Tikamgarh District

The cracks on the parched land of Bundelkhand are waiting for the monsoon to quench the thirst of its arid landscape. Despite the wide-spread drought here, Pipara, one of the villages in the region, stands apart as the only one that has not run completely dry. 

A little less than 40 km away from the district headquarters of Tikamgarh in northern Madhya Pradesh lies a watershed, which is an area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place (US Environmental Protection Agency).

For details on this yatra, please click here.

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The draft agenda and the background note for the same are attached below.

A company is establishing a thermal Power project in the Niwari Block of Tikam Garh. It is one of the poorest and most backward districts of the country. Another agency has been engaged to the job of mediation and preparing the local farmers. Through their communication skills they are convincing the local population to sell their land. The plant will change the overall picture of the area. Not all promises will be fulfilled. They tell that if you give your land, you will get a free world class hospital, and the best education for your children.

It will need about 1500 to 1700 acres of land in Niwari Block of Tikam Garh about 35 km from Jhansi. Land acquisition has started and should be completed in one to two years time. Farmers are being told to cooperate, or their land will be taken by force. SDM Shri RK Gohat is telling the local people that an MOU has been signed between the company and the state government, and that the district administration has nothing to do with this.

Farmers are free to sell and negotiate. The Government has not decided any rate. These are small farmers. Their number will be around 1500. Some even have half a bigha land. Two hundred acres of land has already purchased. It is good agriculture land close to Pareechhka Dam in Jhansi, UP. There is already a power station at the dam. Jhansi is in UP and Tikam Garh is in MP. Distribution of power is yet not known. Orcha, famous tourist place is in Niwari Block.

 The area suffers from water scarcity, natural resource degradation, low crop productivity (1–1.5 t/ha), low rainwater use efficiency (35–45  per cent), high erosion, poor soil fertility, frequent droughts, poor irrigation facilities, heavy biotic pressure on forests, inadequate vegetation cover and frequent crop failure resulting in scarcity of food, fodder and fuel. The region has serious limitations of ground and surface-water availability and heavily depends upon perched water for drinking as well as irrigation.

Venue: TARAgram, Orchha Tigela, Orchha Dist. Tikamgarh – 472 246 (MP) (11 kms from Jhansi Railway station)

Description:

Development Alternatives (DA) is a research organization and it has a focus on innovation and policy outreach. DA is engaged in a research study sponsored by India Water Partnership (IWP) - “Knowledge Dialogue on Integrated Domestic Water Management-Preparation of Compendium and Status paper”. The overall objective of this study is to influence National Water Policy which governs the management of water resources in India with a view to incorporate aspects of Integrated Domestic Water Management (IDWM) in the semi arid and arid regions of India.

This report on the state of the environment in Tikamgarh district, prepared by Development Alternatives, provides a summary of the environmental attributes and condition of the district and the human impacts on the environment. It also provides a public record of district authority, industry and community activities and achievements in responding to pressures on the environment. The purpose of this report is to bring out an overview of the environmental scenario of the district to serve as a baseline document and assist in logical and information based decision making.

Some of the main findings of the status report on water resources in Tikamgarh and Jhansi districts by Development Alternatives are –

Monitoring Evaluation And Learning (MEAL) (15th, 16th & 17th January 2008) As part of the Capacity Building Series (2007- 08) Development Alternatives is conducting the Monitoring Evaluation And Learning (MEAL) workshop on June 05-07, 2008. The three day program to be held in TARAgram, Appropriate Technology Centre, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh. The training is expected to equip senior and middle manages of the project with the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them to develop their own monitoring, evaluation and learning systems. Complete information regarding the subjects covered, detailed plans, application format can be and much more here: