NON FORMAL EDUCATION

AGRO-FORESTRY AND WASTELAND DEVELOPMENT

An overview of a Wasteland Development Project in the forest fringe areas of Eastern Ghats in Visakhapatnam district, initiated by Vikasa, an NGO working on rural development in the region. The programme developed over 1980 acres of degraded fringe forestlands, which benefited over 1014 landless families of 28 villages in the district.

Introduction

Wastelands are the degraded and unutilized lands except current fallows due to different constraints (CSIR, 1990). It is estimated that in wastelands the biomass production is less than 20% of its overall potential. It includes area affected by water logging, ravine, sheet and gully erosion, riverine lands, shifting cultivation, salinity, wind erosion, extreme moisture deficiency etc. These degraded lands are ecologically unstable with almost complete loss of top soil and are unsuitable for cultivation due to decline in their quality and productivity. Readdressing these lands is regarded as a powerful tool of attacking the issues of poverty and backwardness. The goal in this regard are to check further degradation, sustainable use of degraded lands, increase biomass availability along with nourishing soil; and restore ecological balance. This can be done by participatory approach with the help of local people in the planning and management of lands (Ramchandra 2003). The present paper deals with a case study of a wasteland development project addressing the issues of livelihoods to the landless laborers in the tribal villages of the Eastern Ghats in Visakhapatnam District.

Profile of the Area

The wasteland areas selected for the development were eroded undulating land situated in foothills of the Eastern Ghats. The wasteland development program covered an area of 1980 acres in 28 villages of three Mandals of Visakhapatnam District in Andhra Pradesh. Tribals constitute 88% of the people involved in the wasteland development.

Project Area – Before Intervention

The area where the development activities were carried out was a government classified revenue wasteland, situated in between the designated reserve forest area and agricultural land of the villagers. This was in fact a forest land earlier, but left by the Forest Department to enable village communities harvest small timber, firewood and other NTFPs for their subsistence. Besides, the people also practiced shifting cultivation resulting in vast stretches of land becoming barren and almost unproductive. These stretch/es of land were selected and developed with community participation by VIKASA, an NGO working on rural development in the region.

The communities residing in this area are forest dwellers, mainly Scheduled tribes. Their economy is primarily forest and agro-based. They practiced shifting cultivation that depends on the monsoons. They also collected Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) and fuel wood and make small earnings through their sale in the local market.

Project

The Wasteland Development Project “a kind of people friendly action research program”, was initiated by VIKASA in 1990 for the period of five years with the aim to develop 1980 acres of wasteland in the 28 tribal villages of Eastern Ghats. The Gandhi Peace Centre and Oxfam International supported the project that costed around Rs.4850000/-. This comes to an investment of Rs. 750/acre and covers conservation of soil and moisture, plantation, pot irrigation, live fencing and inter culture activities for 3 years.

Different government agencies also helped in the smooth functioning of the project. The Forest Department helped in land survey and fixing boundaries between the forest and common lands. The Revenue Department issued land pattas to the participating communities. A major step was issuing the pattas in the name of women due to their active participation in the project. The Indian Bank Branch of Madugula Sri Visakha Grameena Bank provided loans for income generation activities such as buying sheep, plough bullocks. Some of these loans were under the (Integrated rural Development Program (IRDP) scheme of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA). Ministry of Forest and Environment, Govt. of India supported in organizing environment awareness camps.

Role of VIKASA

VIKASA initiated and coordinated the project from its initiation to its final stages. It also helped in identifying the degraded land and also the marginalized population. The selection of beneficiaries was completely done by VIKASA. Priority was given to landless and women.

The process was initiated by organizing people to take up land development activities. This activity started simultaneously with awareness camps on environment protection, forest conservation, group organization, participatory planning, providing saplings, providing food for work, technical advice for soil and moisture conservation works, training in plant protection, exposure trips etc.

VIKASA’s role also included facilitating community members in obtaining loans from Banks, small savings, mass literacy (informal education for adults), linking with IRDP Scheme, loans for digging wells etc.

Community Participation

Local Communities were involved in the wasteland development activities from the very beginning of the project that included land development activities, selection of the plant species and protection of the developed area.

The selection of plant species used for the project was according to the needs and preferences of the people. VIKASA facilitated the process by providing information about the different species that were recommended by the villagers. The community contributed through 60% of the manual labour for clearing bushes, digging pits.

Physical Structures Constructed

During the project many physical structures were also constructed for enhancing the water and soil conservation measures viz. contour bunding, gully plugging, stone terracing, loose boulder structures, stone mulching, saucer making, and semi-circular shaped bunding etc. So VIKASA provided technical support in carrying out all the soil and moisture conservation activities.

Plant species

The whole areas developed starts right from the boundary of the reserve forest and there were several forest species present before the development of these lands. The villagers also choose some of the forest species like Amla, Soap nut, Bamboo, Pongamia, Tamarind, Sisham, Teak, Albizia, and Jackfruit, silk cotton besides horticulture plants such as cashew, mango, and guava. Hence it can be considered that about 70% of the land developed contains forest species. The activity also helped in extending protection to the reserve forestlands above the lands developed.

Source of Planting Material

Cashew plants were bought from the Cashew Research Station, Bapatla. Other species such as Aonla, Soap Nut, Jack fruit seeds were selected from high yielding trees in the local area. Fruit trees, like mango, guava, sapota, teak etc. were raised in the nurseries set up by VIKASA. Most of these species were locally available and forest dwelling communities have ready-made use and market for these species, hence the criteria for selection was natural.

Social Equity

Women participation was highly encouraged during the project. Pattas were issued to women also to ensure their empowerment and equal participation. Women were given equal wages as the men members of the community during the implementation of land development activities. Marginal section of the community was given the equal opportunities. Pattas were allotted to only landless families.

Difficulties during the Project

The major obstacle faced during the project was in the form of cattle and sheep grazers. They used to graze their animals on these lands. This was resolved by the regularization of the land holdings, which provided ownership of the “common” land .As the Government issued pattas the issue was resolved successfully. The protection measures taken up by tribal communities were also very effective.

Another difficulty during the project was convincing the tribals that their efforts to enhance productivity of the land were for their own benefit. This skepticism was also resolved after the revenue department issued pattas to them in 1994-95.

Project Area – After Intervention

As mentioned earlier, the total land area developed during the project period was about 1980 acres (approx.) and about 1014 families were involved. The whole wasteland area has been converted in to a good forest as the families have been able to increase productivity in their lands through various water and soil conservation methods.

There has been a substantial increase in the income earning capacity of the families in the project area. Using efficient soil and water conservation measures has increased productivity of the wastelands, which has had an effect on their overall income. Now, on an average each family is able to earn Rs.10, 000/- to Rs.15, 000/- depending on the area developed and the practices followed.

Initially, the revenue department had allowed families to only collect NTFP and fuel wood from the wastelands, but as the project progressed the wastelands that were once encroached are being regularized, some of them during the project period and some later on. Also, due to the regularization most of the farmers have become landowners with the issuance of the pattas.
Most of the tribal families have also taken up dairy farming. The consumption and sale of milk increased manifold among tribal families.

Besides the tangible benefits, there have been other intangible indicators of development in the project area as well. In the past, they used to depend completely on rains for the crops grown by them. The erratic nature of the weather conditions led to low yields forcing them to pledge their lands. Before the project, it was common practice among the non-tribal families of the area to pledge their lands with the moneylenders. This exploitative practice has been restricted. Now, as a result of a steady income some of them have also been able to get their pledged lands back.
Some of the families have also constructed new RCC houses allotted to them under various schemes by the Government.

Now, the tribal families are sending their children to schools. The number of girl children going to schools has also increased considerably. The government has also opened schools in all the tribal hamlets and most of the Government Departments prefers these villages when implementing Government schemes because people are well organized.

Sustainability of the Project

Sustainability of various land development activities is one of the achievements of the project. Even after ten years of completion of the project the community is still able to maintain the developed lands.Many people have developed their lands in the same manner even after completion of the project. In the project area itself, the area developed by the people on their own since the completion of the project, is more than the wasteland area actually developed during the period of the project. After completion of the project, same communities were involved in JFM program also in the region that was supported by Society of wasteland Development, New Delhi.

The success of the project also inspired the communities residing in the adjacent areas
Just after this project the similar kind of the program was taken up in Rolugunta mandal where around 1000 ac of the wasteland was developed with the support of OXFAM International.

Conclusion

The understanding of development has its unique take away from each case. It’s no different in case of the VIKASA led Wasteland Development Programme in Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the prime examples of community participation and also how the objectives of a programme can be realised for achieving long-term goals of Sustainability. Though the programme formally ended in 1995, the state of the tribals has undergone a continuous change to better.

Before the coming of the programme, the area was just another under developed tribal area, with its own set of problems and difficulties. The programme enabled the people to get out of the rut, which normally faces tribals and allowed them to make informed choices.

Besides improving the status of the tribals, the programme has also helped to improve the geography of the area, thus helping the surrounding environment. The Program was a big success and The Ministry of Rural Development and Employment, Govt. of India honored VIKASA with Rajiv Gandhi Patri Bhoomi Mitra Award in 1997.

WATER-SHED MANAGEMENT

Indo-German Bilateral Project-Representative Water Shed

KINCHUMANDA

VISAKHAPATNAM DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH

THE COMMUNITY:

The people belong to six sects of Primitive Tribes. They follow their tribal customs very strictly and observe their festivals with reverence. Their economy is primarily forest and agro-based and their knowledge of agriculture and forests is age old. Their major source of income comes from the collection and sale of Non-timber forest products. There are 36 landless families in the watershed area. However the practice of land sharing is being maintained between lands less and land owner through sharing of produce by 1/3 to the land owner and 2/3 to the land less.

OBJECTIVES:

To create a sense of responsibility among indigenous community to maintain and manage watershed constantly by themselves.

To up-lift the economic, social, education, health and gender status – at the community level and take them into self-sustainable styles of living.

To develop 1030 hectares of watershed area at 8 villages of 2 panchayats of Dumbriguda Mandal of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh by the year 2004.

To create replicable models through action and research.

STRATEGIES:

Preparing the communities for active participation in Watershed (Soil Moisture Conservation).

Support and participate with State Govt Department in planning, monitoring and evaluation exercises in Watershed villages.

Capacity Building of Communities through meetings, trainings, exposure visits etc.

Take up land-based economic activities with women and other vulnerable groups.

Treatment of private lands and develops fuel, fodder and tree crops.

Promotion of education, health and gender status through facilitation for convergence of services of departments concerned.

Replication of positive learning’s and experiences to the adjacent areas.

Withdrawal from the project area after 5 years, wt developing the community participation and own management.

ACTIVITIES:

The Watershed Committee formed at 8 villages is divided into two clusters. They are participating in SMC works along with community development activities.

The users group of landless, single women and disabled are being supported through development of backyard poultry units, sheep units, plough bullocks and vegetable cultivation and marketing etc.

Meetings for planning and designing of the activities are being taken up at community level for better participation of Community Members.

Inculcating the habit of savings among women groups to achieve economical empowerment of women members.

The community decided itself to share wages equally among men and women in the RWS programmed and they also decided to save Rs.10/- out of their daily wage of Rs. 40/- for keeping the money for maintenance of the post project works.

Watershed Fund was created with the amounts saved by the participating communities across eight villages amounting t Rs.3,08,823/-

Improve their knowledge and skills on Ridge to Valley Watershed development concept with the implementation SMC works.

Awareness creation on health hygiene, sanitation and education and organizing health camps for women and children.

Soil; & Moisture conservation activities have been taken-up in 470 hectares of private land belonging to the community members with their participation across the Watershed area.

69 units of Giriraja Birds for back yard poultry and 60 units of sheep were distributed for economical empowerment of the single women, landless and disabled.

60 compost pits were dug in the farmers’ fields to utilize Biomass and Organic matter.

Introduced horticulture (mango grafts) and amla, sapota and pineapple in 63 hectares with possibility for inter cropping of Niger, red gram, and rajma beans. Total number of farmer covered under horticulture is 76.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

Total private lands and common lands were treated with Soil and Moisture Conservation measures.

Twenty three tribal families benefited with the conversion of 22 hectares of fallow and into croplands across six villages.

Soak pits are well maintained by the community, percolating clear water into soil.

Soil fertility improved, water retention capacity increased with the introduction of horticulture (mango, guava, sapota acid lime, and amla) fruit crops covering 63 hectares.

Vegetable coverage 100% with carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, chilies, being cultivated by the community members covering all villages of the watershed area.

Vegetable consumption increased and selling surplus in local markets.

Composting is very successful intervention. More than 70 compost pits are under use resulting in more decomposed organic matter for vegetable crop production.

SITE UNDER RENOVATION

Micro watersheds, Nurseries, Water sanitation, and Hygiene education.

In Narsayyapeta village of Chodavaram Mandal, Vikasa has been managing a nursery since 1996 to supplement the needs of the communities located in different parts of the District. Vikasa had trained staff members in nursery techniques and farm management who have been associated with above-mentioned nurseries for a long time.

Training Facilities:

In the Narasayya peta village of Chodavaram mandal, Vikasa had facilities for training staff and community members. The staff members are experienced water sanitation, hygiene education, nursery techniques, PRA and other aspects. With the facilities available training can be imparted to thirty members at a time.