Report on Village Neemi - Calculation of per capita income of the village

Impact of TBS's work on villages in Alwar district

Part A

Introduction:
The aim of this study is to calculate the change in the per capita income of village Nimbi due to the construction of two johads with the help of Tarun Bharat Sangh, and to also assess the impact of this work on the social lives of the villagers.

History
Nimbi, like almost all the villages in the Alwar region, is surrounded by desert-like sandy areas. Nearly 200 years ago, a check dam was constructed by the local ruler. The dam retained the rainwater for drinking and irrigation purposes and also made the village soil fertile.
However, the dam suffered from cracks and finally broke down completely in 1900's, and the water was available only during the rains. The wells dried shortly after the rains and there was rapid deforestation. Farming became solely dependent upon the rains and the villagers started to migrate to nearby cities. Animal husbandry became the only source of stable income.

Role of Tarun Bharat Sangh:

!n 1994, the villagers approached TBS based in Bheekampura, to help them built dams, and repair the existing one. They agreed on the following conditions.

25% of the cost of the dam to be borne by the villagers.

Each villager to donate either money or labour.

Deforestation to be stopped completely and conservation of trees on wildlife had to be taken care by the villagers.
Alcoholism to be immediately stopped.
Dams

After consultation with the village elders, two check dams were built and the old dam was repaired and another structure perpendicular to the earlier dam was built with a total cost of Rs.5,00,000/-

For building these two structures, only soil from the village was used. The dams put a stoppage to a part of the rainwater in the subsequent monsoon. Thus there was surface water available for animals and for irrigation. The village wells got recharged, and the subsurface water level rose so high that now there is no need for irrigation for farming

PART B

Study: Mode of data collection:

Detailed discussions with villagers, especially with Jagdeesh Meena and family.

Assumptions:

Income from animal husbandry is assumed small as compared to other revenue sources and hence not taken in account for calculation
All population is equally productive
Selling rate of flowers etc. are highly volatile. For simplification, normal averages of selling prices are taken.
There was no increase in land covered under food-grain production due to the construction of the dams.
Assumed that there was 50% increase in milk production.
Assumed that land under food-grain doubled due to the johads.
Changes due to Johads:

The price of selling arable land in 1994 was Rs.3000/- per beegha, and in year 2000, it is Rs25,000/- per beegha.
Prior to 1994, no vegetables could be grown. Now, a lot of variieties are grown
Flowers like Hazara and Rose are grown during four months of the year.
Newly available land is given to contractors on lease for farming.
Irrigation is not required for farming.
Price of fodder has increased five times.
Employment generation has taken place due to the increased farming and related activities. Laborers from other parts of the country are now hired to work in the fields.
VILLAGERS JOIN HANDS TO WORK WONDER - Sunny Sebastian, Hindu January 2001

The other wise nondescript village Nimbi on the Jaipur-Delhi Highway is slowly becoming a place of reconnoiter for planners and social activists after the water revolution that has taken place there.

When elsewhere in Rajasthan, the villagers are leaving their places in search of employment, Neembi is witnessing an in-migration. It has now about 500 "outsiders" from as far as west Bengal engaged in various farm related activities.

The local milk collection center, which was once on the verge of closing, now collects 500 liters of milk for sale. Water has tremendously improved the prospects of cattle rearing and it has ensured availability of grass and green fodder through out the year. The milk collection center, run by the Jaipur Dairy Federation has computerised milk testing and enumeration devices. It has also enhanced the villagers income.

People now lease out their farm lands on higher rate b, compared to the earlier times. At present 200 bighas of land in the downstream of the Bheedawala bandh, rebuilt by villagers with the help of TBS is on lease to cultivate vegetables, water melons etc

Neembi's transformation started in 1994-95, when the villagers joined hands with NGO TBS to contribute one-fourth of the Rs 2 Lakh spent on rebuilding Bheedwala bandh, which was built 200 years back by the former rulers.

The dam has given a new direction to the village life, say the educated men of the village. The water has enhanced the value not only of land, but of the cattle and the human beings as well. According to Mr Rajendra Singh of TBS, "the villagers have taken a pledge of abstinence in the presence of a local religious man. '

Noted environmentalist, Mr. Agile agarwal told the correspondents, that any village in Rajasthan could be a Neembi village, once the available water source was protected and conservation measures taken up. The place has also caught the attention of the UN agencies like UNDP as well.

Villagers chip in to check drought

Villagers in the desert state of Rajasthan have built as many as 4500 dams by themselves turning 90 villages drought proof.

This example of "people's power" been set in the drought prone Bheekampura and nearby villages in Alwar district. The dams in 800-900 villages, have been made by funds collected by the villagers and their "shramdaan"

The potency of such water resources management and conservation procedures can be gauged, if one considers that its absence peasants are often forced to migrate to cities in search of sustenance and add to the the vicious cycle of unemployment, frustration and crime.

Mr. Rajendra Singh, the founder of TBS, points out that the Government cannot claim to have made a single construction in Thanagazi area which can irrigate 10-50 bighas. The small dams made by the TBS at a mere cost of Rs.7 Lakh, compared to crores that Govt would spend on concrete dams, with proper maintenance could last for hundreds of year.

TBS have made "Gram sabhas' to look after the maintenance of these dams. Five rivers have been made perennial by these dams. The dams prevent rain water from being washed away, carrying rich soil and also increase water level of the wells.

However the progress has not always been smooth. When the fish population registered an increase, the fisheries Dept gave a fishing contact. The people fought for many days, till the contracts were suspended. Mr. Singh, said, that the role of the NGO in the construction of dams was limited to the extent that they only help to organize and mobilise the people. People do not like interference of organizations like the ECO and UNDP, which provide help. In fact they start working only after the residents approach them because it reflects their preparedness to meet the challenge.

FROM RAMMANDIR TO JAL MANDIR - HINDU FEBRUARY 2001

Adding a religious dimension to this year's drought relief operations in Rajasthan will be a group of sants, who took a pledge at Bheekampura in Alwar district to work for water and forest conservation. For two days, 85 sants from various akharas and ashrams in Rajasthan discussed the reasons for the drought and sought remedies. There were conservation experts from Pune and Delhi, who looked onto the social reasons for the growing disregard for judicious use of water in the country and felt that projection of water as an element of faith could help to conserve it.

The sants who attended the meet accepted it as their religious duty to conserve water."Bin paani nahin sant" was the persuating spirit of the convention, which also had a few Maulanas attending it. They have set out on Padyatra to spread awareness on need to conserve and harness water. During the padyatra, they will not only preach on the need to keep the rivers clean and preserve the forests, but also offer local communities," Shramdaan" for digging ponds and wells.

Convening a "Sant Sammelan" to combat drought was the idea of Mr. Rajendra Singh of TBS. The meeting was presided by Sant Gopal Das and was addressed by noted environmentalist. Mr. Agarwal., who said that," whenever a society made efforts to conserve its natural resources, it has been able to save it self from drought."

Mr. Rajendra Singh announced that TBS would be happy to cooperate with sadhus to create awareness among the public on the need to conserve water.

WOMEN IN RAJASTHAN FIND WATER,AND WITH IT THE FREEDOM - JUNE 18,THE HINDUSTAN TIMES 2001

Some 3,500 women from 11 districts in Rajasthan converged in Alwar District for 3 days, to celebrate their newly-found strength, which has its source, the rarest things found in the state - Water.

The Beekampura meet was a manifestation of a silent revolution going on in the villages of 11 districts for the past 4 years. Sitting in group, applying Henna on each others hands, singing and creating songs on the spot about issues like harvesting water, education, need to save money and most importantly women's unity.

Since the last four years, women of 800 villages have formed a Samuh under an NGO, TBS's guidance, to have a say in the gram sabha's decision regarding construction of Johad and getting their husbands rid of alcoholism. The women are saving money and multiplying it by lending it out on interest. Kajori's Samuh has also contributed financially to the construction of four johads.

Founder of the Sangh, Rajendra Singh said the groups had discussions on topics like how do you view your village 10 years from now etc. There was no time bound agenda, it was up to the women to give the meeting a direction, and they took the meet to its conclusion by reiterating their determination in continuing with the samuh.