• Under the Integrated Watershed Management programme in Datia, eight watershed committees have been registered under the Society Act. A total of 20 women SHGs have been formed in the target villages in the first phase.

• In Babina, Pahuj, eleven bore wells have been installed to provide irrigation and five ponds have been excavated towards water resource development.

• A training-cum-exposure visit for 40 participants was organised for the Bajana Sahariya community to Babina area.

• A Federation of Sahariya Vikas Manch has been constituted in Babina area. An account has been opened in Punjab National Bank, Babina with a current balance of Rs 9000.

ICRISAT- Watershed

• Demonstration of groundnut on the basis of participatory trial with 90 farmers on 90 acres will be conducted through ICRISAT Model watershed programme. In all, 2700 kg of TG-37 and TAG- 24 variety seeds have purchased.

• 400 farmers have registered under the federation of Bundelkhand Harit Kisan Mandal.

CLAP for Himachal

• CLAP for Himachal and Development Alternatives celebrated Environment Day 2012 on 5 June in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. The special focus was the issue of solid waste management. Green and blue trash bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste were set up at several prominent places in the city to spread the message of segregated waste disposal.

• The events of the day reached out to over 1000 people in Shimla city and will hopefully encourage the citizens to make responsible choices and take individual and collective action to make a difference.

• A 45-day training programme with 21 SHG members (women) was carried out on handloom product making at village Bhopalpura under DPIP Tikamgarh from 21 April to 11 June 2012.

• TLA has completed a 45-day training session on Cutting and Tailoring at village Muderi under DPIP Shivpuri from 23 April to 6 June 2012. Total 31 SHG members (women) have participated in the training.

• Community Training Centres (CTC) were inaugurated at village Dhikoli and at Thapak Bagh area, Jhansi on 25 June 2012 with courses on Beauty Culture and Hair Dressing.

• TARA, in association with DA (ISB), had undertaken a feasibility study of the brick sector in Malawi during the period 4-16 June. The main objective was to understand the Malawi brick sector and suggest ways and means to introduce cleaner brick production technologies in Malawi.

SPEED

• SPEED has set up its first pilot plant in Bara, Araria district in Bihar. The plant has been commissioned and will start generation from mid July onwards.

• Under the SPEED Programme, a MoU has been signed with Telesolar and Greenfields for engaging them as potential ESCOs in the clusters under development. Communications and engagement strategy with TATA Power and Gram Oorja, respectively, is in the pipeline.

• As part of cluster development exercise, the SPEED team will be visiting Kesla, Bokaro, Vaishali and Chhatarpur with and without the ESCOs. A baseline survey has been conducted in the three clusters of Araria, Bokaro and Chhatarpur.

• Under the VE-SuRE programme, TARA participated in the twentieth SCM on 28 June 2012. It has been decided that TARA will commission 10 plants in this fiscal year under the VE-SuRE programme.

• A project on ‘Holistic development through economic empowerment’ with the support of Start Fund has been initiated. The project will look at viable enterprises in 13 villages of Bundelkhand.

• A project on ‘Rural Transformation Initiative’ is also being supported by Start Fund. The project aims to achieve rural transformation in thirteen villages of Bundelkhand through identified entrepreneurial and livelihood opportunities for women linked to overall sustainable development in their villages.

• On 15 June 2012, the fourth elimination round of the Rural reality show ‘Kaun Banega Shubh Kal Leader’ was organised, in which 25 zonal leaders were announced. These contestants will compete for the final position on 27 July 2012.