Success Stories and Case Studies

The NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) was set up in the mid 1980's for rural development and environmental conservation work. Their work includes water, forest conservation and other social issues hence raising awareness and understanding of the natural world.

To develop a watershed means, conventionally, to treat this whole area in such a way so as to conserve and nurture the natural resources of the area. These natural resources chiefly include the soil and water.

In consultation with the Planning Commission of India, states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were selected for the study. The government-pioneered projects from time to time have changed in approach and strategy. These shifts in the policy decisions are taken on the basis of experiences from existing programmes and to reach out to the last person in the last row.

How does Land Shaping bring a change? 

The low-lying area of the Sundarbans in West Bengal is well-known for frequent floods and cyclones. Water stagnates from June-July and remains muddy upto December making it impossible to grow any crop except the low yielding variety.

In 1991, MYRADA and the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), Philippines, with support from Ford Foundation, initiated a research-cum-action project in partnership with the farmers of Kamasamudram in Kolar district of Karnataka. MYRADA had already been working in these villages for several years and was familiar with the local people.

Nayakateni, a small village of 58 families underwent a process of transformation through the intervention of NYSASDRI. This case study outlines the process by which the community took development into their own hands and were able to design, implement and construct a water harvesting structure.

This document by Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) and Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN) deals with experiences with System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Andhra Pradesh. The innovative system of growing rice SRI, with less water was initiated in the state of Andhra Pradesh drawing lessons from the experiences of the farmers in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and in Indian states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In the state, the progressive farmers, NGOs, Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) and the State Department of Agriculture took active role in promoting this model of rice cultivation. 

The System of Rice Intensification, (Madagascar) method was developed in Madagascar island by the farmers and NGOs under the leadership of a local priest. The concept of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) focuses on managing the soil, water, plants and nutrients in a balanced relationship, enabling maximum growth of rice plants.

In Maragondanaguni micro watershed of Kenganapalya sub watershed, bunding activities were very slow in the beginning. However, an idea was given to the area group members to form a team within the AG and start bunding work.