Gully Plug Created by the Tribal Community on Kandor (Natural Stream) for Irrigation

Community Managed Irrigation System

Ninety-five percent of the residents of Agoya, which falls under the Bharkata Gram Panchayet (Local Self Government), rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. The village comprises 143 Santhal tribe households with a total population of 672. Being a drought-prone region, rainfed agriculture remains the sole method for food production. The villagers possess 850 bighas (over 121 hectares) of arable land. During the kharif season, paddy is the predominant crop, while oilseeds and pulses are cultivated in the rabi season, contingent upon water availability. Should the farmers face failures in both Kharif and Rabi cultivation, they are compelled to engage in perilous stone-crushing labour.

Between 2021 and 2023, the farming system was severely affected by uncertainty and insufficient rainfall in the region. Aside from rainwater, there are no alternative sources for irrigation. The village is home to a natural stream, referred to locally as 'Kandor'. Consistent rainfall in the surrounding Kandor is typically utilised as an alternative irrigation source for Rabi season farming, and if necessary, for Kharif season as well. However, the last two years of inadequate rainfall have rendered the Kandor completely dry. Conversely, Kandor becomes saturated or inundated with water from the local stone mines. The mine owners deliberately waste water through the Kandor, as they do not wish for it to be used for agricultural irrigation purposes.

Farmers Accessed Government Support for Pulses Farming

During the project orientation and PRA session under the "Sashaktikaran" project, the CSRA staff mobilised and capacitated community members to effectively manage the pumped wastewater from stone mines and utilise it for agricultural purposes. The project staff assisted the villagers in reviewing the transect walk and the resources map that they had developed during the PRA session. Ultimately, the villagers were able to identify solutions independently, constructing a boulder-pitched earthen gully plug to capture the pumped wastewater before September 2023. This staged water supports approximately 205 bighas (29 hectares) of land during the Kharif season and secures 72 bighas (10 hectares) for oilseed cultivation and 50 bighas (7 hectares) for pulse cultivation in the Rabi season. Lilu Hansda, the Manji Haram (Traditional leader), expressed his gratitude towards CSRA for introducing the concept of the gully plug. He noted, "We have taken initiatives several times and planned traditionally to arrest the water, but failed." Sudhir Kisku and Jhutuk Soren, youth leaders from the village, remarked, "Last year we failed to do paddy cultivation, but this year we were able to do that." Somai Hansda, Chunde Kisku, and Uday Hansda received seed support from the Government, enabling them to cultivate 50 kg of lentils over 50 bighas (7 hectares) and 100 kg of oil seeds for 25 bighas (3.5 hectares) for both cultivation and demonstration purposes.

Somai Hansda is happy with the Mustard cultivation