. We engage with the people and make sincere attempts to ensure that their quality of life improves with the changes. ACF undertook a baseline survey and documented information about the physical displacement of families who were living in the company’s proposed mining area.
A skills training programme has been started for the project affected persons (PAPs), to build capacity amongst them so that they can rely on vocations other than agriculture. 23 people with varying experience in masonry participated in a 3 month mason training programme. Seventeen women participated in a 45 day cutting and tailoring training programme. A 2- month computer training course was conducted in collaboration with RGCSM, Computer Education Centre, Marwar-Mundwa. Thirty-one students belonging to PAP families were taught the basic concept of computers, MS-DOS, MS Office, use of the internet and e-mail. A day-long financial advice workshop was held for PAPs to provide them with guidance about the judicious use of their compensation money in lieu of their land. A one day health awareness camp was organised for 40 PAPs, where Dr Panwar trained them on the general aspects of healthcare.
Chirawa
ACF is working in 25 villages of Chirawa. The steady decline in groundwater levels in Chirawa has been alarming. To add to the difficulty, some places face the problem of fluoride contamination. ACF carried out de-silting or deepening of ponds to increase their holding capacity and make drinking water available. Ground water is found at a minimum depth of 250 feet in the region. The level declines each year due to the high demand. Percolation wells have been used to collect rain water in a pond and then allow it to percolate downwards through a well. For providing villagers with pure drinking water Roof Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RRWHSs) were constructed to collect pure and safe drinking water. to enable the villagers to store water for drinking and domestic purposes storage tanks were also built.
Wadis have been promoted in the area. Organic farming and vegetable cultivation was also initiated in small tracts of land. Ber, bel, amla, pomegranate and lemon have been cultivated as a source of alternative income to the farmers. Farmers were also encouraged to cultivate vegetables like tomato, brinjal, cucumber, peas, chilli, round gourd (tinda) and fenugreek. Many of these vegetable plots and 22 wadis were irrigated with drip irrigation systems.
In healthcare services, our focus is on Reproductive and Child Health(RCH), especially safe motherhood. Emphasis was given to creating awareness amongst the women about issues such as anaemia, vaccination, ante- and post-natal care (ANC/PNC) and neo natal care. During the year general health check-up camps, meetings with pregnant women and lactating mothers and home visits were organised. Meetings were also held with the Government Health Department. Mass awareness was generated by observing days such as Safe Motherhood Day, Nutrition Week, and Breast Feeding Week. These efforts helped in dispelling age-old myths about health and hygiene and in creating a demand for proper healthcare services.
ACF is making concerted efforts to improve the socio-economic status of women through the formation of Self Help Groups(SHGs). These groups are able to save small sums of money and enable members to avail of loans. Training sessions and exposure visits were organised regularly for the SHGs.
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