“Can small things make huge difference? It is often told to learn from creatures as small as an ant. A small atom of hydrogen hold the immense power to collapse a huge area, although small they make major change.”Here is the story of small things which made a huge difference in life of rural farmer. Integrated Watershed Management Program is the catalyst behind the story. When did the project start?

The project was started in year 2012-13 and this particular village Chilarvant is part of IWMP-12 project cluster with other fifteen villages of taluka Chottaudepur district Vadodara.

The Need to Execute Watershed Activities in the Villages

The primary reason to promote watershed activities was to improve the agriculture and related activities with the help of conserved water. As most of the people in the area depend on agriculture as livelihood both for consumption and production purposes, unless the watershed activities are under taken the scope for agricultural development seemed meagre. Although dairying is one of the important occupations of the area, the primary source of income is agriculture hence, unless agriculture is developed, per capita income, nutritional status, quality of produce; productivity, economic growth itself is not possible. Cropping pattern also had to be changed to take advantage of both the seasons. Agriculture being the central and connecting link, this project will bring equal opportunities for the poor and marginalized population which is not privileged enough to have enough basic amenities. Also, due to depletion of fertility of soil, water drain and its frequent exposure to drought makes it an area of concern.

It was needed to ensure that poor household has a sustainable livelihood that will increase the economic status of the people and over a period of time increase the asset ownership, self esteem and social participation of down trodden people. The reason for the promotion of watershed was to bring economic growth in the area, where the bottom of the pyramid comprises of BPL households.

Table-1 : Interventions carried out:



Impacts of the Interventions

1. Status of water table and recharging of water

Water table of the ground water is considerable raised this was directly seen from the well of the beneficiary farmer. Previously the water level of that particular well was 35-40 ft from ground level during last kharif. However during current kharif season 10-15 ft from ground level which is huge difference.



2. Increase in irrigation potential

A Farmer named Ratwa karsanbhai holds 2.5 Acres of land, from past few years he is regularly sowing maize in his field. However when watershed programme started in his village and two check walls were constructed in adjacent to his farm and this made a huge difference in his decision for sowing submergence paddy rather than maize.What made him to change his decision?One of checkwall were constructed near his farm in year 2013-14 and right from the first year it gave good results, it stored huge amount of water which is sufficient to irrigate his paddy crop rather than maize. As you can see from picture-1 huge amount of water is being stored and from picture-2 we can see that the farmer is irrigating water in his paddy field with help of just gravity.

3. Social changes: (Community rapport and farmers view point

This little changes which drew good benefits has created a good rapport with community of and has earned the trust of the villagers and now more and more farmer are willing to adopt watershed measures in their farms and their view point towards development has changed.

Farmer Quotes

This is just amazing, water level in my well has risen upto 3mts and it is almost full and I have saw that much water in the well. We could have never know the benefit of check walls more than now.......... more check dams and check walls should be constructed to improve our farming”............

Ratwa karsanbhai (Farmer)

Name of the Village : Chilarvant
Name of the project : IWMP-12
Name of Taluka : Chottaudepur
Name of the District : Vadodara

Contributor : Nitya Pasala, Technical Expert Vadodara and DWDU, Vadodara