From water scarcity to sustainable livelihoods: The turnaround of Salaiya Maaf

By Bharat Dogra 

We were sitting at a central place in Salaiya Maaf village, located in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh, for a group discussion when an elderly woman said in an emotional voice, “It is so good that you people came. Land on which nothing grew can now produce good crops.”

She was addressing members of the voluntary organization SRIJAN who, with the support of the Parivartan initiative of HDFC Bank, have been implementing a programme to strengthen sustainable livelihoods based on improved management of natural resources. Many villagers expressed appreciation of the efforts of this project, taken up with the close involvement of community members, and said that these initiatives had been very helpful.

However, this was not the situation initially, about two years ago, when SRIJAN members had first knocked on the doors of these villagers. It took some time to establish trust and explain that SRIJAN was sincere about involving villagers in deciding the work to be taken up, as long as it was within the organization’s priorities—emphasising weaker sections and small farmers, mainly women from these households, and undertaking work that passed the test of improving sustainability, climate resilience and the overall environment.

Gradually, village development groups and farmer groups were formed, and regular meetings began to be held to discuss priority works and beneficiaries. A good beginning was made by lighting up several village locations with solar lights, as a result of which night-time safety improved and market gatherings at some places could continue for longer hours.

Building on this initiative, what villagers particularly appreciated was that SRIJAN consulted them closely regarding the exact location and other details of various development works, as well as the selection of beneficiaries—areas where local guidance was clearly the best way forward. This is why the check dam yielded good results, and water conservation work in the form of 23 water channel storages, or dohas, was able to conserve substantial quantities of water, raising the water table. Similarly, support for multi-layer vegetable gardens, irrigation sprinklers and small orchards reached those who were most likely to make effective use of these opportunities. While many farmers have benefited from these efforts, three examples are particularly encouraging.

Santosh Kumar and his wife Vinita Devi are strongly committed to natural farming. When SRIJAN began spreading the message of natural farming in the village, Santosh was among the first farmers to respond very positively. He owns two acres of land and says that by bringing this land under natural farming he has been able to increase production—an important achievement, as yields do not usually rise so quickly. This may be due to the deep commitment that Santosh and Vinita have to this more creative form of farming, and the care and time they devote to it. Sprinkler irrigation arranged by SRIJAN with the support of Parivartan has also contributed to higher production. Farming expenses have gone down by avoiding costly inputs such as chemical fertilisers and pesticides. With increased production and reduced costs, their net income has risen even more. While Vinita expresses her commitment and enthusiasm about recent changes more freely, Santosh is by nature more reserved. Yet his appreciation became clear when, during my recent visit, he took me aside and asked, “Can this project, which came here for three years, continue for three more years?” If that happens, he said, the remaining farmers would also be able to benefit.

Shyam Sundar and his wife Rekha own about three acres of land. They provide a good example of how farmers are carefully weighing the economics of shifting from chemically intensive farming to natural farming. On about one-fifth of an acre, they have planted an orchard of around 60 fruit trees—mostly guava, along with some others—and on this plot they have shifted entirely to natural farming. Until the trees begin to bear fruit, they are also growing gram, which has performed very well. There are other patches of land on their own farm and on neighbouring family farms where turmeric and some other crops are now being grown using natural farming methods. A very good turmeric crop has been harvested recently. On the remaining land, Shyam Sundar said, he has reduced the use of chemical fertilisers to less than half of the earlier intensive levels and is moving gradually towards natural farming there as well. He prefers to phase this change over two or three years rather than making an abrupt shift. Pointing to the wheat crop on his farm, he said, “You can see that the growth here is very good despite reducing chemical fertilisers, because we are taking good care.”

The sprinkler system provided by SRIJAN, along with technical advice and good-quality seeds and saplings, has been very useful, he says.

Shyam Sundar has also created a small shelter within his fields, close to a traditional well that provides good-quality water, and spends much of his time there. His son, daughter and a niece were present during our visit, cheerfully lending a helping hand. All of them appeared happy with the recent changes, particularly the development of the orchard, and were generous in their hospitality.

Sanjeev Kumar is a leading farmer in the village, owning about 10 acres of farmland. Among the relatively larger farmers, he has emerged as a strong supporter of natural farming. He has already brought around two acres under natural farming and said during a group discussion that he ultimately intends to shift his entire landholding to this method. He is articulate in expressing his views, and his support and example can play a significant role in spreading natural farming and other ecologically protective practices in this and neighbouring villages.

Beni Bai is an elderly woman who earlier served as the sarpanch of the village. She said that what she found particularly valuable in SRIJAN’s contribution was that, thanks to the construction of the check dam and the resulting availability of water and rise in the water table, land that had earlier remained largely uncultivated could now be brought under cultivation. Her family, as well as others, had benefited in this way, she said.

Thus, several critical problems related to water scarcity, rising costs and the growing crisis faced by small farmers have been addressed over the past two years, bringing new hope to villagers—especially small farmers, including sharecroppers.

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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food, Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril, and A Day in 2071