Access to resources for Sustainable Development. An Experience of TARUN BHARAT SANGH Rajasthan, India

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2 Access to resources for Sustainable Development An Experience of TARUN BHARAT SANGH Rajasthan, India

3 Introduction of TBS Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) is an NGO working in Rajasthan, since the state of TBS seeks to bring dignity and prosperity to the life of destitute section of rural India through sustainable development measures. AsTBSsituatedinsemiaridregionofRajasthan,the water and forest conservation becomes the first step of development. From this activity all other progressive activities flow. 3

4 Project area of TBS 1000 villages of 18 districts of Rajasthan state of India The major part of TBS s work is concentrated in 600 villages of district Alwar of Rajasthan. 4

5 Characteristics of district Alwar Rajasthan, well known for its recurring droughts, belongs to an arid (60%) and semi arid (40%) region. The average rainfall when the monsoon is kind is around 600 mm. Ninety percent of the rainfall occurs during the monsoon months (July to September). Demographically, the area has two major communities: the Meenas (Scheduled Tribes), making 60% of the population and are primarily subsistence farmers in the plains area, and the Gujjars (Other Backword Class) comprising 25% of the population who live in the hill areas and are engaged in animal husbandry. 5

6 Livelihood pattern 6

7 Panoramic view of the topography of the area 7

8 1985 Degraded and barren land in the catchment areas of Arvari river & extended drought had forced people to migrate out of their villages.

9 Problems in the area Recurring drought Scarcity of water resources Scarcity of food Scarcity of fodder Scarcity of water for livestock Erosion & Silting during rainfall 9

10 Consequences Women spending around 4 8 hrs to fetch water Malnutrition & Sickness Low agriculture production in dearth of water for irrigation Distress Migration of youths from villages to cities in search of employment Girl child doesn t able to go to school as they have to do household chores in absence of their mothers Increase in cattle's death 10

11 What TBS is doing TBS has been building Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) structures and conserving the forests with the participation of the community using traditional knowledge system. Till now, around 10, 000 structures have been built in the area. In 40% of structures, TBS has provided the financial and technical support to the community. In rest of 60% structures, TBS has provided only mobilization and technical support to the community. 11

12 Benefits of RWH DIRECT BENEFITS: PROVIDES WATER FOR DRINKING & IRRIGATION INCREASE AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION CONTROLS EROSION & SILTING OTHER DOMESTIC PURPOSE INDIRECT BENEFITS: INCREASED BIOMASS PRODUCTIVITY/ FODDER AVAILABILITY GIVING WOMEN MORE TIME FOR CHILD CARE ENCOURAGED MICRO ENTREPRENEURSHIP MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS BETTER IMPACT ON HEALTH AND HYGIENE DUE TO INCREASED WATER AVAILABILITY 12

13 Modus Operandi of TBS AWARENESS IN THE COMMUNITY Awareness of various aspects of water management Respect for culture, traditions and historical practices Will to work together for community s common interest WORKING STRATEGY Constitution of Village Councils Monthly meetings of all grown ups Maximum possible use of traditional technology with advice from engineers if needed All decisions including technical (site decision, materials, design etc.) by Village Councils All decisions by consensus, and not majority Role of women in helping reach consensus Min. 30% of total cost contribution by community rest from support agencies thru TBS OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Total responsibility assumed by the community WATER ABSTRACTION AND USE MANAGEMENT Formation River based organizations Responsible for planning & enforcing sustainable use of water, particularly in agriculture 13

14 Catchment area RWH structure RWH structures built by TBS in Alwar district of Rajasthan 14

15 Types of RWH structures ANICUTS are built on common land and dam the main reach of the rivulets. They are generally made of cement and stone or concrete. These structures have a very large impact on local groundwater tables. BANDHS are similar to anicuts. They are made up of concrete in the middle, but the outer edges are of earth, and some are entirely made of earth. The main purpose of a bandh is recharge. JOHADS are small earthen dams shaped like a crescent moon. The main purposes of johads are for livestock drinking and bathing water. TALABS are deep hole or pond like structures that has high raised edges on 3 sides made of earth. Monsoon water is collected in the talabs for village use and livestock drinking. MEDHBANDHIS are constructed in cultivated fields. The lower sides of the fields are raised to retain runoff to increase soil moisture content and retaining moisture for agriculture. TANKAS are underground structure for collecting rain water for human drinking purpose. 15

16 Agricultural farms near a Rainwater harvesting structure : ANICUT 16

17 A Rainwater harvesting structure : MEDHBANDHI 17

18 A Rainwater harvesting structure : JOHAD 18

19 A Rainwater harvesting structure : PAGARA 19

20 Woman fetching water from a Rainwater harvesting structure : TANKA 20

21 An analysis of costs of the various structures built by TBS 20% 10% less than USD 1000 between USD 1000 to USD % more than USD 2500 USD 1 = INR 45 21

22 Expenditure on RWH 22

23 WATER to quench thirst 23

24 Impact on recharge of groundwater in TBS project area Item Before 1990 After 1995 Change Rainfall 100% 100% Nil Natural Recharge 15% 15% Nil Artificial Recharge nil 15% + 15% Evaporation and evapotranspiration from bare soil and plants Runoff (monsoon period) Runoff (non-monsoon period) 50% 60% + 10% 35% 10% -25% nil 20% +20% There is a reduction in monsoon runoff by 25% due to water being arrested in the large number of RWH built with TBS assistance. This leads to greater recharge of ground water. Previously only 15% water was being recharged naturally. Now an additional 15% is recharged artificially. The total ground water recharged increases from previous 15% to present 30%. Reference: A study on TBS s works undertook by Dr. R N Athavale, Emeritus 24 Scientist, National Geophysical Research Insitute, Hyderabad.

25 River Goes Dry: River is flowing: Increased Groundwater Recharge Excess withdrawal of Groundwater Less Groundwater Extraction

26 Relation between RWH and ground water table in TBS project area Spearman s Rank Order Coefficient of Correlation (R) between the storage capacity created (due to RWH) in m 3 /hectare and the rise in ground water table is 77%. The correlation might have been even higher, if it was not for the differences of geology, terrain, and water abstraction rates which do vary from village to village. For all practical purposes, the high value of R shows that the groundwater table rise is a direct impact of the water conservation efforts taken by TBS. Reference: A study on TBS s works in 36 villages undertook by Dr. GD Agarwal, 26 Emeritus Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

27 WATER for drinking CASE STUDY Village Buja No. Total depth of well (in feet) 1988 Water level before TBS intervention (in feet) Water After 1994 (in feet) Change 1 81 Dry completely Dry completely Dry completely Dry completely The water from wells is used for drinking purpose. Increase in water level of wells ensures the reliable availability of water for inhabitants (even in drought years). Increase in water level reduces the drudgery of women in fetching water. Rejuvenation of dried wells increase the no. of water resources in the area. Reference: A study on TBS s works undertook by Mr. Ranjan Samant Ray, 27 currently working with World Bank, India.

28 WATER for drinking CASE STUDY Village Binak Name of Village Main Occupation Water Harvesting Structure Binak, Alwar Animal Husbandry & Agriculture Drinking Water IMPACTS There was only one well earlier catering to the village which used to get dry soon after rains. After rain water harvesting, water table has risen by 5 feet. Drinking water is available in well for 10 months for animals and humanpopulationortillwaterremainsin johad. Johad 3 Anicut 1 Med Bandhi 3 Soil Erosion Agriculture Since the construction of Med Bandhis, the soil erosion has stopped. Rather fresh soil is accumulated and soil moisture content has increased resulting in new crop Earlier there used to be only rain fed crops. Now second crops are taken in some areas due to increased soil moisture content. Environment/ Migration No. of trees in the village are gradually increasing. Before the construction of water harvesting structure the villagers used to migrate after 4 months of rain. Now they have work almost round the year and drinking water as well as fodder for the cattle and hence stopped migrating in search of jobs. Reference: A study on TBS s works in 40 villages undertook by Dr. K.N Joshi, Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur 28

29 Increased water level in a well 29

30 WATER for food 30

31 Impact on irrigation Area Irrigated (hectare) PARTICULARS Area irrigated 1995 Area irrigated 2000 Change Project Villages Control Villages The impact of RWH done by the help of TBS is dramatic. The increase in irrigated area in a TBS intervention villages is 108 hectares against mere 0.25 hectare in control villages. More Irrigated Land = More Crop = More Production Reference: A study on TBS s works in 54 villages undertook by Mr. Bharat 31 Jhunjhunwala, an eminent economist of India.

32 Decrease in wasteland Wasteland category Area in 1993 (ha) No. of RWH structures Area in 2001 (ha) Net change in area (ha) % change in area Barren land Degraded forest Land with or without scrub Ravinous land Salt affected land Total A study of remote sensing data of the Ruparel basin for 1993 and 2001 reports a positive impact on land use. This links a 23% reduction in the extent of wasteland to the construction of water harvesting structures in the area. Reference: A study on TBS s works in 40 villages undertook by Dr. K.N Joshi, Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur 32

33 Decrease in wasteland Micro-watershed No. Area under wasteland 1993 (ha) No. of RWH structures Area under wasteland 2001 (ha) 2C 5D 2A NIL 2C 5D 3A NIL 2C 5D 3B C 5D 3C 80 NIL 559 2C 5D 3J - NIL 666 It is clear from table, the wasteland has been decreased in the area where rain water harvesting has been done while the wasteland has increased where NO water harvesting has been done. Reference: A study on TBS s works in 40 villages undertook by Dr. K.N Joshi, Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur 33

34 Waste land in Ruparel River Basin Micro watershed: 2C 5D 3a In 1993 Total wasteland: ha Reference: A study on TBS s works in 40 villages undertook by Dr. K.N.Joshi, Inst. of Development Studies, Jaipur 34

35 Water Resource in Ruparel River Basin Micro watershed: 2C5D3a After RWH structures have been built by TBS in the microwatershed: 2C5D3a RWH marked in the Picture. Reference: A study on TBS s works in 40 villages undertook by Dr. K.N.Joshi, Inst. of Development Studies, Jaipur 35

36 Land Use in Ruparel River Basin Micro watershed: 2C 5D 3a In 2001 Total wasteland: Nil Most part of the land has been converted into agricultural land or seen as fallow land Reference: A study on TBS s works in 40 villages undertook by Dr. K.N.Joshi, Inst. of Development Studies, Jaipur. 36

37 People s Perception on benefits of RWH 72% of the people testifies a rise in water table 62% said that incomes have gone up 57% said that the area under irrigation has increased 50% perceive an increase in cultivated area, crop production, grass productivity, the number of trees in the vicinity of structures 27% perceive increase in milk yield Reference: A study on TBS s works in 40 villages undertook by Dr. K.N Joshi, Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur 37

38 WATER for prosperity CASE STUDY Village Nimbi INDICATOR BEFORE TBS s intervention BEFORE 1998 AFTER TBS s intervention AFTER 2001 Wheat production 5 quintal/beegha 8 quintal/beegha Income by wheat prod. Rs 9,00,000/- Rs 14,40,000/- Maize production 3 quintal/beegha 5 quintal/beegha Income by maize prod. Rs 4,80,000/- Rs 8,00,000/- Income by Milk Production Rs 21,60,000/- Rs 14,40,000/- Income by flower production nill Rs 3,96,000/- Rent of land per year Rs 3000/- Rs 12,000/- Total income of village of village per year Rs 22,40,000/- Rs 59,96,000/- Population of village Per capita income per year Rs 2800/- Rs 7495/- Due to the increased level of farming and related activities, employment generation has taken place. Laborers from other parts of the country are now hired to work in the fields. This case study is mirror of the sustainable economic prosperity of many other hundreds of villages, in which TBS had built RWH structures with the active participation of local community, like wise ;Nimbi. Reference: A study on TBS s works done by students of Indian Institute of Rural 38 Managament, Anand in 2002.

39 Cultivation of flowers in village Nimbi 39

40 Cultivation of vegetables in village Nimbi 40

41 Enough water for irrigation from wells 41

42 SMALL INPUTS : GREAT RETURNS Increasing investment on small water conservation works brings increasing economic returns. An investment of Rs.100 per capita on Johad raises the economic production in the village by as much as Rs.400 per capita per annum.

43 WATER for nature 43

44 Antelope drinking water from a RWH structure built by TBS in Sariska National Park44

45 Dark Zone to FLOW The impact of 25 years of tireless effort has turned the Thanagazi block of Alwar from dark zone to white zone. River based RWH has led to the rejuvenation of dried seasonal rivulets in the area. Now, these rivulets flow for almost 9 to 12 months of the year. 45

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47 Catchment Area of Rivulet Bhagani Tildeh Catchment area: 208 sq. km Total length of Rivulet: 49 km Total RWH structures made by TBS in the catchment:

48 Catchment Area of Rivulet Sarsa Catchment area: sq. km Total length of Rivulet: km Total RWH structures made by TBS in the catchment:

49 Catchment Area of Rivulet Sarsa Catchment area: 89sq. km Total length of Rivulet: 20 km Total RWH structures made by TBS in the catchment:

50 Concept of flowing After RWH structures were built by TBS, there is an additional recharge of groundwater to the tune of 20 per cent. Though the base flow to the stream or river remained the same, there is an additional seepage (effluent seepage) of 17 per cent of rainfall to the river in non monsoon months. Seasonal run off has come down from 35 per cent of the rainwater to only 10 per cent. There has been an increase in soil moisture: an additional 5 per cent of the rainwater is retained in the soil. About 22 per cent of the run off (excluding the 10 per cent seasonal run off during the monsoon) is better regulated and spread out over the year. This has been crucial in reviving the dried rivulets. If this run off had not been regulated, the river would not flow throughout the year. This shows how fragile the ecosystem is Reference: A study on TBS s works undertook by Dr. R N Athavale, Emeritus Scientist, National Geophysical Research Insitute, Hyderabad.

51 Water Management After conservation, the main issue surfaces up is the management of water. To encounter this, TBS has made community based river basin organization which works on the demand side water management. TWO MAIN POLICIES ARE: Compensatory Agricultural Crop Pattern: Under this system, a farmer can devote 25% of his land under water intensive crop but the rest of landholding should be under less water intensive crops. Another triumphant policy is to prevent the sale of agricultural land to industries or big private companies interested in water based enterprises suchasbrewery, soft drinks, mineral water etc. 51

52 Adaptation to climate change The climate change is affecting various aspects of the human lives and ecology. Water resources is among the most vulnerable sectors to be affected by the climate change. Change in rain fall pattern is believed to exacerbate the scenario. The TBS experiences reveal that promotion of traditional water harvesting structures through appropriate institutional mechanisms and financial arrangements would be the best intervention or adaptive mechanism to reduce the adverse impact of climate change on groundwater resources as well as farm economy based livelihood. 52

53 Reasons for Success Traditional and simple water harvesting structures have been built requiring little capacity building of village people. Community has been involved in every stage of decision making. TBS has ensured involvement of all sections of the population. The dedicated local workers of TBS has ensured that the problems at community level get sorted amicably. Quick & visual demonstration effect of TBS' work in terms of availability of water for drinking and agriculture. Financial operations of TBS have been very transparent and clean. In comparison with structures built under Government programmes, TBS has built better quality structures at a significantly lower cost in much lesser time. 53

54 Future Way of Tarun Bharat Sangh Key Issues to be addressed Governance: Good water governance requires effective and accountable socio political and administrative systems adopting an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach with transparent and participatory processes that address ecological and human needs. Capacity Building: The need for capacity building, education and access to information for enhanced effectiveness in water management is unquestioned. These critical elements of the water development process are often treated as an add on to programs, with scant regard to local capacity building institutions, gender mainstreaming, cultural diversity and traditional knowledge or to long term commitment. Participation: Now it has been realized that water is a multi stakeholder issue. There is a need for a closer examination of participation based on race, ethnicity, economic status, age, and religion to ensure inclusiveness. 54

55 Cont Recommended actions for future 1. Institutionalize policy advocacy Facilitate thinking outside the "water box" to mitigate Climate Change Impacts Creating National Awareness and political support for water conservation Review and revise national laws and policies to reflect the principles of the right to water and sanitation 2. Strengthen water governance Strengthen Local Action to Improve Water Governance 3. River basin management through IWRM approach Promote IWRM approach to address adaptation to climate change. Scale up the rainwater harvesting systems. Increase the number of river and lake basin and groundwater organizations, their strength and capacity. Build on existing local knowledge. Integrate social and ecological sustainability. 55

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