Building Sustainable Livelihood emerges at the intersection of development and environment. It focuses on finding resolutions to the problems of vulnerable
communities by creating human-cantered, participatory, and dynamic development opportunities. It is a bridge connecting the environment and humans to live in
harmony. A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets, and activities required for a means of living. It is deemed sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities, assets, and activities both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base. LAVS believes that livelihoods approach is a way of thinking about the objectives, scope, and priorities for development activities.
LAVS is enabling and expanding livelihood options, as one of the key strategies for reducing poverty in the remote tribal pockets of Odisha. Promotion of sustainable agriculture practices, conservation of natural resources, promotion of people’s organization like Self-help group (SHG), farmers group, primary producers groups and their federations, facilitation of people’s access to microfinance and government schemes, enhancement of market linkages and provision of skill-building support are some of the key intervention areas in this pursuit.
Intervention Strategy
Social Mobilization: Reaching out to the poorest communities, building human capabilities, building women’s self-reliant collectives
Managing Natural Resources: Making the sustainable natural resources through husbandry, suitable technologies and investments
Building models of alternative livelihoods: Training the community in new skill sets
Market Linkages: Linking to markets, to financial institutions, and to government
Policy advocacy for improved livelihoods for poor: Deepen understanding on key policy issues and engage the government for policy advocacy in favour of the poor and marginalized
Our livelihood strategies are designed to invoke natural-resource based activities, and off-farm activities. Potential livelihood outcomes can include more income, increased well-being, reduced vulnerability, and improved food security, more sustainable use of the natural resource base.
LAVS is privileged to have partnered with several interventions through implementation of sustainable development programs over the years.
Empowering & Strengthening of Pani Panchayats for Community Based Water Management
The Dept. of Water Resources, Govt. of Odisha awarded this project for the canal systems, Right and Left of Indravati River flowing throughJunagarh and Dharmagarh of Kalahandi district. The Water Users were identified, issued I Cards, imparted training on taking up advanced farming etc.
Key Objective is equitable distribution of irrigation water to all stakeholders
Specific Objectives:
- To create a feeling of unity and brotherhood among fellow farmers and also to visualize the created irrigation potentials as their own rather than that of Govt.
- Diversified cropping programme in order to get better returns of their investments with reduced risks.
- Higher cropping intensity by economical use of water.
- Help members in getting credit, agriculture inputs like seeds, fertiliser, plant protection chemicals etc.
Key Focus:
- Equity
- Efficiency
- Sustainability
- Self Governance
Highlights of the project:
| Ayacut area: | 72,755 Ha. [Left: 47,185 Ha. and Right: 25,570 Ha.] |
| No. of Pani Panchayats: | 213 [[Left: 155 and Right: 58] |
| Key Services Rendered under the assignment: | a. Formation and election of water users’ Associations |
| b. Conduct baseline Survey | |
| c. Verification of Cadastral Maps, digitized village maps, RoRs collected by department | |
| d. Preparation of list of beneficiaries voters list and conduct elections | |
| e. Conduct Gram Sabhas | |
| f. Delineation of project area and constitution of Project Committee | |
| Period of Implementation: | 1 year [2015 – 2016] |
Key Outcomes or achievements
- 213 PPs are formed by conducting election through a democratic process
- Paradigm shift from handing over of irrigation assets to PPs to taking over of assets by PPs
- Involving PPs in all components of participatory irrigation management
- Farmers and PP representatives were empowered through Tank Level Trainings
Implementation of Resettlement Plans
Machhagaon, Pattamundai and HLC Range 1 Sub-projects of Tranche 2 were classified under category A for involuntary resettlement in accordance with ADB’s Safeguard policy Statement 2009.
Agriculture is a source of income and livelihood. Small irrigation tanks and irrigation systems, and monsoons rains are the principal water sources for agriculture. Almost every village in the project area has an irrigation tank to collect rainwater, and a canal system to convey water to cultivated lands. The cultivable area in a given season depends on the size and capacity of the irrigation system and rain water availability. Farmers distribute water collectively using well established traditions and rules.
The objective of this RIP is to mitigate physical and economic involuntary displacement impacts caused by the Project and provide adequate compensation and rehabilitation assistance to the affected households to restore or improve their pre-project standard of living
Key Highlights:
| Machhagaon Sub-project | Irrigation coverage | 34,870 Ha. |
| Machhagaon Sub-project | Villages | 342 |
| Pattamundai Sub-project | Affected Structure Units | 900 [Residential: 338 and Commercial 473] |
| Pattamundai Sub-project | Irrigation coverage | NA |
| Pattamundai Sub-project | Affected Structure Units | 864 [Residential: 131, Commercial: 702 and CPRs: 10] |
| HLC Range 1 Sub-project | Irrigation coverage | 13,790 Ha. |
| HLC Range 1 Sub-project | Villages | 112 |
| HLC Range 1 Sub-project | Affected Structure Units | 400 [Residential: 164, Commercial: 138 and CPRs: 98] |
| Services Rendered under the assignment | NA | NA |
Watershed Development: Transforming agriculture and livelihood of marginalized farmers
Rain fed areas assumes special significance in terms of agricultural productivity and livelihood for rural households. Rain fed agriculture although is a risk-prone activity, have the potential to contribute for faster agricultural growth
In the context of climate change, watershed management plays an important role in mitigating weather induced risks, building resilience, and strengthening adaptive capacities. In times of drought, it captures rainfall in-situ, recharging ground water sources. In times of cloud bursts or intense rains, it helps control floods, reduces soil erosion and minimizes losses to livelihoods, infrastructure and life. Forests, afforestation and revived grassland sustain biodiversity, retain water and moisture in soils and micro-environments for longer periods and mitigate the effects of soaring temperatures on living beings. Watershed management, thus, helps reduce the adverse impacts of extreme climate events. It provides the environmental resources that can enable affected communities to better cope with such shocks and adapt to them. Hence, watershed development is the mainstay for climate change adaptation.
Strategies and Key Interventions
Mobilizing community action to conserve and manage local resources | · Farming Water User Groups · Village Watershed Committee |
Building grassroots capacity so that community can manage resources equitably and sustainably | · Comprehensive trainings and exposure visits for all Water User Groups & water user groups |
Model Mechanisms to ensure long term sustainability of project assets and benefits | · Mandatory financial contribution from community · Maintenance Fund for each Group · Methodology: Simple & Low cost |
Partnering state governments and other national agencies to achieve greater scale and reach | · Implementing watershed development projects · |
The watershed development in partnership with NABARD is taken up in two phases – i) Capacity Building Phase (CBP) and ii) Full Implementation Phase (FIP) and extended to Climate proofing phase.
Capacity Building Phase (CBP):
In the CBP the people of the watershed village are prepared for undertaking watershed development programme through “learning by doing” approach Awareness on watershed development was created by village campaigns, Gram Sabhas, formal and informal meetings, PRA exercises; and actual implementation of watershed development activities in 100 ha. area at the ridge portion in the first one year. All appropriate watershed development activities would be planned in the 100 ha. of land and implemented in a participatory approach including mobilization of the mandatory “Shramadan” by the Village community.
Full Implementation Phase (FIP):
After satisfactory completion of the CBP for one year the programme moves to the FIP. When the FIP begins a Grama Sabha was conducted by P.F.A. to select on consensus 13 to 15 members from among villagers to form a Village Watershed Development Committee (VWDC). The VWDC should have equitable representation for SC & ST communities, small & marginal farmers, landless poor, women, and other weaker sections. The FIP begins with a tripartite MOU between Village Watershed Development Committee, PFA and NABARD. Participatory net planning is then carried out to prepare a 4 year Detailed Project Report. The DPR was implemented by the VWDC together with PFA in a transparent and participatory process. The progress was regularly monitored by NABARD.
The National Bank for Rural & Agriculture Development [NABARD]; under its Watershed Development Fund (WDF) awarded LAVS to implement the program as Project Facilitating Agency(PFA).
Climate Proofing Phase:
The Soil Protection & Rehabilitation of Degraded Lands with Climate Change Adaptation Project was launched by NABARD as climate proofing initiative in completed watersheds. The project implementation in Thuria (Kandamali) watershed of Pottangi Blok, Koraput District was facilitated by LAVS after the agreement signed between VWC, LAVS as PFA and Odisha Regional Office, NABARD on 13th March 2019.
The project’s intervention and achievements have aimed at building three types of resilience namely, economic resilience (improving yield and household incomes), social resilience (building capacity of farmers, developing farmer-based institutions and strengthening stakeholder relationships) and environmental/system resilience (improving resource use efficiency and reducing emissions along with sustaining adaptation interventions).
Project At a Glance:
Sl. No | Particulars | Name of Watershed | |
A | Basic Information | ||
1 | Name of Watersheds | Thuria(Kandamali) | Taupadar(Deomali) |
2 | Geographical Area (Ha) | 1207.19 | 704.18 |
3 | Treatable Area (Ha) | 1203.89 | 681.83 |
4 | Villages Covered (No.) | 02 | 01 |
5 | Block | Pottangi | Pottangi |
6 | District | Koraput | Koraput |
B | CBP Phase | ||
1 | Sanction Date | 30.11.2009 | 30.11.2009 |
2 | Completion Date | 31.07.2011 | 31.07.2011 |
3 | Amount Sancitoned (Rs. Lakh) | 1256993 | 1263828 |
4 | Amount released (Rs. Lakh) | 1168800 | 1170300 |
5 | Amount Utilized (Rs. Lakh) | 1156184 | 1163645 |
6 | Area Treated (Ha) | 105.63 | 103.58 |
7 | No. of Households | 216 | 141 |
C | FIP Phase | ||
1 | Sanction Date |
|
|
2 | Commencement Date | 08.02.2012 | 08.02.2012 |
3 | Completion Date | 31.03.2017 | 30.06.2015 |
4 | Amount Sanctioned (Rs. Lakh) | 16286843 | 8687216 |
5 | Amount released (Rs. Lakh) | 15299693 | 7521284 |
6 | Amount Utilized (Rs. Lakh) | 15133728 | 7521284 |
7 | Area Treated (Ha) | 1098.26 | 578.25 |
8 | Population | 1095 | 625 |
9 | Population Male | 541 | 321 |
10 | Population Female | 554 | 304 |
11 | Total HHs | 216 | 144 |
D | Climate Proofing Phase | ||
1 | Name of Project | Integration of Watershed Development Strategies with Climate Change Adaptation for Rehabilitation of Degraded Soils. | |
2 | Grant Source | WDF-NABARD | KfW-NABARD |
3 | Sanction Date | 13.03.2019 | 07.02.2017 |
4 | Commencement Date | 26.03.2019 | 22.03.2017 |
5 | Completion Date | 30.05.2023 | 31.06.2020 |
6 | Total Financial Outlay | 8138253 | 5821721 |
7 | Amount of Grant (Rs. Lakh) | 4984811 | 4945532 |
8 | Total Population | 1096 | 784 |
9 | Male | 542 | 402 |
10 | Female | 554 | 382 |
11 | Total HH | 268 | 180 |
The overall goal of the interventions were Investments in improvement, stabilization, conservation of natural resources mainly soils to minimize the risk of climate change and to increase the productivity and income of communities living in watersheds. The purpose of the Projects under the programme is to reduce vulnerability to climate change of small-scale farmers in selected watersheds through the stabilization, enhancement and sustainable use of soil and water resources.
Impact:
- As result of watershed development activities, operational period of wells in project locations increased from 6 months to 8.5 months, compared to no change in control villages (6 months).
- Interventions like contour trenches, stop dams, earthen dams, percolation tanks and LBCDs were instrumental in water conservation and ground water recharge in project locations.
- Soil organic carbon content in the project villages was estimated to be 1.2% as against 0.8% in control villages.
- Project intervention increased the net and gross area under cultivation by 30% and 124% respectively in project villages, as against 2.3% and 0.4% respectively in control villages.
- As a result of increased water availability in project villages, net area under irrigation improved by 29% over pre intervention scenario and increased by over 11% against control villages.
- Average yield of all major crops improved on account of enhanced water availability. Productivity by 23% as compared to control villages.
- Cropping intensity post intervention increased to 184% as compared to 102% in control villages.
- There is considerable awareness amongst project beneficiaries who take active interest, through participation and contribution, in the maintenance of water harvesting structures.
- As compared to control villages, the project villages have shown visible income diversification directly or indirectly through enhanced water supply for cultivation thereby increasing income levels.
Innovations
Community Based Organizations
Community-based organizations (CBOs) form the base for promoting livelihood interventions. The basic community-level organizations at the village level are the Self Help Groups, producer groups, and the Village Development Committees at the micro watershed level, Common Interest Groups, User Groups and SHG federation at the cluster level are also promoted, The focus of the activity is to empower women members to take a lead role in livelihood activities, to assert their rights over productive assets, and access inputs and services related to livelihoods
Capacity building of Community Based Organizations
Training on different themes such as gender sensitization, leadership, maintenance of village infrastructure, rights of tribal, communications, self-evaluation, group dynamics, grass-root organization management, funds management, etc. are being provided to the members of the community-based institutions. Training is also being provided on participatory planning processes, land and water management, agriculture and horticulture development, off-farm activities like poultry, goatery, dairy, pisciculture, and vocational skills to unemployed youths.
Sustainable Agriculture
Agriculture being one of the primary sources of livelihoods of the tribal, effort is being taken by LAVS to improve the agricultural practices resulting in increase in productivity of crops and thereby ensuring year-round food security and enhanced income. Improved practices such as line sowing, System of Rice Intensification, use of organic manures and pest management practices, improved variety of seeds, mixed cropping, crop rotation, crop diversification, community farming, kitchen gardening, etc. are being promoted
Natural Resource Management
In order to enhance the livelihoods of the community members in a sustained manner, the organization promotes activities like land development, creation of irrigation infrastructures, and horticulture promotion.
Enterprise promotion & Collective Marketing
Entrepreneurship is also one of the core areas being promoted by the organization to enhance the income of the people. Aggregation-marketing model is being promoted at the producer group level. Producer group members are sensitized on different aspects of collective marketing model and its benefit. Market exploration and information sharing is taken up on a regular basis to enable the producers/ collectors to sell their products at a higher price. As a result of this, collective marketing is being done for vegetables and millet. Linkages have been developed with Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation Ltd. (TDCCOL) for capacity building of community resource persons on value addition and purchasing of millets from the millet producer through Mandis.
Solar Based Micro Irrigation
LAVS has been promoting solar based micro-irrigation for bringing additional areas under cultivation through enhanced irrigation facilities and growing two crops in a year on the same patch of land
Zero Energy Cold Storage
The zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) is an eco-friendly system with low cost of construction. It also saves energy as it does not need electricity for its operation. It is constructed with locally available materials. The evaporative cooling is suitable for storage of fruit and vegetables
In a semi-arid region, it is viable to use ZECC storage to retain freshness longer during storage. There are limited researches on the quality and storability of vegetables (pointed gourd and okra) stored in
the ZECC storage condition.
ZECC was made from locally available raw materials such as bricks, sand, bamboo, dry grass, jute bags etc. The chamber is an above-ground double-walled structure made up of bricks. The cavity of the double wall is filled with riverbed sand. ZECC had a maximum efficiency during the summer season. The rise in relative humidity (90% or more) and fall in temperature from the ambient condition could be achieved by watering the chamber twice a day.
Twenty number of ZECCs have been constructed in watershed are with project support benefiting 20 vegetable growers in the area.
Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme [OTELP]
The programme adopted an integrated micro watershed approach covering a cluster of 10 to 12 micro watersheds situated contiguously with an approximate area of 500 ha. The selection of the micro watersheds is made basing upon the boundary of one set of 10-12 micro watersheds which is coterminous with the Gram Panchayat. The programme has adopted a seven year project cycle management which is further divided into three distinct phases. The initial two years are called probation phase, the real implementation phase comes next for a period of three years and the last two years of the programme is known as consolidation phase/ withdrawal/exit phase.
Programme Goal
Empowering the tribals and enabling them to enhance their food security, to increase their income and improve overall quality of their livelihood.
Program Objectives
- Building capacity of the communities
- Enhance access & productivity of land, water & Forests
- Encourage off farm enterprise
- Ensure food security
- Strengthen institutional capacity of Govt. agencies & others.
- Build on indigenous knowledge and blend with technological innovations
- Encourage development of pro-tribal environment
Details of the coverage:
| District | Koraput |
| Block | Pottangi |
| Micro-watersheds | 10 |
| Villages | 12 |
| Population Covered | NA |
| Treatable area | NA |
| Activities carried out | a. Build the capacity of marginal groups as individuals, and grassroots institutions; |
| b. Enhance the access of poor tribal people to land, water and forests and increase the productivity of these resources in environmentally sustainable and socially equitable ways; | |
| c. Encourage and facilitate off-farm enterprise development focused on the needs of poor tribal households; | |
| d. Strengthen the institutional capacity of government agencies, Panchayati Raj Institutions, NGOs and civil society to work effectively for participatory poverty reduction with tribal communities; (. | |
| e. encourage the development of a pro-tribal enabling environment through effective implementation of the legislation governing control of, and access to, development resources by poor tribal households and through recommendation of other policy improvements; and | |
| f. Build on the indigenous knowledge and values of tribal and blend these with technological innovations to ensure a speedier pace of development. | |
| Period of implementation | 7 years [from 2008 to 2015] |
Implementation Strategy
The overall strategy of the Programme focuses on empowering the tribals and enabling them to enhance their food security, increase their incomes and improve their overall quality of life through more efficient natural resource management based on the principles of improved watershed management and more productive environmentally sound agricultural practices and through off-farm/non-farm enterprise development. A strong emphasis is placed on promoting participatory processes, building community institutions, fostering self-reliance, and respecting the indigenous knowledge and values of tribals. The Programme adopted a flexible, non-prescriptive, process-oriented approach to enable the stakeholders to determine the scope of Programme activities, their timing, pace and sequencing.
Livelihood Interventions under OTELP
Village development plans:
Using PRA techniques, LAVS(FNGO) facilitated preparation of VDLPs for each of the 10 micro-watershed that included micro-watershed level treatment plans and livelihood enhancement activities.
Soil and water conservation works:
The project has implemented a large number of soil and water conservation works, such as mechanical filter strips . gully control structures, masonry drop structures, guard walls, field/contour ,check dams, diversion based irrigation systems, field canals, farm ponds, irrigation wells, avenue/bund plantations, etc. In all, the programme treated some 3,420 ha out of 5028 ha of fallow land and made it available for cultivation to the farmers.
Crop demonstrations and introduction of new crop varieties:
Through farmers’ participatory varietal selection; the project introduced a wide variety of crops including legumes, tubers, millets, papaya, banana, etc. and techniques like SRI, IPM, etc. New paddy varieties such as Khandagiri, Lalat, Naveen.
Rural financial services:
The project inducted and trained 20 community mobilisers and community service providers (CSPs) in various technologies to provide technical support to project beneficiaries in agriculture and other livelihood activities.
The project has linked households rearing goats and broilers to cooperatives that provide technical support and market linkages. The project was able to link 12 SHGs to commercial banks to obtain loans and the groups also lent to their members from own savings.
Enterprise promotion:
Among promising enterprise activities identified were agro processing units, such as rice huller, oil expeller, dal processing, pickle and jelly making, broom making, leaf plate making, etc.; artisan activities such as wooden/bamboo craft, black smithy, carpentry, pottery, etc.; village level shops; inter-village vending. Poultry and goat rearing, traditional livestock activities pursued by tribal households as income buffers were also identified for support and systematic development. SHGs have taken up various enterprises and income generating activities using RFS loans.
Outcome/Impact
Increased Incomes: 172% increase in income among the participating households (from Rs 15926/- in 2005 to Rs 43,363/- in 2017). The income of households in project areas is 8% more than that of households from control areas. Income increase is almost equitably shared among all caste groups.
- Increased Assets: Participating households have more household assets (5%), agricultural assets (9%), land (1%) and livestock (0.42% in terms of TLU) than control households. Average land holding size increased from 1.68 in 2005 to 3.62 ha in 2017. The average size of land holding and number of agricultural implements owned are relatively more among the ST beneficiaries.
- Improved food security: Percentage of families suffering food insecurity lasting 3 months or more has reduced from 25% in 2012-13 to 17.6% in 2017. 17% of ST HHs and 20% of BPL HHs in project areas have experienced food shortage for more than 3 months in last 12 months against 20% and 22% of control HHs respectively.
Social Security: All project villages have access to MGNREGS. 84% households in project areas possess job cards against 81% of control households.
• Access to water and sanitation: 93% of HHs in project areas have access to clean and safe drinking water, which is more than state average of 89% and national average of 90%; 20% of HHs are presently having access to improved sanitation facilities in OTELP intervention areas against a state average of 29%.
INNOVATIONS
Participatory planning, implementation, monitoring and social auditing:
Participatory planning, implementation and social audit is a key OTELP innovation, contributing significantly to project effectiveness. A village development association (VDA) of all adults as members was promoted in each of the 12 micro-watersheds of approximately 500 ha, with a village development committee (VDC) of 15 to 17 members elected by it as the executive body to plan and implement project activities. The VDC had almost equal representation of women and men, drawn from each of the 2 to 4 revenue villages (Palli) in proportion to the number of households. The VDC prepared a Village Development and Livelihood Plan (VDLP) for the entire project period using PRA techniques. The plans were approved by the VDA in an open meeting and approved by the ITDA after ascertaining the technical feasibility and costs. The approved plans were the basis for preparing the Annual Plan and Budget for each micro-watershed,
Village development funds:
The project has created a Village Development Fund, largely during initial phases when the land and water development activities were partly paid for in kind as food grains provided by WFP. Wages were given as cash and 3 kg of rice for every day worked after deducting INR 10 from the day’s wages in lieu of the rice to build the VDF and the entire wage amount, including the money set aside into the VDF,. The VDC manages the VDF, for maintenance of the physical infrastructure created through the project.
Women’s savings and credit funds:
SHGs promoted as part of gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment strategy have, besides serving the intended purpose, stimulated women to save and build a corpus from which they can borrow to meet contingencies and for small productive investments. Besides building modest financial assets in the hands of women, this reduces the dependence on money lenders who hitherto controlled the tribal economy by lending small sums in times of crises at exorbitant rates, plunging the tribal people into perpetual debt traps.
SRI and line-sowing:
Paddy is the main cereal crop in the project area. Seed broadcasting and/or random transplanting of multiple seedlings to a hill is the common sowing technique with average yields of 400 to 500 kg/ha. The project has demonstrated SRI and line sowing techniques of paddy cultivation, using improved seed varieties and mechanical weeding with a simple hand operated rotary weeder. Yields have reportedly risen to 1 500 to
1800 kg/ha. The project supported SRI over of 2 1 ha owned by 23 households as a key intervention. The techniques are now being adopted.
Replacement of upland paddy with millets and tuber crops:
Broadcast paddy is cultivated widely in the project area. The crop often fails due to long breaks in the monsoon rains and yields even in good rainfall years are very low. The project has promoted rain-fed millet and tuber crops as a substitute to upland paddy as these are drought prone and climate change resilient, besides being nutrient rich. Sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet, fox tail millets, yellow-fleshed sweet potato and elephant foot yam have been promoted with seeds sourced from government extension sources and research centres.
Land rights to the landless:
The project collaborated with RDI/Landesa, an NGO specialising in land survey and settlement process. Landesa trained Community Resource Persons (CRPs) to identify landless families, available land eligible for distribution and facilitate land allocation working closely with the revenue officials. The project identified 248 households as landless, of which nearly 90% were ST. By March 2016, 128 households had been given land titles under different GoO laws and FRA. Having land title enables households to get support under housing programmes of the government and gives a sense of dignity and confidence to women as land owners. The engagement of CRPs has been one of the key factors for the success of the initiatives.
Scaling up and convergence:
With overall performance rated as highly satisfactory. Government of Odisha has scaled-up the OTELP project model as “OTELP Plus” with its own budgetary resources for capacity building and programme management (shared with OTELP) and convergence with various Central and State Government programmes to provide resources for investment components.
The planning process followed was the same as in OTELP. It has also included all OTELP villages for further development over the next 5 years. This is a tremendous achievement that illustrates the state ownership of the project approach. It also demonstrates that although OTELP has been successful in bringing development opportunities to the tribal population, more needs to be done to bridge the development gap between the tribal areas and the “mainstream” and additional investments in infrastructure, enterprise development and community capacity building are required over the medium term.
Orissa Community Tank Management Programme
The project objectives have been encompassing four main project components as described below: