<p>Rejuvenation of tanks, restoring water-harvesting structures such as community wells, farm ponds and forming and facilitating community-based tank management institutions is the thrust of Grama Vikas, a non-government organisation that has been engaged in integrated rural development activities in Kolar district for over three decades.<br /><br />Nestled in Honnsetthalli, a once nondescript village in Mulbagal taluk, Kolar district, Grama Vikas was the brainchild of N K A Iyer. The organisation, which currently has development programmes in 157 villages in some of the most remote and resource poor areas with a predominant Dalit population, was founded in 1979.<br /><br /> A native of Ganjigunte in Mulbagal taluk in Kolar district, N K Ananthanarayan Iyer, was a PhD holder in forestry from University of Washington, US and the first Indian officer in Assam Railways and Trading Company. Since its inception, and until he breathed his last, Iyer promoted programmes to improve livelihoods of the poor, with an emphasis on children, women and the environment.<br /><br />Iyer had a special love for regeneration of tanks in Mulbagal taluk, of which Grama Vikas is a pioneer. The guiding philosophy and work of the organisation revolves around the revival and maintenance of tanks. Kolar district is drought-prone and has dangerously low levels of groundwater.<br /><br /> “Rejuvenation of tanks in the taluk assumes paramount importance. With a mere 700 mm of rainfall, all tanks in the Kolar district will overflow. In such a scenario, revival of tanks can be neglected at our own peril,” observes M V N Rao, Executive Director of Grama Vikas.<br /><br />There are over 10,000 kalyanis and pushkarnis (temple ponds) in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts alone. If only they are restored, water needs of one of the most drought-prone districts in the State can be addressed. “We still have not broken free from the hankering for big dams and huge projects, despite their failure. Rejuvenation of tanks should be the mantra,” says Rao.<br /><br />De-silting increases water storage capacity of tanks. Silt from tanks when applied to dry land farms improves soil fertility and enhances productivity. “I applied silt to an acre, ploughed the land and sowed accordingly. As a result I was able to reap two quintals of til. In the same year I harvested four quintals of ragi. I was able to reap two crops a year with silt application,” says Krishnappa, a native of Karekallahalli in Chikmagalur.<br /><br />As part of its natural resources management programme, Grama Vikas enables poor and marginal farmers to conserve water and soil through forming of bunds, construction of farm ponds, cattle ponds and check dams. Farm ponds sustain water-holding capacity throughout the rainy season.<br /><br />“Once tanks are rehabilitated, traditional water-harvesting structures are revived and community wells are constructed, there will be no distress sales of livestock and migration during drought,” remarks Rao. Also, farmers are encouraged to use organic manure and natural pesticides and made aware of the importance of conserving native seeds and creation of community seed banks thus multiplying native seed varieties.<br /><br />Children are the future<br />In keeping with Iyer’s belief that “there is no better investment than investing in children,” the organisation has a Sponsors-Relations (S-R) Programme, which aims to ensure health, education, nutrition and protection to abused and underprivileged children in rural areas in Mulbagal taluk, Kolar district in the State, through sponsors. There are 745 sponsors from across the world. “Every month we receive more than 300 letters from sponsors. Children are encouraged to reply to their letters, as it strengthens their relationship,” says Lalitha, who is a field co-ordinator with the Sponsors-Relations (S-R) Programme.<br /><br />The case of Santosh, a sponsored child, illustrates how timely intervention by a sponsor empowered a family. Santosh, a native of Nagamangala village in Mulbagal taluk, hails from a poor family, which is dependent on daily wages for sustenance. The family did not even have a roof over their head. <br /><br />Things changed for the better when Santosh was enrolled under the S-R programme. With timely monetary assistance, Santosh’s family got a concrete house, a toilet constructed, bought a milch cow and sheep. Santosh’s father Vasudevappa, who earlier spent the entire day drinking, is now a responsible man. <br /><br />Children and youth centric<br />Through distribution of library books to students studying in government schools, exposure visits, celebration of Child Rights’ Week, participation in the Children’s Panchayat, creation of a ‘Learning Corner’ and Child Resource Centres, where kids get to access books, toys and other learning materials, Grama Vikas has contributed in stimulating their physical, psychological and intellectual development. Under RIP-3 (Reading, Writing and Skill Development Programme), which was implemented in 18 villages, children studying from Class I to Class V were given learning material, copy writing books, stationery, etc. Children were taught pronunciation, reading, writing and comprehension and other subjects, by trained volunteers. <br /><br />At the end of three months of training, nearly 80 per cent of the children showed notable improvement, says Harish, who works with children in the six-to-fourteen years bracket. <br />The organisation provides nutritious food to pregnant women and aganwadi children, educates women about the importance of cooking healthy food using locally available greens, vegetables and sprouted grains, thus tackling malnutrition among children, conducts regular health and blood check up camps. <br /><br />Grama Vikas also has a ‘Skilled and Involved Youth Programme’ as part of which it sponsored 16 youths for a five-day multi-media training including photography. The youths were encouraged to appreciate good photography, shown documentaries of well-known photographers like Sebastiao Salgado, a South-American documentary photographer. <br /><br />Strengthening Gram Panchayats<br />Realising the importance of Gram Panchayats, Grama Vikas adopted O’Mittur Grama Panchayat in Mulbagal taluk. <br /><br />Several training programmes were conducted for O’Mittur Grama Panchayat members. <br />To make the Grama Panchayat a part of the development process and to provide them with an opportunity to implement their ideas and gain tangible results, a number of activities were carried out under the panchayat in collaboration with Grama Vikas, such as carrying out a plastic-free panchayat programme, tackling fluoride content in water, celebration of International Women’s Day etc. <br /><br />One such activity is the Native Seeds Mela. Inspired by the ‘Millets Mela’ organised in Gandhi Bhavan in Bangalore, Grama Vikas sent a batch of farmers to participate in the mela. On returning from Bangalore, a five-day ‘Native Seeds Mela,’ was organised by Grama Vikas in association with O’Mittur Grama Panchayat at Avani jathre (fair), which is held for a span of 15 days. <br /><br />Various native seeds, which are indigenous to Kolar district, were displayed at the stall. Native varieties of cowpeas, tur dal, ragi were the prime attraction of the stall. <br /></p>
<p>Rejuvenation of tanks, restoring water-harvesting structures such as community wells, farm ponds and forming and facilitating community-based tank management institutions is the thrust of Grama Vikas, a non-government organisation that has been engaged in integrated rural development activities in Kolar district for over three decades.<br /><br />Nestled in Honnsetthalli, a once nondescript village in Mulbagal taluk, Kolar district, Grama Vikas was the brainchild of N K A Iyer. The organisation, which currently has development programmes in 157 villages in some of the most remote and resource poor areas with a predominant Dalit population, was founded in 1979.<br /><br /> A native of Ganjigunte in Mulbagal taluk in Kolar district, N K Ananthanarayan Iyer, was a PhD holder in forestry from University of Washington, US and the first Indian officer in Assam Railways and Trading Company. Since its inception, and until he breathed his last, Iyer promoted programmes to improve livelihoods of the poor, with an emphasis on children, women and the environment.<br /><br />Iyer had a special love for regeneration of tanks in Mulbagal taluk, of which Grama Vikas is a pioneer. The guiding philosophy and work of the organisation revolves around the revival and maintenance of tanks. Kolar district is drought-prone and has dangerously low levels of groundwater.<br /><br /> “Rejuvenation of tanks in the taluk assumes paramount importance. With a mere 700 mm of rainfall, all tanks in the Kolar district will overflow. In such a scenario, revival of tanks can be neglected at our own peril,” observes M V N Rao, Executive Director of Grama Vikas.<br /><br />There are over 10,000 kalyanis and pushkarnis (temple ponds) in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts alone. If only they are restored, water needs of one of the most drought-prone districts in the State can be addressed. “We still have not broken free from the hankering for big dams and huge projects, despite their failure. Rejuvenation of tanks should be the mantra,” says Rao.<br /><br />De-silting increases water storage capacity of tanks. Silt from tanks when applied to dry land farms improves soil fertility and enhances productivity. “I applied silt to an acre, ploughed the land and sowed accordingly. As a result I was able to reap two quintals of til. In the same year I harvested four quintals of ragi. I was able to reap two crops a year with silt application,” says Krishnappa, a native of Karekallahalli in Chikmagalur.<br /><br />As part of its natural resources management programme, Grama Vikas enables poor and marginal farmers to conserve water and soil through forming of bunds, construction of farm ponds, cattle ponds and check dams. Farm ponds sustain water-holding capacity throughout the rainy season.<br /><br />“Once tanks are rehabilitated, traditional water-harvesting structures are revived and community wells are constructed, there will be no distress sales of livestock and migration during drought,” remarks Rao. Also, farmers are encouraged to use organic manure and natural pesticides and made aware of the importance of conserving native seeds and creation of community seed banks thus multiplying native seed varieties.<br /><br />Children are the future<br />In keeping with Iyer’s belief that “there is no better investment than investing in children,” the organisation has a Sponsors-Relations (S-R) Programme, which aims to ensure health, education, nutrition and protection to abused and underprivileged children in rural areas in Mulbagal taluk, Kolar district in the State, through sponsors. There are 745 sponsors from across the world. “Every month we receive more than 300 letters from sponsors. Children are encouraged to reply to their letters, as it strengthens their relationship,” says Lalitha, who is a field co-ordinator with the Sponsors-Relations (S-R) Programme.<br /><br />The case of Santosh, a sponsored child, illustrates how timely intervention by a sponsor empowered a family. Santosh, a native of Nagamangala village in Mulbagal taluk, hails from a poor family, which is dependent on daily wages for sustenance. The family did not even have a roof over their head. <br /><br />Things changed for the better when Santosh was enrolled under the S-R programme. With timely monetary assistance, Santosh’s family got a concrete house, a toilet constructed, bought a milch cow and sheep. Santosh’s father Vasudevappa, who earlier spent the entire day drinking, is now a responsible man. <br /><br />Children and youth centric<br />Through distribution of library books to students studying in government schools, exposure visits, celebration of Child Rights’ Week, participation in the Children’s Panchayat, creation of a ‘Learning Corner’ and Child Resource Centres, where kids get to access books, toys and other learning materials, Grama Vikas has contributed in stimulating their physical, psychological and intellectual development. Under RIP-3 (Reading, Writing and Skill Development Programme), which was implemented in 18 villages, children studying from Class I to Class V were given learning material, copy writing books, stationery, etc. Children were taught pronunciation, reading, writing and comprehension and other subjects, by trained volunteers. <br /><br />At the end of three months of training, nearly 80 per cent of the children showed notable improvement, says Harish, who works with children in the six-to-fourteen years bracket. <br />The organisation provides nutritious food to pregnant women and aganwadi children, educates women about the importance of cooking healthy food using locally available greens, vegetables and sprouted grains, thus tackling malnutrition among children, conducts regular health and blood check up camps. <br /><br />Grama Vikas also has a ‘Skilled and Involved Youth Programme’ as part of which it sponsored 16 youths for a five-day multi-media training including photography. The youths were encouraged to appreciate good photography, shown documentaries of well-known photographers like Sebastiao Salgado, a South-American documentary photographer. <br /><br />Strengthening Gram Panchayats<br />Realising the importance of Gram Panchayats, Grama Vikas adopted O’Mittur Grama Panchayat in Mulbagal taluk. <br /><br />Several training programmes were conducted for O’Mittur Grama Panchayat members. <br />To make the Grama Panchayat a part of the development process and to provide them with an opportunity to implement their ideas and gain tangible results, a number of activities were carried out under the panchayat in collaboration with Grama Vikas, such as carrying out a plastic-free panchayat programme, tackling fluoride content in water, celebration of International Women’s Day etc. <br /><br />One such activity is the Native Seeds Mela. Inspired by the ‘Millets Mela’ organised in Gandhi Bhavan in Bangalore, Grama Vikas sent a batch of farmers to participate in the mela. On returning from Bangalore, a five-day ‘Native Seeds Mela,’ was organised by Grama Vikas in association with O’Mittur Grama Panchayat at Avani jathre (fair), which is held for a span of 15 days. <br /><br />Various native seeds, which are indigenous to Kolar district, were displayed at the stall. Native varieties of cowpeas, tur dal, ragi were the prime attraction of the stall. <br /></p>
