A Model Development Plan for Bundelkhand
Ashok Gopal     info@infochange.com

The Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, which is one of the most backward parts of the country, is the focus of a unique and large-scale development initiative launched recently.

For the first time, several national, regional and local Civil Society Organisations

Participants at the Bundelkhand Workshop

(CSOs) will be working together within time-bound frameworks to bring about a fundamental transformation in this area.

The initiative has been launched under the seven-year Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS) Programme sponsored by the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID)

In Bundelkhand, where nine of the 108 poorest districts in India are located, an outreach workshop for integrated development for the region was organised to bring various CSOs under one platform. The workshop was held on June 27th and 28th, 2003 at Development Alternatives’ Appropriate Technology Demonstration Village – TARAgram near Orchha in Madhya Pradesh. The accent of the workshop was on arriving at a common understanding of the problems of the region and the most relevant development options.

Representatives of over 50 CSOs that work in the region, or have a desire to do so, attended this intensive brain-storming event conducted by senior DA personnel. As George Varughese, Vice-President of DA stressed: "It is important to have a "shared vision and broad strategies" and to "forge partnerships for action".

"The issue came into unaccepted focus last week when Development Alternatives (DA) a Delhi- based NGO, organised a two-day outreach workshop at its TARAgram field laboratory complex out in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh. The objective was an ambitious one: to work on an agenda with grassroots NGOs in the Bundelkhand region to see if they could work out partnerships and 'build capacity' so that their collective efforts could translate into meaningful gains for the region" (Business India, 7th July 2003).

Several ideas for effective strategies suited to the physical, social and economic conditions of the region emerged during the workshop. The house in general was of the opinion that there existed many opportunities for increasing livelihood options, without bringing in capital-intensive industry.

Participants at the workshop agreed on the tremendous potential for development in the region, despite the high levels of poverty, poor state of infrastructure and continuing environmental degradation. They identified the following key drivers for the development of Bundelkhand within the PACS framework:

spread of information and awareness on rights and new livelihood options
building capacity of panchayati raj bodies and community groups in both managerial and technical areas
technological support for livelihood and natural resource management programmes
establishment of credit linkages
marketing support for local products
watershed management through awareness of resource potential and resource use rights
advocacy for change in some policies and laws; for instance, advocacy for greater planning power to panchayats
development of animal husbandry

Participating CSOs will now form groups among themselves and submit concept notes for common action programmes that meet some or all the above-mentioned objectives. The concept notes are expected to be submitted by August 15, 2003. In each group, one CSO is expected to act as the lead agency, which would be responsible for managing the programme and accounting for the DFID funding that will be disbursed by the Consortium. q

Bundelkhand — A Dismal Scenario

About one-third of Bundelkhand’s land and water resources are degraded. Bundelkhand receives around 800 mm of rainfall annually. While this does not make the region perennially drought-prone, most of the water runs off, taking with it precious topsoil, as the geological conditions do not encourage percolation. Only about a third of the net sown area is irrigated. People rely largely on groundwater for personal and farm use and an important source of water in some parts are 1000-year-old tanks built by local rulers. An analysis by Development Alternatives of satellite data from two areas suggests a substantial scope for environmental regeneration in a period of 15 years, if remedial measures are put in place right away. There are many possibilities for increasing Bundelkhand’s water resources and agricultural productivity through comprehensive natural resource management programmes. q

 

PACS Sanpshots

Community initiative to determine and control nutrition at Jamtara, Jharkhand

Group exercise by participants
of the Jalna Peer Review Workshop, Maharashtra

Community gain bank collection centre at Jharkhand

Women Self Help Group (SHG)
Training Workshop

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