DEGRADED LAND MANAGEMENT

Gujarat
Land Degradation
Enhancing Livelihood Options
Small and Marginal Farmers through
DEGRADED LAND MANAGEMENT
Empowered lives.
Resilient nations.
VIKSAT
Vikram Sarabhai Centre for Development Interaction

Project Villages: Kubda, Vansda & Nana Kothasana of Mehsana District
Classification of Ravine Land
Land Type Villages Total
Nana Vansada Kubda
Kothasana
Gauchar Land (Ha.) 17.46 12.23 27.00 56.69
Revenue Land (Ha.) 0 0 10.37 10.37
Total 17.46 12.23 37.37 67.06
Project Activities
The project through the women based informal SHGs; Tree Growers Co-operatives undertook a
range of simple, east to implement technologies as Bori Bundhs; gully plugs; stone wiers etc.
These measures were successful as they promoted local communities the labour. This small
initiative created greater trust and effectiveness in the program.
Sr.
No.
Activity
Unit
1. Training, Workshops, 7 Trainings, 1 Exposure and,
Exposure visit & 18 Awareness camps.
Awareness Camp
Area
Covered
Mandays
Created
476
About VIKSAT
VIKSAT is an institution of Nehru Foundation
for Development (NFD), a registered public
charitable trust, founded by the eminent
scientist and the legendry visionary, Dr.
Vikram A. Sarabhai, in the year 1966.
VIKSAT, engaged in promotion of
participatory management of natural
resources, believes that the goal of
sustainability in natural resources
development and management can be
achieved only through decisive participation
of the local communities aided by an
enabling role of the government agencies.
At present, VIKSAT has five field offices in
four districts of Gujarat, namely, Bhiloda
taluka, Sabarkantha district (1985); Satlasana
taluka, Mehsana district (1985); Bhuj,
Kachchh district (2001); Santalpur taluka,
Patan district (2003); and Khedbrahma
taluka, Sabarkantha district (2006). This
project was initiated by VIKSAT with
assistance from Global Environment Facility
(GEF) – United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), Small Grants
Programme (SGP) in 2009.
Name of the Organisation
VIKSAT
Geographical Areas
Nana Kothasana, Kubda &
Vansda villages of Satlasana
Taluka, Mehsana District,
Gujarat State.
No. of Beneficiaries 1627
No. of Female : 750
No. Of Male : 877
SGP Grant ` 1909868
Co-financing
` 11 lacs
Project time period
2009-2012
Project Partners
Local Banks; Gujarat
Agricultural University; Forest
Department and Local
Communities
Project Goal
• Restore Livelihood support systems for poor and marginal farmers in ravine areas with
specific emphasis on poor and women farmer's communities affected by ravine formation.
Project Objectives
•
•
•
Reviving the Ravine Lands and helping village level People's Institutions to manage the
developed ravine land and share the benefits.
Enhancing Knowledge and skills of the people and enhancing ecological balance.
Reducing Desertification and Improving livelihood options.
Project Strategy
The project was implemented with an integrated approach. VIKSAT collaborated with various
departments/agencies like Gram Panchayat, Forest Department and Agriculture University. To
achieve the project goal VIKSAT conducted various Programmes and Trainings of Capacity
Building.
Three Local village level existing institutions in the nature of Tree Grower's Cooperative
societies were strengthened by helping them secure tenure over the land in the form of long
term lease with emphasis on the principle of universal membership and the inclusion of
women and marginalized sections.
2. Trench excavation in 7607 cu.mt. 56.69 Ha 2576
sloppy land
3. Bunding along the 1229.23 cu.mt. 44.46 Ha 442
trenches in the
sloppy lands
4. Earthen bunding 2036.66 cu.mt. (47 bunds) 27 Ha 950
5. Pitching on Earthen 12,550 bags 27 Ha 427
bund
6. Bori Bundh
69 Boribundhs
42616 bags used
56.69 1435
7. Plantation – Grasses 468 Kg 56.69 183
Village
Variety
Dhaman Karad Hamata
Vansda 47 40 10
Kubda 91 65 10
Nana 100 75 30
Kothasana
Total 238 180 50
8. Plantation – Trees 35415 plants and 100 kg
Jhetropha seed
86.69 894
9. Plantation – Nursery 20000 plants (4 Nurseries) 200
10. Horticultural Plants 300 Mango plants 114
distribution
Farmers
11. Watering caring &
maintenance of trees
(soil working,
weeding etc)
49716 plants
3480 mt. social fencing
37.37 900
Project Beneficiaries
The immediate beneficiaries of the project are small and marginal farmers with a land holding of
an average of 1-1.5 ha of dry land. These communities have first time involved in addressing
land development actions as they being mostly migrants, could not stay back to do the land
development actions.
398
Total 8881
Sr.No Village Household Population Total
SC
OBC
Male Female Male Female
1. Nana
Kothasana
320 33 30 580 564 1207
2. Kubda
150 0 0 367 326 693
3. Vansda
115 24 27 245 241 537
Total
585 57 57 1192 1131 2437

4. Grasses Plantations
In 3 villages nearly 850 households (HHs) have taken to fodder plantations. The grasses
plantation have been done in "Seed Pellets". This is a way of distributing and protecting the
seeds by encasing then in a mixture of day, compost and water. The mixture is rolled into dry
balls and then left to dry in sun later these balls are dropped in the gnlly plugs, earthen bunds
and trenches.
First Year
Sr.
No.
1.
2.
3.
Name of
Local Spices
Dhaman
Karad
Hamata
HHs
220
Fodder Harvested (in kg)
1st Cutting 2nd Cutting 3rd Cutting
15,3000 15,1000 90,000
Total Cutting
/ year (kg)
39,4000
Second Year
Sr.
No.
1.
2.
3.
Name of
Local Spices
Dhaman
Karad
Hamata
HHs
350
Fodder Harvested (in kg)
1st Cutting 2nd Cutting 3rd Cutting
21,0000 21,0000 16,0000
Total Cutting
/ year (kg)
58,0000
Project Achievements
1. Capacity Building of Institution-Tree Growers
Co-operative Society (TGCs)
All the decisions have been jointly taken for field
based actions by VIKSAT with local communities
in village meetings. Proper plans were made on
the revenue maps; with clear individual
indicators of actions to be undertaken. This
process enabled the awareness; Skills up
gradation of the local communities. Critical
reflections led to conscious raising of their own
conditions and resources. Problems were
defined and agreed in village meetings.
2. Water table increase
This was a valve learner partiation and nearly at
90% places in the wells, the water has been
increased by 2/3 feet. The expansion of ravines is
now controlled. Increased moisture in down
strewed agriculture has been felt by all farmers.
3. Community Benefits
A total of 8881 mandays were generated in the
project villages. During the project
implementation period employment was
generated for the people of the project village
and as a result they were able to purchase the
seeds in time for the agriculture.
Successful convergence was made with various
stakeholders ie. Gujarat Land Development
Corporation, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme, National
Agricultural Innovation Project, and Panchayati
Raj Institutions.
Third Year
Sr.
No.
1.
2.
Name of
Local Spices
Dhaman
Karad
Cattle Increase
With the introduction of grasses, in more than 50%
Households (HHs) their had been increase in cattle.
Most of the locals have taken loans from local banks
and through personal investments, benefitted from
mills production.
Lessons
Construction of bore well and hand pump as water
source for plantations was not done which was an
important feature. Therefore in near future this would
be undertaken.
Successful convergence with various depoistments has
helped the program in many ways. Forest department,
Gram Panchyat Kubada; College of Agro foresting all
supported with seeds; good plant materials to establish
the robust programs.
The project adopted "fauilitor approach" rather than
"teacher centred approach". This approach built
greater respect and trust in communities and provided
more local opportunities. The local communicators
adopted by VIKSAT were socially committed; cultural
sensitive empathetic in inter personal interactions and
demo cratic in communication and relationships.
VIKSAT
Vikram Sarabhai Centre for Development Interaction
Mr. Dilip Surkar, Director
Nehru Foundation for Development
Thaltej Tekra, Ahmedabad – 380054
Gujarat
HHs
280
Fodder Harvested (in kg)
1st Cutting 2nd Cutting 3rd Cutting
19,0000 12,0000 80,000
Regional Co-ordinator
Centre for Environment Education
Nehru Foundation for Development,
Thaltej Tekra, Ahmedabad - 380 054
Tel: 079 - 6858002 - 09
Fax: 079 - 6858010
Email: sgpwest@ceeindia.org
Colours 9810037571/SGP/February/13
Total Cutting
/ year (kg)
39,0000
Text: Mr. Prabhjot Sodhi & Vijay Kaushal
National Co-ordinator
GEF UNDP Small Grants Programme
Centre for Environment Education
C-40 South Extension-II, New Delhi-110049,
Ph.: 011-26262878-80
Email: prabhjot.sodhi@ceeindia.org
Website: www.sgpindia.org,www.ceeindia.org