Parivartan Project:
Parivartan Holistic Rural Development Project: Integrated Development of selected 34 villages of Abohar (Punjab), Yamuna Nagar (Haryana) and Naded (Maharashtra) locations under CSR programme of HDFC Bank.
CARD is involved in the implementation of HDFC Bank supported Parivartan project since 2017. This project is being implemented in total 34 villages of Punjab,Hyriyana and Maharashtra States. Project location wise details are as under:
| S.No. | State | District | Blocks | No. of Villages | Year of Inception | Participating Households |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Punjab | Fazilka, Muktasar | Abohar, Arniwala, Lambi | 08 | 2017-18 | 6615 |
| 2. | Haryana | Yamunanagar | Chhachhrauli, Bilaspur | 13 | 2019-20 | 3638 |
| 3. | Maharashtra | Nanded | Nanded | 13 | 2018-19 | 7364 |
| Total | 34 | 17,617 |
Selection of project villages was done considering the availability of service, status of natural resources communities’ quality of life and available livelihood options. It was observed that agriculture, horticulture and dairy are the main occupation sources of the identified project villages. The community of project area is mix of both large farmers and marginal/ landless. Though the farmers of the region involved in the agriculture and dairy/Goatry/Poultry activities but struggling with reducing crop productivity and quality of produce due to less rainfall and heavy soil erosion (Nanded). Lack of marketing arrangement at village level is another issue affecting farmers’ income. The landless community members have very limited livelihood options. Education, drinking water, road,drainage, electricity, hygiene, improper veterinary services are the main concern of these villages.
Considering these the area has been selected to offer further inputs to promote responsible farming practices, livelihood opportunities to the small farmers and landless community members (male & female). Besides poor-quality community infrastructure is another issue of these villages which was planned to addressed under the project.
Location wise rationales of the project are as under:
| S.No. | Location | Rationales |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nanded (Maharashtra) | • Limited livelihood options are there for small farmers or landless households. 70 percent small farmers own 40 percent lands, mostly unirrigated. • The unsafe farming practices are not eco-friendly and are harming the environment and causing drought like conditions. • Performance of basic services for education (school, pre-school), drinking water supply, village hygiene etc. are not satisfactory. • Water scarcity in some regions is another problem. |
| 2. | Yamunanagar (Haryana) | • Only 44.2 percent households own lands in the target villages. In fact, national average of landless households in rural areas is about 30 percent. However, the villages studied had about 55.8 percent landless households. • Hence, there has been extra ordinary pressure on the landless households of the target area to learn skills for meeting their livelihood needs. • Intensive use of ground water, chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides, have caused rise of soil-salinity and depletion of organic content of the soil. • In order to restore the fertility and pH of soils, the villagers need to take a small diversion towards organic farming, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides and green-manuring. • About 40 percent landed households have enough land area to earn adequate livelihoods through agriculture. • However, owing to fragmentation in households, about 60 percent landed households are small and marginal farmers, who find it difficult to meet both ends, meet through agriculture. |
| 3. | Abohar (Punjab) | • The farming system practices are not safe and harming the environment and causing hazards for human health. Also causing high cost of cultivation. • Limited livelihood options are there for small farmers or landless households. • Performance of basic services for education (school,pre school), drinking water supply, village hygiene etc. are not satisfactory. |
Following are the project objectives:
- Objective 1: Ensure the reach of villagers towards the improved basic services of health, education etc.
- Objective 2: Introduce and convince the farmers towards adoption of responsible farming practices to increase the returns from Agriculture/Agro-Forestry and also to ensure clean & safe village environment.
- Objective 3: Promotion of better livelihood options among women, landless and other deprived off households.
The project planning has been designed around the following components:
- Inputs for natural resource development
- Improved community services, school, Human &Animal health camps.
- Promotion of responsible farming practices: Demonstration, training and exposure of farmers towards improved farming practices
- Women empowerment: Self Help Groups formation/ strengthening, skill development, income generation activities
- Promotion of Goatry& Poultry activities.
- Community mobilization towards different development issues.
