Transforming Livelihoods: A Case Study of Jan Jagriti Gram Vikas Samiti (VDC) in Ond

Village

Introduction:

Ond village lies nearby Chambal River and thus, categorized under Ravine’s area in the
Mandrayal block of Karauli district. It has 246 Households with 1275 population with 56%
community belongs to SC & ST. Rest, are from general category of the caste. Out of total
geographical area of 1224.9 Ha of land, 53% are in forest and agriculture is limited to 20% net
sown area. Due to ravines, the village geographical areas have high soil dunes and also high
runoff of rainwater lead to soil erosion intensively in agriculture fields. The slope percentage was
higher in the field, causing water to flow out of the field along with soil, ultimately leading to
low crop production. There was a lack of unity among the people, and they rarely assembled
together in the community. Their income was limited due to the low crop production. They were
using a higher amount of chemical fertilizer, at least 1 packet of 45 kg of Urea per bigha for each
crop. There was a lack of awareness about government schemes, and local institutions, such as
the school, were not functioning properly. The scarcity of water in the village is due to the lack
of a pond or talai. Additionally, the groundwater level is lower. Illegally cutting down trees and
selling them in large numbers with the help of a camel cart.

Intervention & Activities:

To address these challenges, with the help of the co-funding project in the village, SRIJAN
promoted a village-level committee known as the Village Development Committee. One such
committee was formed in Ond Village under the name “Jan Jagriti Gram Vikas Samiti Ond,
consisting of 98 members. Each member contributed 100 rupees as registration fees, which were
collected and submitted to the bank (Village Development Fund). Through this committee, all
kinds of work of the project have been initiated with the approval of the committee. The
following interventions have been undertaken with the help of the VDC in Ond Village, which
are:

 Climate-Smart Agriculture: Establishment of a Bio Resource Centre and promotion of

climate-resilient farming practices.
  Bio Resource Centre: Setting up the Bio Resource Centre and providing training for
making organic fertilizers such as Ghanjeevamrit, Beejamrit, Nimastra, Jivamrit, etc.
 Capacity Building: Capacity building of VDC farmers through regular training and
exposure visits.
 Promotion of Organic Farm Inputs: Promoting the use of organic farm inputs through
the construction of compost pits and encouraging the use of organic manure.
 Natural Resource Management: Implementation of farm bunds to prevent soil erosion
on the farms.
 Crop Diversification: Promoting horticulture with Guava plantation and vegetable
cultivation such as Loki, Brinjal, Chilly, Tinda etc.

Impact and Result:

With the help of the Jan Jagriti Gram Vikas Samiti in the Ond village, several beneficial
activities were carried out, directly benefiting committee members and others indirectly.
Following work has been done through VDC in the village:

1. Solar Irrigation Pump Installation: 1 Solar panel has been installed benefitted 5
farmers to irrigate their fields using renewable energy.
2. Micro Irrigation Technology: 2 farmers received pipes and sprinklers for efficient
irrigation.
3. Field Fund: 55 farmers benefitted from field bund, each covering an average area of 5
hectares. Total area treated is 233.88 Hectares through soil & moisture conservation.
4. Horticulture: 5 Guava Orchard has been established benefitting 5 farmers.
5. Vegetable Cultivation: 11 farmers started growing vegetables like Tomatoes, Chillies,
Loki, and Tinda.
6. Input Support: 91 farmers received various inputs like fertilizers, seeds, and beneficial
microorganisms for both the Kharif and Rabi seasons.
7. Kitchen Gardens: Fifty farmers adopted kitchen gardens to grow their own vegetables at
home.

The intervention has led to significant positive outcomes:

 The field fund initiative expanded farming areas and made sloped land suitable for
cultivation. This resulted increase in production of bajra with yield varied from 300 to
450 kg in the Kharif season and mustard production from 350 to 500 kg in the Rabi
season.
 Farmers equipped with solar panels and irrigation systems are now able to grow crops in
the Rabi season. This has significantly boosted their income, as they earned
approximately 50,000 rupees from selling mustard on their 4 bighas of land.
 The Guava Orchard, after three years of care and growth, is now ready to yield fruits,
providing an additional source of income for the 5 Farmers. It has helped farmers to earn
up to 20000 INR additionally from the farms.
 Farmers have become more aware of agricultural department schemes and the benefits of
adopting organic farming practices.
 The reduced use of urea, from 45 kg per bigha to just 15 kg, has not only decreased input
costs but also contributed to sustainable farming practices.
 The sense of community has grown stronger among the village farmers who now gather
monthly, taking greater responsibility for their work and society. This led to the
formation of a School Management Committee to oversee school activities.
 In addition to these agricultural advancements, members of the community have
contributed funds Rs 41,684 for the construction of a 1,500-meter-long village gravel
road, improving local infrastructure. The village road was constructed through filling the
gravel.
 Village Development Committee (VDC) members have taken various initiatives at the
local level, including organizing cleanliness drives, assisting with official documentation
such as caste certificate, resident certificate etc, distributing Corona Kits during the
pandemic, and encouraging vaccination.
 Farmers are increasingly aware of the health benefits of organic farming and are making
efforts to cultivate at least one bigha of land using organic methods to avoid chemical
inputs and promote their health.
Quote 1: “Aaj toh humara free mai kaam ho raha hai… aaj na toh urea le rahe hai… beej bhi
ghar ka hi use karte…ghar ka khanee ke liye desi use karte…aap dekh hi rahe honge yeah
chotee bache hai har kisi ke bache bimar hote hail lakin apan kai bache swasth hai sabse badi
jeez yeah hai dekhi hai humne…aur yeah hi income hai yeah ab koi tension nahi hota hai
bacho ko hospital le jana hai. isi liye hamane khane ke liye sabji bhi laga kar rakhi hai…Hum
log desi dawai hi use karte hai agar koi problem hota hai…” - Anita Sharma

“Today, our work is being done for free... today, we are not buying urea... we use our own
seeds... we use home grown food... you must be noticing that our children are healthy, unlike
others who often fall ill. This is the most important thing we have observed... and this is our
income; we no longer worry about taking our children to the hospital. That’s why we have also
started growing vegetables for our food... We use traditional organic medicine if there is any
issue in the crop...” - Anita Sharma

Quote 2: “Solar Panel lagane se badhiya fasal ho jaata hai, lagane se pani ki suvidha ho gayi,
ab badhiya anaj ho jaata hai hamareko … waha pe light nahi thi toh sichayi nahi kar paate the
lakin ab solar laagne se sichayi kar paate hai… paani ke karan sarso aachi huwi us 4 bigha
mai..isse paisa ka labh ho gaya pichle saal usme Rs 50000 Ki sarso bechi…”- Mithlesh

“Installing solar panels has led to better crops, improved access to water, and now we can grow
better grains. Earlier, there was no light, so we couldn’t irrigate the fields, but now, with the
installation of solar panels, we can. Because of the availability of water, the mustard crop in
those 4 Bigha did well... this resulted in a profit of Rs 50,000 from selling mustard last year.”-
Mithlesh