Bundelkhand Economy

There are two major problems that characterise semi-arid Bundelkhand region: severe shortage of rainfall and low water retention capacity of the soil. Shortage of water severely impedes irrigation, directly damaging agricultural productivity. Stress on the agricultural sector has some complex implications – persistent poverty leading to educational and health backwardness, out-migration and severe pressure on already scarce resources. The problem gets even more complicated if access to electricity is low. Lack of access to electricity leads to usage of energy inefficient fuels (diesel, cow-dung cake, timber etc.) causing environmental pollution and destruction of forest resources in the region.

Shubh Kal Campaign

Shubh Kal campaign is an initiative of Development Alternatives (DA) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Bundelkhand, which encourages lifestyles that have lower carbon footprint and influences overall reduction in climate vulnerability of the population. This project has three target groups: farmers, artisans and women, who are worst affected by persistent drought in the region. The project envisages helping the communities through support measures that will eventually lead to improved income through enhanced natural resource management and adopting livelihood techniques that are resilient to climate change.

As can be seen from the table below, the predominant occupation of the people in Bundelkhand is in the agricultural and allied sector, followed by work as labourers and petty producers in non-agricultural sectors. Together, they constitute more than 85 per cent of workforce in Bundelkhand. Target groups of Shubh Kal can be located within this category.

The project identifies the links between issues related to water and energy usage. The data on the current status of water and energy availability, the associated technologies and the current usage patterns in the project area indicates depleting water resources leading to increasing cost of exploring water, unreliable power and expensive diesel energy, unsustainable exploitation of water resources - all adding to the vulnerability of the community.

Unreliability and lack of management of energy and natural resources have been identified as another significant cause of reduced off-farm economic opportunities, specially impacting the womenfolk. Energy and fodder security are identified as factors that can enhance the adaptation capacity of families/communities with the help of the women, who are engaged in economic activities, based on renewable energy services.

Campaign as Harbinger of Change

The dialogue process of the Shubh Kal campaign focuses mainly on the following three areas:

The Shubh Kal project seeks to replicate and scale up activities, supported at the local level, by influencing state-level policies in favour of more ecological, economic and social security for rural communities. The initiative taken in Bundelkhand provides models that can influence policies and may be streamlined through policy processes.

Very little is done to set up a mechanism for quantification of availability of water for various applications, like irrigation, eco-systems, etc. Availability of timely and authentic data from reliable sources makes better planning of agricultural activities possible. Easy access to such data can correctly determine cropping patterns and enable the concerned districts/regions to plan for water augmentation and source development.

For example, the watershed level planning at the Hivre Bazaar village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra is based on quantification of water availability. The village prepared a water budget and planned relevant activities based on data, derived from hydrological surveys and validated by field surveys on water levels in open wells and tube wells at various locations and altitudes within the village. The data enabled the village to plan for source development through afforestation, groundwater harvesting by check dams and increasing the surface storage by de-silting and developing tanks, thus simultaneously working towards source development and conservation This was done alongside with practising adaptive mechanisms like annual decisions on cropping patterns, ban on water intensive crops and promoting drip irrigation, surface water irrigation and limiting the size of pumps.

This Hivre Bazaar example can only be replicated at scale by incorporating its experience at broader policy level. Strengthening of Panchayati Raj Institutions as democratically elected monitoring and participatory agency, detailed planning and concretely assessing the ground situation is necessary for that purpose.

It is important to interlink modern scientific methodologies with local knowledge to understand the seasonal fluctuations in the water tables or allocating check dams. The local communities should be involved in handling scientific data and taking decisions based on their local knowledge. The first level of planning should be done at the village level.

The unforgiving nature of market can be ameliorated, albeit partially, through establishing better market linkages, organising small sellers into groups and providing better market information system.

The Lok Awaas Yatra – another campaign of DA through journey of learning and sharing the best practices in eco-habitat - was conceptualised on a national scale to influence rural habitat policies. The Yatra provided exposure to Panchayati Raj Institutions, local governments, masons and architects, NGOs and professionals.

It would be pertinent to mention here that DA has influenced the eco-habitat policy at the State level in Madhya Pradesh through capacity development and solution demonstration of eco-solutions with communities at district level.

The practice-to-policy connect will bring forward better outcome of existing schemes, as well as facilitate formulating better policies in a scientific wholesome way, keeping in mind the needs of different sections of the people. The Shubh Kal campaign will enable the rural women, artisans and farmers to respond in a better way to the changing climate ease out vulnerabilities and boost sustainable development processes. q

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