Sustainability

Creating and measuring long-term impact

Maintenance Fund
The people from the project villages have to contribute Rs 100 per year from the 3rd year of implementation. The concept of the maintenance fund has been explained in the meetings. The gramsabha passed a resolution of setting up a maintenance fund in the villages. The roles and responsibility of the VWC members has been finalized and a resolution in this regard has been passed in a VWC meetings.

Other Issues

Unusual and unexpected issues faced during project execution

The difficulties faced during the project period are as follows:
1. Initially people had to be convinced into accepting the projects. In 1st year of the project, many people had already taken monitory advances, hence had to migrate to nearby places to comply with the loan agreement. During the second year of the project period the work was initiated in two more villages. Again as mentioned above, the same problems were faced in new villages.
2. The livestock activities planned in Pangara village could not complete on time. Since the tendency of the people is to rare livestock only for draft purpose. The concept of milk production from the animals is new for the people. It will need some more time to make a shift in view, from this current to the milk production purpose
3. In the near by areas government has launched the Employment Guarantee Scheme. The payment in this scheme is on daily wages. There is no local contribution for the work expected. Many farmers in new villages did the work initially in EGS and after this they participated in the project work. It gave scope to them to provide contribution in our project
4. The people who had taken advances from sugar factories /landlords migrated. They had taken advances in previous year (year 2004). It resulted into shortage of labour.
5. Initially, the villagers were reluctant to follow up of ban on free grazing. The cut and carry method introduced was new for them. When people saw the tangible benefits of the ban on free grazing, it was finally accepted.
6. In Tamkarwadi, there were liquor sellers. The money was spent on liquor consumption. When the ban was introduced by women group there was resistant from sellers through some villagers. Then the issue was discussed and sorted out in the village meeting.

Learnings

Knowledge of project and process for sharing

The followings are the lesson learned during the implementation of the project.
1. To discourage people from migrating, a comparison has to be presented in project villages to prove that by staying in the village they could get maximum benefit and that the village itself will be developed which will then benefit them.
2. The Self Selection Process: All villages desirous of participating in the project need to comply with certain demands
• Local contribution measured in cash of 25%
• Ban on free grazing in treated areas
• Ban on tree felling.
If these regulations are not met the project may be stopped at any time. While this initially takes a long time for acceptance, villages that accept these disciplines demonstrate ownership, which others opt out.
5. Since other Government schemes are being implemented near the project area, timely labour payment is required to all the labourers. It is mainly for newly identified projects .During the initial years, regular and timely payment helps win the confidence of the people. The payment system should be discussed with the villagers. Transparency is essential on advantages and disadvantages of different programmes help in more involvement of the community.
6. The labour oriented activity should be planned looking to the agriculture season, possible impacts of the work done. The problem of migration should be identified well in advance.
7. The capacity building of CBOs is the key issue in project implementation. If VWC members are trained properly they will able to undertake their roles and responsibility for implementing the project in a full manner
8. Whenever the results of demonstrations are discussed in a gramsabha following field day, helps in replication of the demonstration.
9. If the responsibility of the project activities handed over to the people at the early stage, the involvement and participation of the people is more. Particularly the financial transactions handled by the people gives them lot of confidence. Involvement of the community members in the monitoring and evaluation process helps in increasing the confidence of the members of the VWC. They also get the sense of the responsibility and become the leaders of the village in due course of the time. Women members become more active in such a process.
10. Since there is migration in newly selected villages, during all gramsabhas people have been constantly advised not to take advance from contractors for sugarcane cutting. To discourage people from migrating, a comparison has been presented to all villagers to prove that by staying in the village they could get maximum benefit and that the village itself will be developed which will then benefit them.

Impact

People Impacted: 3334

People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 3334

Watershed project rejuvenated the water table for 608 households.

People Getting Other Benefits: 3334