Smoke free low carbon Lifestyle…

 This is the story about Smt. Muni Devi, a 50 years old woman is living in Rokedega village. Rokedega is remote village surrounded by forest and mountain. People of this village are mostly dependent on forest and agriculture produce. They use to have earthen chulha for their cooking and have to collect fire wood from forest and cow dung in a daily basis. The major problem with traditional Chulha (oven) is smoke inside the house created by burning wood, dung and crop waste as it requires lot of woods for cooking. It often causes acute respiratory, ear, and eye infections. While using she was feeling breathlessness, chest discomfort, and headaches but had no option for her to take any alternative. One day she came to know about smoke less chulha in a community meeting through Agrarian Prosperity Program and made a request along with other community women. Now on receiving the smokeless chulha, she was so delighted to have the advantages like: -

• Conservation of Firewood
• Provides smoke free hygienic cooking atmosphere
• Reductions in Health hazards
• Reductions in cooking time
• Helps avoid deforestation

The installation of smokeless chulha was innovations introduced to enable rural people of Daupani. The village women usually spent about 6 hours everyday in collecting firewood (for cooking and for selling), which could be reduced by introducing some improvisations. A majority of villagers usually cook on a two brick Chulha (earthen burner), which over a period of time is responsible for lung disease and blurred vision. The smokeless chulha technology (through APP project it has been provided to the community members at a cost of INR 2000 with beneficiary contribution of INR 100) has contributed to the villagers using less firewood, besides having salutary effects on their health and eyesight. More importantly, the time saved can be utilized by them towards increasing their economic gains. At present people under this project are more or less dependent on the forest for income and use. In case of continuing with the traditional oven for few more years will further reduce the vegetative cover in the degraded rocky hillocks and also deteriorate health of the women and children to a great extent

On asking she shared: - I use to go to the forest for collection of fire woods, cow dung, which consume a lot of time. Also while cooking my house was full of smoke like others in our village, but since I used the smoke less chulha, I am feeling healthy as there is no smoke at all and I like it very much as I can cook rice with one or two wood, where I can save my wood, my time of collecting wood from forest, spending in other works. So thank you very much to APP for giving such materials.

Water… Builds Life Better…

Water… Builds Life Better…

It was impossible but we made it possible this year with Agrarian Prosperity Program, say the villagers of Dahupani. They have successfully got the crop yield. Well, this not about regular cropping but they have done it for two times in a single year. This is quite amazing because previously they used to manage it for only a single time. The reason had to depend only on rainwater. But they have the desired water facilities for irrigation.

Last year the farmers of Dahupani had made up their minds to make some alternative arrangements to provide irrigational water facilities to their dried cultivable land. Apparently they decided to share their concern to APP in this regard. Firstly, they made a very good survey at the village level to find out a suitable location and source for irrigational water and they concluded to go for spring well repair and renovation to fulfil their irrigation requirement as well as the cleanliness of the water which is also a good source of drinking water.

Since the villagers are very much focused to make some difference at their village, they actively contributed time and labour to complete the canal Construction work. The village development committee had finalized the water management plan, which was fairly acceptable to all the farmers. Multiple cropping was just only a dream for the farmers of that village, which is possible now because of their participation with APP. Today 10 to 15 poor farmers having 10 acres of lands are in a stage where they can think and plan for the future of their children.

"Yesterday’s dream became the reality of today."

Agrarian Prosperity programme

400 farmers will go for SRI farming during the season

Azolla - essential nutrients for plant and animal

A Friend in Need… is a Friend indeed…!!

Introduction

Azolla is a floating pteridophyte of Azollaceae family, forms a symbiotic relationship with the cyanobacterium Anabaena Blue Green Algae, which fixes atmospheric nitrogen, giving the plant access to the essential nutrients.

This has led to the plant being dubbed a "super-plant", as it can readily colonise areas of freshwater, and grow at great speed - doubling its biomass every two to three days.

Important Charactaristic

C It is particular to increase the efficiency of nitrogen fixation (2-3 Kgs/ha/day) replacing Urea almost within two years and concomitantly to reduce water pollution, by changing strategies of mineral use and by integrating organic fertilizers in the rice production system.

C Due to its ability to fix nitrogen Azolla used as a bio-fertilizer for wetland paddy - either incorporated into the soil before rice transplanting or grown as a dual crop along with rice. When rice paddies are flooded, they can be inoculated with Azolla: -

ü Quickly multiplies to cover the water,

ü Suppressing weeds.

ü Rotting plant material releases nitrogen to the rice plants,

ü Fixing Nitrogen about 150 – 200 Kgs/ha/year

C Significant role to control ecology support system for its strong photosyntheic oxygen releasing capacity.

C Azolla having higher crude protein contain, almost 25-35% on dry weight basis.

C It is also found to contain essential minerals like Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorous, Copper, Manganese etc. apart from appreciable quantities of Vitamins A and Vitamin B12.

C The above mentioned bio-chemical constituents along with the rapid multiplication rate makes Azolla an ideal organic feed substitute for livestock, apart from its utility as a bio-fertilizer for wetland paddy.

C Feeding azolla to dairy cattle, pigs, ducks, and chickens, with reported increases in milk production, weight of broiler chickens and egg production of layers, as compared to conventional feed.

Looking to the above facts and benefit, we conducted an on-farm orientation cum demonstration training program at Orbenga villege with farmers at the backyard of Mr. Prabal, shared the importance of Azolla in Paddy Cultivation and its various aspects. Farmers are highly motivated and determined to have one Azolla tank each at their backyard based on the above facts and benefit.

Input Cost for Azolla – Rs. 400.00 (LS) one time investment.

Appendix: At Orbenga Village

Newly constructed wells in the village of Palkot block, community are now able to take the benefit of it

Increase in water availability in the target areas, accessible to all community members.

The annual meeting with Caritas India became an eye opening of all project staff towards the systematic and efficient work of land based activities with best satisfactory output. The observation of Caritas India during the annual field visit: ·         Location problems, Guard-wall needs to be formed ·         Steps on the pond for proper use/ animators lacking regular structural visit ·         Water resource already existing around constructed water bodies ·         Very close monitoring with regard to structure is very poor ·         Did not follow the created strategies Thus before following the guideline for the third year of the agrarian prosperity programme the land based activities started to ensure that construction of new well and renovation is completed before the start of the monsoon. Moreover, the project team discussed and tried to sort out the issue of local contribution (LC) payment since the project team experienced continues constrain and difficulties during second year of the programme.  The community has no understanding of the  do the concept of local contribution therefore there will be full payment of wage as per the government declaration. However, the project team have adopted the different strategies for LC. The beneficiaries of the each structure will work in the construction work without the wage. The process will rotate until the well is complete. Likewise in other land based activities (SCT, farm field bunding, pond etc) the square feet of digging to be increased. The site identification of 3 WHS (Orbenga, Sundridih, Rokedega), 3 irrigation (Pithartoli, Orbenga,Rokedega), 1 drinking well (Sundridih), 4 community ponds (Kurum, Orbenga, Pithertoli & Tetertoli) and 1 lift irrigation (Rokedega) site completed. Having identified and verified the sites of irrigation wells the construction of 3 irrigation wells and 1 drinking well in full swing. Status of irrigation wells Sl No. Village Depth (') Purpose 1 Orbenga 10' Irrigation 2 Pithertoli 9' " 3 Rokedega 5' " 4 Sundridih 13' Drinking Similarly, the renovation of old community tank in Orbenga started. The community has started emptying the remaining water so that work is carrying out soon.

Pithertoli is one of the village comes under Dahupani  panchayat, Palkot block, Gumla district of Jharkhand state. The village is surrounded by forest and mountains. The mountain is like wall for the villagers. Due to the forest and mountain inhabitants of the village feel morally secured from outside attacks. Since the area is fully covered by forest the physical structure of land is not plain. Everywhere village lands are up and down. There are several streams without bridge. Villagers have to find their own way to reach their desired place.

However, with collective efforts with villagers and panchayat leaders village got the scheme of bridge. The bridge is under construction.  In order to complete the bridge the Monsi (the supervisor) cut 500 hundred trees from the forest without the permission of villagers. The villager knew about cutting of the 500 hundred trees. Villagers directly enquired about the cutting of the 500 hundred trees but the Monsi (supervisor) denied and said he had not cut any trees from the nearest forest.

After few days the villagers summoned the Gram Sabha meeting to find out the person who had cut the trees. In the meeting the supervisor said that he was asked to do so by the contractor to cut down the trees. When the villagers asked the contractor, the contractor also denied and said that he neither ordered to cut the trees nor knew anything on the matter.

The Gram Sabha gave the responsibility to supervisor to protect the 500 hundred cut woods and when the villagers need woods the supervisor should give to the villagers. After a month villagers needed some wood and requested supervisor to present the wood to villagers.  But supervisor said that the woods had been stolen. But the reality was that supervisor had hidden all the woods in the river under the sand. The villager filed the case against the supervisor and handed over to the forest department.  Once the FIR was done, the supervisor accepted that he had cut the 500 hundred trees without the permission of any responsible groups or person. The case against supervisor is still on the process.

If the villagers had not taken any action against the supervisor then he would have sold all the woods and got benefited but the Gram Sabha did not leave any space to miss use the community good for individual gain.  

Rokedega is one of the village comes under Dahupani  panchayat, Palkot block, Gumla district, Jharkhand. The women of the village are limited to their own household and agriculture activities. The active participation of women seen in both indoor and outdoor activities but  all the decisions are taken by male head of the family. Though women like to be associated with those activities where money and status could be earned but due to men suppression women were left behind.  Likewise, in meetings women cannot express their thoughts due to the lack of opportunities and ignorance. There are some religious taboos which do not permit women to get them involved actively. Above all it could be said that various circumstance force and deprive women from their rights duties and practices in the society.

 However, after the entry and constant efforts of Naya Sawera Vikas Kendra villagers have been mobilized and united.  Women have formed SHG and discussing on the several development issues. One of the women’s decision making in the family has been seen and experienced.

Chindrika Devi is the wife of Shyam Sunder (Rokedega) and the animator of Rokedega. She is the mother of three children.

Since 4 to 5 years the family was fully in disarray due to her husband’s lack of proper cooperation. There was neither systematic function nor peace in the family. There was misunderstanding and quarrels in the family. Frequently husband used to come home after drinking and create dispute atmosphere in the family. Head of the family had right to take decision in all types of activities. He neither respected nor considered his wife’s ideas and suggestion nor listened his children’s views. Husband never worried about children education. Above all, the male dominated in family’s affair. 

However, once she became the member of SHG groups and shared her problems with members, the members of SHG group gave moral support. The moral support helped her to be strong in the family despite of quarrel and dispute. Within few meetings with SHG members she started to put the other village level issues in the meeting and discuses taking the leading role in the SHG groups. Looking at her performance in the SHG meetings, the members of SHG’s and villagers proposed her to take the leading role in the village as village point person and wrote an application to the project coordinator to give her an opportunity to serve community as an animator of Rokedega. 

The participation of both husband and wife at village and block level gender training brought drastic changes in the family atmosphere. Husband changed his drinking habits and started to go for work and earn money for the family. Today the husband reduced drinking habits, respects her, and helps her in indoor and outdoor activities. All the decisions are taken together and children are sent to school for education. Moreover she is the one who took decision to practice SRI method of cultivation. Today family live together happily and peacefully.