About a year ago, in late 2024, when a small team of development activists began visiting several villages in the Bamaur block of Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh to establish their first contacts, they quickly realized they were entering an area burdened by harsh environmental conditions and long-standing anxieties. Local well-wishers advised them to be cautious, warning of the region’s history of criminal activity and the occasional presence of dacoits crossing over from nearby border areas.
Even the basic infrastructure they needed—office space, housing, and transport—was limited. And just as the team was settling in and adjusting to the realities on the ground, torrential and unrelenting rains wiped out nearly the entire kharif crop in their selected villages, deepening the distress they had hoped to ease.
Despite these compounded challenges, the first year of the project has seen remarkable progress. Most importantly, villagers themselves say they feel encouraged by the work being done and express a renewed sense of hope amid conditions that would discourage most outside interventions.
Yet this optimism was far from immediate. In the early weeks, the team was met with hesitation, and sometimes outright distrust. As civil engineer Sazeed Khan, a key member of the team, recalls, villagers often responded with resigned skepticism, telling them that many groups had come before but little had actually changed. The new initiative had to bear not just the weight of the region’s difficult conditions, but also the accumulated disappointment of past programs that had failed to meet expectations.
A year later, however, during group meetings in four different villages, it became evident that the trust deficit has been replaced by a close, working relationship between villagers and the development team. This newly built confidence has become the foundation on which multiple community initiatives now rest.
The project, undertaken by the voluntary organization SRIJAN in 15 villages of Bamaur block, is designed as a model of holistic rural development. Team leader Pankaj Sharma explains that ensuring genuine participation has been central from the very beginning.
When initial efforts focused on easier interventions—such as installing solar lights in village streets and homes—the selection of beneficiaries and installation sites was left entirely to villagers, based on a previously agreed prioritization of vulnerable households. Villagers readily took responsibility, even securing necessary local permissions for work, strengthening the sense of shared ownership.
Supported by HDFC Bank, the project has also invested in building the leadership of rural women. Village development committees have been formed to steer local initiatives, while women farmer producer groups focus specifically on farm-related decisions and knowledge sharing. Many women said during discussions that simply meeting regularly to talk about community problems and solutions has itself been empowering, as this space for collective deliberation was largely missing earlier.
Determined to make the most effective use of the funds available, the team walked long distances to identify the best sites for water conservation structures, consulting villagers at every step. The results have been striking. Five check dams, two earthen dams, ten gabion structures, and three injection wells have been constructed—a rapid pace by any standard, especially with extensive community participation. Several existing structures were also repaired or improved.
Nearly 150 ditches or dohas have been created along water channels to retain moisture longer, while field bunding has been carried out on 250 acres. Twenty-five farm ponds have been dug, and a major local tank—critical for the region’s water security—has been desilted. To promote sustainable irrigation, five solar pumps and multiple sprinkler sets have been provided to farmers.
Alongside water management, the project has emphasized natural farming practices. Bio-resource centers are being set up to support the scientific preparation of organic fertilizers. Multi-layer vegetable gardens have become popular among women, and the planting of small orchards on portions of farmland is receiving enthusiastic support.
Livelihood diversification has also been encouraged. About 45 households have received high-breed goats, with training and veterinary support to reduce mortality. Several women have been trained as para-veterinarians to handle common livestock health issues, ensuring timely local care.
Efforts to improve local schools and anganwadis have also begun, contributing to broader community well-being.
These activities have brought tangible benefits, particularly to weaker sections, and after the heavy crop losses of the previous kharif season, many farmers now expect a much better rabi yield thanks to significantly improved irrigation facilities. The overall sense is that a difficult year has ended on a hopeful note.
Yet, while the achievements of the first year are substantial, a longer horizon is essential to stabilize gains—environmental, social, and infrastructural. The project’s current duration is a little over three years, but work of this nature needs at least five years to achieve lasting impact. Team members, who have persevered through extremely challenging conditions, hope their efforts will lead to durable improvements.
As a holistic development initiative, the project could further strengthen its impact by integrating elements of social reform—reducing alcohol consumption and other intoxicants, for instance, or creating more platforms where villagers, especially women, can discuss social distress and community priorities. Sometimes new solutions are needed; at other times, reviving beneficial traditional practices or technologies can make communities more resilient.
The work in Bamaur shows that even in tough conditions, progress is possible when people feel heard, involved, and respected. It also shows how much can happen when a community’s belief in change returns after years of disappointment.
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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now, and author of India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food, Planet in Peril, A Day in 2071, and Protecting Earth for Children
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