Towards Sustainable Future- ::::V I K S A T::::

From mid-eighties, development of dry land agriculture on watershed basis has been a national strategy for sustained productivity and rational utilization of natural resources. The total resource can be properly developed only by adopting watershed approach. In terms of resource development, it covers development and management of resources like soil, water, vegetation and all associated components. It essentially relates to soil and water conservation in the watershed which includes proper land use, protection of land against all forms of degradation, building and maintaining soil fertility, water conservation and harvesting, proper management of surface and ground water, flood protection, sediment reduction, increasing productivity from land uses etc.

Watershed development is an important approach to improve the social and economic conditions of people living in resource poor, rainfed areas, covering approximately two-thirds of the country’s agricultural land. In addition to achieving biophysical objectives, contemporary watershed aims to promote the rural livelihoods of people, especially the poor and disadvantaged.

Total geographical area of 7 Villages	4090.8 Hectares
Watershed Area	1705 Hectares
Total Households in Watershed Area	1099
Total Population in Watershed Area	6765
Total Households of 7 Villages	2008
Total Population of 7 Villages	12363

VIKSAT initiated watershed based interventions in Sembaliya and Dantiya tribal dominated villages in Khedbrahma taluka of Sabarkantha district since February 2005. The patient and consistent efforts resulted in successful ‘Four Days Mandatory Shramdaan’ by the community only in December 2005.

By March 2006, Watershed Development Committee, a people’s institution, comprising of village representatives as per NABARD guidelines was formed to implement the watershed project under VIKSAT guidance and support. This lead to approval of ‘Capacity Building Phase (CBP)’ by NABARD under Watershed Development Fund (WDF) covering 99.17 Hectares of land in April 2006. The watershed project measures such as construction of Earthen bunds, Stone outlets, Stone bunds, Stone gully plugs and tree plantation were carried out during the year 2006 with the release of first installment of grant by NABARD in June 2006.

In September 2007, an application was made to WDF, NABARD to issue an approval to conduct feasibility survey of the entire watershed area of 1705 Hectares of land for the purpose of Full Implementation Phase (FIP). NABARD sanctioned the grant of Rs. 1,76,231/- for FSR by the first week of March 2008.

VIKSAT has completed the survey and submitted FSR in the second week of December2008. The total proposed cost of the project, as per FSR, is Rs. 16,616,773/- and the project period is 4 years.

However, considering the time the sanction of FIP may take, it was decided to submit a proposal for Interim Phase for 89.59 Hectares in Ambasar and Umbarva villages of the project area with a total project cost of Rs. 14,69,508 with a dual purpose. One was to maintain the continuity of the project so that momentum achieved during the implementation of CBP is maintained. But, another important aspect was to provide work and livelihood options to the people as the entire project area witnessed much lower rainfall (Only 389 mm as measured at VIKSAT Field Office, Kheroj) during the last monsoon and the prevailing drought like conditions. Further, the implementation of project measures before next monsoon could be extremely useful in soil and water conservation in these two villages that may lead to improved water availability for irrigation during the next year.

“The effort taken by your staff in implementation of the watershed programme is commendable”. (Letter Ref No. NB.RO.GUJ/12687/WDF/WSDC-54/2008-09 dated 25 February 2009)

Total Village Area of 7 Villages	1956.7 Hectares
Watershed Area	990 Hectares
Total Households in Watershed Area	652
Total Population in Watershed Area	4564
Total Households of 7 Villages	1285
Total Population of 7 Villages	8313

VIKSAT also initiated watershed based interventions in Navamota and surrounding other six tribal dominated villages, namely Mahudi, Umbora, Bubadiya na Chhapra, Tebda and Tebdi having total geographical area of 1956.7 Ha in Khedbrahma taluka of Sabarkantha district by submitting watershed information sheet in January 2007 to Indo German Watershed Development Programme (IGWDP) - NABARD. After receiving positive reply from IGWDP, VIKSAT submitted final proposal for watershed development in the month of July 2007. The total watershed area is 990.58 Hectares.

The project is being implemented by ‘Navamota Juth Jalstrav Vistar Vikas Mandal’ a community organization formed with the facilitation and management by VIKSAT for the purpose of implementation of Watershed Programme.

IGWDP sanctioned Pre-Capacity Building Phase (Pre-CBP) in December 2007. Shramdaan was completed in February 2008 and CBP proposal was submitted in the first week of July, 2008 which was sanctioned in September 2008 and 1^st installment was received in November 2008. To make people aware of watershed project in their area and to seek their active and meaningful participation in the programme, CBP launching ceremony was arranged. The ceremony was chaired by Taluka Development Officer Shri S.M. Patel. The other dignitaries who attended and addressed the gathering were PMU – IGWDP, Dahod in Charge Dr. D.V. Deshpande, NABARD DDM-Himmatnagar Shri Sharad Ahire, Shri Khurshid Alam, Consultant-IGWDP, Shri Dhimon – Lead Bank Manager – Dena Bank, Dr. H.B.Patel, APO from Integrated Tribal Development Project Office and Shri S.M.Ninama – RFO Extension Range. Navamota Primary School Principal Shri Bachubhai Parmar also attended the ceremony along with members of VWC members and nearly 500 villagers from the project area villages. It is interesting to note that half of the gathering was women from the project area.

Then after, a Gramsabha was organized on 4^th December 2008 at the village ‘Bubadiya na Chhapra’ inviting the villagers of CBP area villages namely Kheroj, Bubadiya na Chhapra, Navamota and Umbora to inform and explain the community about IGWDP supported watershed programme and its advantages.

The series of programme helped to create very good understanding of the watershed programme which helped to give momentum to the implementation of CBP. The village community of Umbora village speedily implemented their part of programme by constructing farm bund, stone bund, gully plug, stone outlet etc and they even received the payments also for the same as per NABARD norms.

To motivate the farmers of other three villages to implement watershed works, under CBP, in their farms as fast as possible, an exposure cum training programme at Umbora village was organized on 11^th February 2009 in which 42 male and 9 women participated.

The participants saw the works carried out by Umbora farmers in their fields and discussed their experience which helped to achieve the purpose of the programme.

At the end of the programme, participants seemed to be fully satisfied as they gave whole-hearted assurance to complete their field work as early as possible and without any delay for any reasons.

Though, 1^st installment for CBP implementation was released in the last week of October 2008, the project implementation in the fields could be started only in the month of February 2009 as fields were having standing crops. But, once the fields were open, the implementation work started with great zeal among the villagers for two reasons. One of them being lack of irrigation facility for Rabi crop due to scanty rainfall, only 389 mm as measured at VIKSAT Kheroj office, far less than normal annual rainfall, leaving people without any agriculture farm activities. In such circumstances, the best option for the people was to work on development of watershed structures in their fields and earn labour wages out of it. Second reason was trust and faith developed among VIKSAT staff and villagers due to rapport developed as a consequence of series of programme conducted by VIKSAT in the project area such as Pre-CBP activities, Cattle Camp and Human medical check-up and treatment camp, CBP launching ceremony and exposure visit to other areas where watershed programme has been implemented and people have been grossly benefited.

This all helped in the speedy implementation of CBP. By 20^th March, 2009 more than 60% grant fund was utilized, meeting the condition to claim the next installment.