PROGRESS REPORT FOR THE PERIOD April 2002 to March 2003

Background

The Project gets its name from the river Chinnahagari, whose basin and outlet are located in Chitradurga District. Thus, Chinnahagari Institutions for Development of Watersheds (CIDOW) represents a group of institutions working in the Chinnahagari basin on the development of different micro-watersheds. The group of institutions primarily includes watershed associations but also extends to the NGOs that are involved in developing and supporting the watershed associations to build their watersheds. CIDOW-Molakalmoru is where Myrada is the implementing agency. The Project is supported by DFID through the Karnataka Watershed Development Society (KAWAD Society), and while the words used to describe the role of Myrada are ‘Implementing Agency’ in KAWAD terminology this stands for a supervisory role; the field level activities are carried out by two other NGOs, referred to in KAWAD as ‘Partner NGOs’. However, in addition to its supervisory role, Myrada is also working as ‘Partner NGO’ in one sub-watershed. The MOU with KAWAD was signed in December 1998 and work started from February 1999. The coverage is of 14,000 ha. of land divided into 5 sub-watersheds and extending over 17 villages and one town. There are approximately 3,100 households in the area.

While all the components associated with watershed development are included in the gamut of activities, the 6 special and additional focus areas of the programme are :

• Focus on human resources development, particularly at the community level.

• Focus on community management of common property resources.

• Focus on cost sharing as well as benefit sharing by local communities.

• Focus on building community level institutions and ensuring effective community participation with the active support of partner NGOs .

• Focus on empowering and involving women in all activities and at all stages of the project.

• Focus on investments in non-landbased activities to particularly support poor households not benefiting from watershed investments.

Project Progress

Watershed Development

Out of 6,470 hectares planned for treatment, 3,743 hectares have been treated with the full package of treatment and development measures. These benefits have gone to 1,737 farmers, of which more than 70% are small and marginal farmers.

Farm Demonstrations

Trials were taken up on bajra, ragi, castor and redgram to study seed suitability for the area. Seeds were distributed to Watershed Committees and SHG members. Programmes were also taken up to promote fodder cultivation, grafting practices in horticulture, nursery raising garden, school forestry (23 schools have been covered and 2,390 seedlings planted), drip and bucket irrigation, etc. Soil tests have been conducted and composting practices encouraged. Poultry and fish rearing demonstrations were also taken up.

Non-land based Activities

371 persons have been supported for a variety of non-landbased income generating activities (arecanut and fruit business, bakery, brick making, trading activities, establishment of snack and tea shops, flourmill, footwear making, etc.). AWAKE (Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka) was engaged by KAWAD to provide entrepreneurship development inputs, after which working capital was provided to those with interest and potential to start enterprises.

Local Level Institutions

The Project is working with 206 self help affinity groups, 31 micro-watershed development committees and 7 self help group federations. Women members constitute over 65% in self help groups and 25% in the micro-watershed committees.
  Myrada as well as the CIDOW partner NGOs (RSC and GUARD) are members of SPIN (Self-help Promoting Institutions’ Network), a network initiated by Myrada in Chitradurga District which also includes government and bank representation besides NGOs.

Participatory Technology Development

The NGO AME (Agriculture-Man-Ecology) was engaged by KAWAD as a consultant to promote productivity improvement in drylands through participatory technology development (PTD). 180 small, medium and big farmers from 9 micro-watershed committees were selected for PTD demonstrations. Farmer Field Schools were held at every fortnight to identify major problems in existing cultivation practices. Detailed analysis has been made of the problems of pest and diseases, and mitigation measures discussed for future application.

Training Activities

Based on an assessment of training needs, a variety of training programmes were conducted in the year for local level institutions, project staff, and staff of government departments associated with the project.

Linkages with the Government and other Institutions

Based on the logic of convergent services, the project has sought to involve almost all departments (Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Revenue, Smallscale Industries, Sericulture, Forest, Fisheries) as well as public sector banks, Sanghamithra Rural Financial Services, and Grama/Town Panchayaths to support various programmes in the field. In every case, the linkage has yielded clear and visible material benefits to the watershed and village communities.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Over several workshops and meetings and with the guidance of outside experts, the project developed a clear list of anticipated impacts and objectively verifiable indicators to assess these impacts. This was done earlier and continued to serve to keep the project on course in the current year.

Consultants/Visitors/Meetings

Many visitors and consultants visited the project to study the development from their own particular areas of concern. Such interactions provided an opportunity to the Project to look at its work critically and to modify different aspects. Several meetings were held to review progress, to discuss action plans and to develop strategies to better accomplish the project’s goals and objectives.

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