Impact of the Integrated Resource Development Project in Dhamtari, under Special SGSY Scheme

The poverty map of Dhamtari district coincides with the forest area map due to geographically disadvantageous locations. People living in these villages have limited income generation and livelihood opportunities. The basic sources of livelihood for the communities staying in and around the forest are the resources obtained from the forest. The subsistence of these communities mainly depends on the availability of the forest products like timber and NWFPs. These products not only meet their consumptive requirement but also their economic needs.

To plan, monitor and implement the developmental journey of these villages, which are within 5 kilometer of the periphery, Government of Chattisgarh has appointed the Forest Department as the nodal agency vide order No 915/C.S.2002/G Raipur dated 15.07.2002. It has an area of 401 villages under this scheme and will be responsible to use all the natural resources in the service of the rural people.

The focus of the project is on developing people friendly sustainable livelihood approach with biodiversity conservation, through people’s participation. That apart, innovation and integration were the two main cornerstone of the project.

Keeping in mind that the District Integrated Resources Development Project, Dhamtari was sanctioned by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India as Special Project for Integrated Development of forest fringe villages in Dhamtari District of Chattisgarh. vide their letter No. V-24015/ 188/ 202-SGSY (special project) dated 01.09.2003. The project was implemented for two years from September 2003 to September 2005. Rs. 1,350.00 lacs have been sanctioned for this project to cover 4,510 families and improve their status to come above BPL. 100 villages have been brought under the project from three blocks namely Nagri (70 villages), Magarlod (21 villages) and Dhamtari (09 villages). Out of Rs 1,350.00 lacs, 896.25 lacs has been received from Central Government, 298.75 lacs from state government and 155.00 lacs through bank credit. 100 villages are selected for this project.

The project broadly aims to bring:

• To assist 4,721 families above the poverty line by ensuring appreciable sustained level of income over a period of two years
• To provide additional wage employment in the rural areas.
• Establishing a large number of micro- enterprises in the rural areas and building upon the potential of the rural poor.
• Create awareness among the local people

The general profile of the Project Villages (before implementation of the project)

Total population: 31,711
Total SC:               1,111
Total ST:             23,048
Total Others:        7,552
Total Male:          15,478
Total Female:      16,233

The Schedule Tribe is dominant in the area with a percentage of 72.7%. It is seen that overall there are 1,682 APL and 4,721 BPL families, whereas the number of land less families are 1,122 i.e., 1.5% of the population. The average land holding is 2 to 3 acres with paddy as the single crop. The female and  male literacy percentages are 30% and 50% respectively. The main agricultural crop is paddy, which is a single cultivated crop. A total of 93 primary and 21 middle schools are present in the project area. About 3,100 species of flora and fauna are found here.

Generally four types of institutions have been formed by involving the people within the area which are as follows:

Types of Committee Formed

Self Help Group

Live Stock

Certain endangered floral species are located in this area, such as:

• Ophioglossum mlgentum
• Bhojraj
• Tejrja
• Kamraj

Activities undertaken under this project:

The activities under this project were designed in such a way so as to create productive asset in the villages, which would generate livelihood for them as well as create a resource base in the long run. Major emphasis has been given to create sources for irrigation through wells, ponds, lift irrigation, stop dam, diversion channel etc to change the agricultural practices from mono cropping to double cropping while creating the asset base in the village. These have also generated additional wages for the villagers. While creating opportunities for irrigation on the one hand, emphasis has also been given to develop capacity of the villagers as well as create vermi-compost tanks to supplement their fertilizer needs for agriculture.

Small ponds, wells, stop dams etc has been created not only to meet requirement for water  for irrigation but also to assist in soil moisture conservation and thereby recharging of the ground water table.

Forest has been another key area of development under the project. Emphasis has been given to develop forest, as a source of sustainable livelihood for the villagers through rehabilitation of degraded forest as well as protection of timber and non timber forest produces. Value addition of non timber forest produces has given important broad base livelihood options of the villagers.

Use of alternative sources of energy like solar energy has been introduced which has not only contributed towards supply of drinking water and lighting of houses but also gained the confidence of the villagers towards it’s potential.

Introduction of alternative sources of energy for drinking water supply and lighting of houses

The key activities, which were undertaken under this project for Integrated Resource Development, are:

• Development of forest resources by protection and regeneration.
• Livestock improvement, grazing regulation
• Use of alternative sources of energy
• Development of infrastructure especially for irrigation and agriculture
• Value addition and marketing of non timber forest produces
• Preparation of micro-plan
• Ensuring participation of community members.

The study focuses on assessing the impact of the project in the area keeping in mind the project objectives i.e., to bring 4,721 assisted families from BPL to APL by ensuring appreciable sustained level of income over a period of two years, to provide additional wage employment in the rural areas, establishing a large number of micro- enterprises in the rural areas and building upon the potential of the rural poor and to create awareness among the local people.  Qualitative information has been gathered by collecting different case studies. Data has been collected from the villages through structured questionnaire which has been further quantified and analyzed.

Key findings:

Forest related activities

Through the forest related activities three kinds of impact has been seen which are as follows:

• Improvement of the forest condition. Thereby creating a resource base for earning livelihoods
• Ensuring sustained level of income through generating wages
• Improvement of the soil moisture condition and thereby improving the agricultural outputs of the area.

The activities included RDF work and In-situ conservation of PPA, and the objective was to complete 5,000 ha of RDF work and 8,350 ha of PPA work. However, it was seen that while 5,039.25 ha of RDF work was successfully completed, PPA work was done in 8,344.5 ha. This statistic shows that the effort to ensure development and density of the forest has been undertaken. As many as 24 villages did not have any forest related activity, i.e., only 60% of the villages had such activities. Among those that had, most were found to have a positive impact out of it. For rehabilitation of degraded forests, one common forest related activity carried out in many villages was check dam construction, which ensured soil conservation and percolation purpose also. Villages like Kumhadakot, Birjhuli, Pendra, Pathar, Neginala, Keregaon, Kotarwahi, Batanhara, Dokal, Sarai Bhadar, Thenhi, Kauha Bahra, Harfar and Kalarbazra availed of this positive impact. In many villages like Sonjhari, Daud, Boirgaon, Sarai Bhadar, Vaisamoda, Matiabahra, Kauhabahra, Kharadah, Chhalakni, Pathar and Maragaon the people earned their wages from these forest related activities, which also ensured their long-term employment in most cases. The money earned not only provided economical support in their household expense, but also helped in their agricultural work.

NWFPs

Non-wood forest produces, or NWFPs, such as tendu leaves, mahua flower, harra, behra, amla and sal seeds are collected by the villagers and sold in the market. This becomes a contribution in their household income. For instance, tendu, which is sold at the rate of Rs 45/- for 100 gaddi, earns about Rs 524 on an average per family per season for the 56 villages where tendu is collected. The other popular NWFP is mahua, from which Rs 918 on an average per family per season is earned, in the 57 villages where mahua is collected. Hence, these forest resources are extremely productive for the villagers, especially as a source of income. This means of income, which is sustainable, is imperative to uplift the BPL to APL.

Agriculture related activities

Through the activities mainly the sources of irrigation has been created to ensure one of the important inputs of agriculture, i.e., irrigation water. The tvillages in the area mostly had mono-cropping due to lack of irrigation facilities which had been converted to double cropped area through the assistance from the project. These had lead to the following:

• Improvement in the socio economic condition of the people by upgrading the productivity of the agricultural land
• Creating opportunity for providing additional wage employment in the rural area especially among the landless

Infrastructure developed

The purpose for creating the infrastructures are mostly to enhance the agricultural productivity through irrigation, bio fertilizers etc.  

This includes construction or excavation of tube well boring and diversion channel, pond, stop dam, lift irrigation and digging of well. Construction of wormi pit, NADEP pit, and vermicompost pit are also part of the infrastructure developed. The objective was to create opportunities for earning as well as agricultural inputs in terms of water and fertilizers with the provision of these facilities. 58 of the 60 villages had some kind of infrastructure prepared. Apart from general usage as water for bathing purpose, these infrastructures mainly ensure the growth of vegetation and increase in production of paddy, in villages like Pahariakona, Govindpur, Birjhuli, Basikhai, Maragaon, Dhanora, Palwadi, Gobrapathar, Boirgaon, Pendra, Batanhara, Karaiha, Koliari and Kharadah. The paddy and the vegetation is subsequently a source of income for the villagers. These constructions also became sources of safe drinking water for the villagers. In Aamgaon, Koliari, Aalakuta, Dugli and Dinkarpur villages 25, 44, 40, 100 and 76 wells respectively, had been dug in 2002-03.  Earlier, very few tube wells were constructed for this purpose, and there was hardly any water supply station. All these infrastructures assured that the socio-economic condition of the villagers is improved. 

Communication system

To enhance the system of communication and to provide the villages with the appropriate mode, roads, culverts and pathways were constructed. 21 roads were constructed in 2002-03 but only ten in 2004-05. Only in places like Pahariakona and Vaisamoda they were constructed in both the years. As far as culverts are concerned, it was constructed only in nine villages in 2002-03 and seven in 2004-05. While almost all villages constructed only one culvert in a year, it was found that in 2004-05, Dugli and Palwadi constructed three culverts. As for pathways, only 30% of the villages had them constructed in 2002-03, but in 2004-05 it plummeted to just 22%. Significantly, in 2002-03, Thenhi had five pathways constructed. Thus, overall, there remains room for improvement as far as mode of communication is concerned. The fact that several households are BPL, they need these modes of communication to enhance their prospect of finding a source of income. 

Microplan

Preparation of microplan reflects the future plan of the people of the area concerned. In Dhamtari, all 60 villages surveyed were found to have prepared and implemented microplan. Out of those, 21 villages, forming 35% of the total, earned a profit because of the implementation of the microplan. These villages include Siltara, Kalarbazra, Pahariakona, Mariamari, Aamgaon, Kharadah, Kotarwahi, Chhalakni, Dokal and Govindpur. The profit earned by these villages manifest the importance of having a specific plan for the future. 

Training

Training is very important to give technical impetus to the coordination of any institution. It is mainly given for capacity building and skill building. This subsequently helps the villagers to utilize the skills and make a living out of them. The study shows that training has the following impact for the villagers.

• Improvement in the health condition through creating awareness
• Developing leadership qualities to set up micro enterprises
• Increasing the income
• Promotion of use of alternative energy

More than 80% of the villages received training from some department or the other.  Of these, most of the participants from 36 out of the total 60 villages gave a positive feedback, and have been utilizing the training received. In fact, in villages like Palwadi, Matiabahra, Vaisamoda, Dinkarpur, Farasgaon, Thenhi, Kauhabahra, Kotarwahi, Basikhai, Kharadah, and Barbandha the participants not only received and utilized the training, but imparted training to others as well.

Training was given on different aspects like general health (total 24 meets), which ensured provision of medicine in health problems and patient care; lac cultivation(18 meets),which ensured production and sale of lac; in certain cases though, it resulted in loss; herbal medicine (19 meets), in which 12  participants did not find any interest while two are even giving training to others. Apart from that, training was also given on subjects like biogas utilization, urea treatment, mother and child health, incense stick making, dona plate making, agriculture, etc. Of the four training programmes on biogas, two ensured its use as cooking gas. Three out of the four training programmes on urea treatment resulted in increase of animal milk. Nearly 90% of the trainings on mother and child care ensured care in health problems of pregnant women and children, and safe delivery. Four out of the eight training programmes on incense stick and three out of the seven trainings on dona plate making bore no result, as they were not used due to lack of fund. All the three training programmes on agriculture had a positive impact, with the villagers doing farming technically and growing better crop, as well as having the provision of using fertilizer. Total 26 training programmes have resulted in augmentation of income of the rural people.

Mother and child health

Health of a mother and her child has a lot to do with the way the baby is delivered. When all attempts are being made to institutionalize child deliveries, it is seen that in 97% of the villages in Dhamtari, home delivery prevails. However, incidence of death of pregnant woman during delivery has greatly reduced, with only one village – Chhalakni – reporting of such a case. Incidence of death of child during delivery after 7 days or after 6 months is also very few, with only villages like Kalarbahra, Baligaon, Chhalakni, Govindpur, Koliari, Kauhabahra, Daud, Thenhi and Jabara reporting of such mishaps. In fact, Karraghati even recorded three incidences of death of child during delivery after 7 days. It is because the dais are trained, that the mortality rate of pregnant woman and child has decreased. As far as institutional deliveries are concerned, in 21 villages there has been no increase in the number of institutional deliveries, but rather they were carried out by trained dais. Only in places like Gahanasiyar, Kotarwahi and Dokal were deliveries done in hospital. Hence, as far as safe deliveries and health of pregnant women and children are concerned, the situation has still to improve in this district.

Communicable diseases

It was seen that malaria is the most contagious disease in the region, with several people falling victim to it in 90% of the villages. Only villages such as Bandha and Gahanasiyar (in both the years), Mulgaon (in 2002-03) and Jabara (in 2004-05) did not record any instance of having a malaria patient.  Other diseases such as Leprosy, Gastro-enteric disease, Sickle cell anaemia and Skin disease are very few in number. Only Aamgaon had 20 skin disease patients and Govindpur had 52 anaemic patients. Since the number of patients are few, it can be said that the villagers are quite immune to these diseases. In Dhamtari, Malaria being a major disease, its prevention needs to be ensured at the earliest.  Considering the number of patients, it can be said that the villagers are quite vulnerable to these diseases, and they are not well immunized and its prevention needs to be ensured at the earliest.

Food habits

Food being one of the basic requirements of human beings, becomes an essential factor to focus upon and should be considered as a major objective in a project for improving the socio-economic conditions of the rural people. Regarding the food habits of the people in the villages of Dhamtari, it was seen that in more than 60% of the villages the people had rice, fish, dal and vegetable for meals. Of these, in all other villages except Palwadi, the people had  meals thrice daily. These are good and positive indicators of improvement in the socio-economic conditions of the rural people. Only in Dokal in 2004-05 and in Matiabahra in 2002-03, the people had nothing but rice.  Nearly 90% of the villages use firewood to cook their food. This use of timber, incidentally, indicates the advantage of having forests, and reinstates the necessity of conserving them.

Improvement of living standards

Purchase of assets in the study period indicates the improvement in the financial conditions and status of the households in the villages. 47 out of the 60 villages had families who had purchased assets like television set, motorcycle, bicycle, tractor or radio. Significantly, in 85% cases there was increase in expenditure for health and education. In villages such as Bendrachua, Kumhadakot, Arodh, Dhanora, Bodra, Patelguda, Baligaon and Koliari, there was improvement in the standards of living, with six households becoming APL from BPL and 13 becoming developed farmer from being an ordinary farmer. In Bendrachua, Mr. Prahlad Kumar Sahu, who used to do manual work only, is presently a teacher in a Vidyalaya. Mr. Jwala Singh of Kumhadakot, who was previously a farmer, is now a government employee. All these illustrates that  the implementation of the project has brought job opportunities for the villagers and this has simultaneously ensured better living conditions for many.