Concept note for Govardhan Rural Development
Problem Statement
As per the census of 2000 there were 10.67 crore Landless agricultural labourers in India, As per census of 2011 we have 14.3 crores landless agricultural labourers in India.
This is a clear proof of the pathetic condition of farmers across the country.And Palghar although next door neighbor of the financial capital of India(Mumbai) is no exception.
Farmer’s distress is due to less income through only rain fed agriculture, thus resulting in Mass scale migration leading to various social issues related to alcoholism and families getting separated.
Interpreting Interventions
With the above challenge in mind Govardhan Rural Development(GRD) Programme has taken up the challenge to address these issues.
GRD vision is: Empower and Energise Rural Communities
Mission is: Create solutions for improved social, economic, ecological and cultural conditions of the tribal communities
This vision and mission is achieved through a well thought out strategy that spreads across 7 verticals.
- Empowerment of Farmers
- Water Resource Development
- Livelihood for Landless
- Women’s Empowerment
- Rural Education
- Skill Development and Enhancement
- Health Care
Empowerment of Farmers
This programme is meant to empower farmers to improve agriculture practices so that
they can live off the land through just income from agriculture and livestock
development.
It is strategically planned in a
- Long Term planning – through horticulture practices like growing fruit trees like
(Mangoes, sapota, jack fruits and Cashew). In this income starts at the end of 5 years
- Middle term planning – through Jasmine plantation which starts income in around 1.2
years
- Short Term planning – Through Indigenous varieties of high yielding vegetable seeds and
Aromatic and Medicinal varieties of rice are grown. In this the income will start in 3-4
months.
The above strategy is implemented through 6 activities
- Symbiotically Enhanced Wadi Agriculture – ( Wadi basically is local word for a
small plot of land) Through this programme Long, middle and short term planning
is implemented.
- Organic Farming
- Seeds Conservation
- Government Linkage
- Farmers Training
- Livestock Development.
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Water Resource Development
Agriculture cannot sustain without water and thus we have our WRD programme which
is aimed at perennial water supply for supporting perennial agriculture of multiple crops
in a year.
It has three pronged approach:
- Community Based Lift Irrigation
- Drinking Water Facility
- Customized Water Irrigation facility
Now once the farmers have been stabilized on the land by improved agriculture
practices and water resource development. We need to take care of other important
stake holders in the village that is
- Landless labourers
- Women
- Children(Kids and teenagers)
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Women Empowerment
Women’s Empowerment is promoted through the established Self Help Groups(SHG’s).
But the approach is first to Strengthen, Stabilize and Train the group and only then go
for Income Generation Activity and then training women with market linkage to sell the
produce. This leads to a long term stabilizing of the SHG’s
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Livelihood for Landless
As mentioned earlies a lot of rural communities lose their land or just do not have land
for agriculture.
They are stabilized through implementing Micro enterprises like : sewing machine,
welding machine, snack stalls…
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Rural Education
Children are taken care through 3 ways
- Science and Mathematics programme
- Community programmes for value education
- School Programmes
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Skill Development and Enhancement
at the BKVK through National Institute of Open
University and Diploma in Basic Rural Technology is given after two years on intensive
training.
Students are trained in
- Agriculture
- Home and Health
- Energy and Environment
- Engineering
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Healthcare
Common to all the above different stakeholders is health and thus we have the Health
Care programme which deals with different health issues of the rural communities
especially in tackling:
Avoidable blindness,
Screening of patients for cancer and kidney failures and then treating them at our state
of the art BhaktiVedanta Hospital at Mira Road.
Apart from this we also offer the care giver course for generating the professional skilled
work force to take care of the elderly population while giving employment to the
underprivileged youths
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