DA Jhansi : an eventful decades


The Jhansi operations of Development Alternatives have made a major impact in central India. Testimony to this is provided by its afforestation programmes, check dams, drinking water and sanitation schemes, among others.

In the poverty stricken Bundelkhand region of central India the Jhansi operations of Development Alternatives (DA) stand out like an oasis. Check dams that harvest rainwater, houses built from compressed earth blocks and microconcrete tiles with sloping roofs supported by reused steel trusses, a gasifier that uses biomass as fuel to drive a handmade paper unit, drinking water and sanitation schemes, watershed development programmes and a  programme to green wastelands. As DA celebrates its anniversary, it is time to look back at the achievements and shortcomings  of  the organisation.

The story of  Jhansi began in 1986 with the setting up of a regional centre of DA. The vision was to restore the forests of Bundelkhand to their pristine glory. The need was urgent. Till  the early ’40s the area had one of the finest forests in the country where wild animals used  to roam freely. However  increasing human and animal  population and rampant illegal tree felling had decimated the forests, leaving less than 8 percent of the landmass under forest. There were other problems that needed to be addressed. Poverty  was endemic in the Bundelkhand region and this situation has not changed much even 50 years after independence. Furthermore agricultural productivity was  low. In the absence of vegetal cover, the soil became prone to erosion by rain during monsoon and wind erosion during the dry season. The cumulative effect of these was disastrous—a gradual reduction in the already low productivity of soils for biomass production.

For its first project in 1987, two completely barren and denuded hillocks in Datia district measuring approximately 238 acres were taken up for afforestation mainly by natural regeneration aided by effective moisture conservation measures and minimising biotic interferences. This project was funded by the Society for Promotion of Wasteland Development till December 1989 and thereafter a small grant was received from the National Wasteland Development Board for its maintenance. The two hillocks are fast developing into a well stocked dry deciduous forest. In the first two years approximately 66,000 plants came up by natural regeneration of dormant root stock. In the second and third years,  a number of species which were extinct started emerging. Fauna which had abandoned the hillocks also came back. Among them were wild boar, mongoose, snakes, birds, rabbits. The impact of this experiment was dramatic on grasses as well. In the first year, only the annuals grew but in the second and subsequent years perennials started replacing the annuals. Reminisces AVM S. Sahni, in charge of DA’s project in Jhansi: “ Nature did everything for us. We only kept animals away  and tried to absorb most of the rainwater in situ by various mechanical and vegetative measures such as trenches, gully plugs, bundings and so on. This whilst increasing soil moisture and increased ground water charging reduced the soil erosion significantly.” Among the major species that have come up through natural regeneration are Butea monosperma (flame of the forest), ber and anogeissus pendula (kardhai). DA counts its first project as a major trend setter in the Bundelkhand region

The second project, also in Datia district, involved the greening of 150 acres of saline/sodic soil in Semai and Sindhwari villages. This project was funded by the Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources. The area has developed into a very good  forest.

The third project, again in Datia district, was funded by a church organisation called Forrad. This project had several aims, namely, environmental awareness, soil and moisture conservation, increasing ground water charging, introduction  of tropical legumes both for cropland and wasteland for increasing biomass production  and construction of a few low cost check dams.

The fourth project undertaken by DA was funded by the National Wasteland Development Board and had the same aims as the third project but was undertaken in a different area of Datia district. Simultaneously, DA took up another project on behalf of the Hinduja group to provide drinking water to seven villages in Datia district which suffered endemic water shortages

The fifth project involved the introduction of TARA looms, Balram machines for compressed mudblocks and improved cooking stoves.

For its sixth project DA received funding from the National Wasteland Development Board to produce a wasteland development plan on watershed basis to cover 10 watersheds of around 1,000 hectares each and each covering two-five villages in Datia district. This was a radical departure from the earlier plans of central and state governments because it adopted a  bottom up approach based on the actual needs of the people. This development project was path breaking in another way  since it was the first recognition by the Indian government that unless the country managed  its soil and water resources scientifically, the productivity of biomass for an ever increasing human and animal population could not be achieved.

While these activities were underway, the Madhya Pradesh  government invited DA to construct water harvesting structures in the Pohri block, a predominantly tribal area in Shivpuri district. Here DA constructed three large structures on the Sircula river.

Building check dams has been an important part of DA’s activities in the Bundelkhand region. In the Bundelkhand region irrigation has traditionally been by  wells. The area has a pastoral economy by which the farmers conserve rain water in tanks and other water harvesting structures which increase the fodder availability for animals as well as recharge the aquifers. Thus farmers can utilise the ground water literally on call. The Chandela and Bundela kings of the region had built water harvesting structures over 400-500 years back and this tradition was continued. This water management technique was on extremely scientific lines and some of these structures are still in use. DA took the cue from these structures and has built around 34 medium and large water harvesting structures in Jhansi district between 1991-95.

After working for seven  years in the Bundelkhand region, it dawned on the DA team that new directions had to be explored as even after increasing the productivity of croplands and wastelands substantially, hardly 40 per cent of the rural people could be gainfully employed. For a massive sustainable livelihood programme, the answer lay in building a chain of cottage industries in villages and with this aim TARAGram complex at Orchha near Jhansi, was established in 1996.

In its move to provide sustainable livelihoods to people in the surrounding areas of Jhansi, three key areas were targetted: energy, housing and income generation activities. In the field of energy, DA commissioned a 100 KVA generator at TARAGram that uses producer gas generated by a gasifier. The gasifier utilises the weed Ipomea as a feedstock which is abundantly available nearby. The technology has been developed by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the equipment has been fabricated by NETPRO, Bangalore. The project has been implemented in partnership with DASAG, a Swiss engineering company active in energy field, especially promoting technology using renewable energy sources. A beginning in biogas and briquettes making from Ipomea/Lantana has also been made and the latter is expected to provide large scale employment in the rural areas.

In the area of housing, TARAGram has made some dramatic breakthroughs in eco-friendly technologies. Building materials like mud blocks, for instance, are produced when a mixture of fine earth and a little cement is compressed. The blocks are superior to bricks in strength and eliminate the need to burn fuel for baking. Stonecrete bricks are produced by vibrating a mixture of cement, sand and stone grit waste that is readily available from nearby crushers. The process reduces cement consumption without affecting the product’s durability. Other building materials produced at TARAGram are ferrocement channels for roofing. The real eyecatcher is the TARAcrete tile. With a special curvilinear shape to give extra strength, the tiles fix into each other and are then mounted on trusses built from recycled steel, wooden poles, bamboos etc.

A significant achievement of TARAGram’s building technologies can be seen at   Azadpura, a village two kms away from TARAGram. Here 49 houses have been built under the government’s Indira Awas Yojana for tribals using stonecrete blocks, compressed earth blocks and microconcrete roofing tiles. Each house costs Rs 14,000.  In the building material project, the aim is to have housing technology which utilises local waste material, consumes the least amount of energy, which is affordable and can be made and  maintained  by individuals.

In the sphere of income generation activities, DA has made rapid strides. TARAGram, bustles with activity as people turn out a host of unconventional products. Many of them are landless women from nearby villages who spend a large part of the day producing paper from cotton rags and biomass or work at TARA’s building material unit. TARAGram provides them with a reasonable wage for their work and they also get to learn the new technology absolutely free. Apart from this, under the  Madhya Pradesh Hasta Shilpa Vikas Nigam (MPHSVN), 15 women are being trained to produce value added fibre products at Azadpura and another 15 on paper products at Pratapura. These women have completed their initial training and are undergoing an advanced training programme after which they will be encouraged to take small loans and set up their own home based unit. The MPHSVN has offered an initial buy-back guarantee, but subsequently these products could be sold through local handicraft shops in Orchha and elsewhere. “Bundelkhand’s development hinges on the conservation and sustainable use of its scarce resources. This requires transfer of new livelihood technologies to people, which help meet their material needs without abusing the environment,” says AVM Sahni.

TARAGram is not resting on its laurels. Plans are afoot to construct a Shilpgram on the Jhansi-Orchha highway close to TARAGram which will house eight handicraft centres for demonstration-cum-training. The products of these units will be displayed in an emporium to be modelled on the lines of the Madhya Pradesh state emporium in New Delhi. This emporium will serve as a permanent exposition of the arts and crafts of Bundelkhand. It will  revive traditional crafts which have become dormant and will provide an effective marketing outlet.

DA has been busy on other fronts as well:

Despite all  DA’s successes and achievements in the Bundelkhand region, there is no room for complacency. Though the successes  ignite the commitment to the cause of providing sustainable livelihoods to people, there are many challenges ahead. After all technology upgradation is a continuous process.    q

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