Nivedita Menon

Hailing from Mawtangor village in Meghalaya’s Mawsynram block, Larishisha Pdahsiej has always been keen on supporting her community and being an active participant in the village’s development.

In 2018, when the communities of Ghatanji Block in Yavatmal attended a workshop about the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, the information accessed brought about a shift in their perspective, where they felt empowered to reclaim common resources that rightfully belonged to them.

Maharastra’s Yavatmal district in the Vidarbha region is home to several tribal communities. Largely rainfed, monocrops like cotton, soybean, wheat, and turmeric, among others, are grown in a majority of the region. However, reduced rainfall, water shortage and soil infertility plague the region, causing crop failures and resulting in severe agrarian distress. 

The village of Urdali is a predominantly rain-fed area, belonging to the Deelwara Gram Panchayat, in Bichhiya Block, Mandla District, Madhya Pradesh.

For over 1,200 livestock of Cheemanahalli, located in the Abludu Gram Panchayat of Sidlaghatta Block, Chikkaballapur District, the village’s cattle pond is the only source of drinking water. The area is predominantly rain-fed and the village experiences water scarcity due to low rainfall and excess groundwater extraction.