Brief description about Ara and Keram, two model village of Jharkhand

1. ARA-KERAM,TWO MODEL VILLAGES
PRESENTED BY – RAHUL SINHABABAU

2. ABOUT THESE VILLAGES….
 1. Ara and Keram village is located in Oramanjhi Tehsil of Ranchi district in Jharkhand,
India.
 2.It is situated 14.5 km and 22 km away from sub-district headquarter Ranchi.
 3. The total geographical village is 60 and 173 hectares.
 4. Era has a total population of 427 people and 90 house and Keram has a population
of 150 people and 38 houses.
 5. Of the total population tribals and Mahtos are living there.
 6.. Agriculture is their main source of livelihood while some also work at different
places in Ranchi and adjoining districts.
 7. Ara-Keram villages is surrounded by hills has earned its tag of model village owing to
its pace od development and determining of the village community to transform their
village.

3. PRINCIPLES FOR DEVELOPMENT…
 The villagers, who said they are following six principles for development are slowly
inching towards prosperity, too. The six principles for development the villagers are,
 1.Sharmdaan (Mass Movement)
 2.Nasha-bandi (No Alcohol)
 3. Nas-bandi (Family planning)
 4.Charai-bandi (Uncontrolled grazing)
 5. Kulhad-bandi (Felling of trees)
 6. Lota-bandi (Open defecation)

4. JSLPS AND SHG….
 In an Ara-Keram village JSLPS (Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society) has
formed different SHG groups(Self Help Groups) in which members discuss problems
and ways to address them. Having decided to make the village liquor free, the
women collected all utensils to make liquor and disposed them off, further
reinforcing the message of the ill effects of liquor. Today the twin villages managed
to end a slew of social ills like alcoholism and superstation.
 The members of SHG groups regularly discuss about the work progress, and
problems related to their community including supporting each other in agricultural,
financial issues and other issues. With the assistance of the forest Department,
about 25 Ha. of land was treated by Afforestation. Benefits like seeds, agricultural
inputs, other inputs under various schemes of Agriculture and allied departments
were also availed and equipments such as drip irrigation system, pumpsets, etc.,
were also availed and utilized for the betterment of people.

5. Nasha-bandi……
 The people of Ara Keram village were joined hands to make the village ‘Nesa
mukt’ (alcohol free). Even the government is working with such an aim and
willpower.
 Gram Pradhan of Ara village, Gopal Bediya, said that “When we decided to ban
on alcohol, initially there were hurdles but the women stood by our
side,whenever they find their husband drunk, the women started to take up the
matter in the gram Sabha. Regular embarrassment and pressure from the
village heads, gradually forced them to leave.”
 One of the major challenges for the officer and the villagers were to strengthen
the Gram Sabha and stop alcoholism to help to save money. In three years, the
average income of the villages has gone up by over five times

6. SHARMDAAN (MASS MOVEMENT)
Inspired by Relegan Sidhhi,the village community had resolved to keep their village clean
through voluntary Sharmdaan. Starting with children the whole community now unites for this task
and others, to further develop their village. the villages made an Inspiration for the world for
cleanness.
Every house in the villages is not only neat and clean but checked up with various quotes
against social evils. Majority of the houses have toilets constructed through government –
sponsored schemes.
At 4 A.M, whoever wakes first, calls out the others using the mike from our announcement room.
Everyone, be it the elderly or children, takes a broom and cleans their surrounding for an hour.
Thereafter, the two tutors hold a class for all the children before they leave for school. Others go
about their daily work, mostly in farms.
A normal morning in the villages begins at 4 AM, with all resident contributing the one-hour
cleaning programme before getting down to their daily chores. There is barely any litter, because
women have erected 60 contraptions made of bamboo that are used as dustbins. Once that is
done, a few tutors conduct classes for children in both villages till they leave for school while
others go to their daily work.

7. Kulhad-bandi (Felling of trees)….
 Other measures adopted by the villages include
afforestation, conserving 80 acres of forest land by
banning felling of trees, control on over grazing.
 A ‘forest protection committee’ had been formed
earlier to protect the nearly forest, headed by a young
and energetic president. Under this, even plant debris
is not used by villagers for their personal use and on
14th April every year Raksha Bandhan is observed when
villages are made of the important of forests. Felling of
trees is strictly forbidden as women and youth do a
remarkable job of protecting the forest lands.

8. . Lota-bandi (Open defecation)
 Villagers have took a challenge to construct toilets in every house. Government
helps the villagers by providing them such sponsored schemes so that they make
toilet in every house and use it.
 Every house in the villages is not only neat and clean but decked up with various
quotes against social evils. Majority of the houses have toilets constructed through
government – sponsored schemes.

9. RULES AND REGULATION
 One entering the two neighboring villages, one will not miss the notice boards put up
prominently at various places to announce these principles. Every resident has to
abide these rules, if any one did not follow the rule, they have to pay the fine, the
Gram-Sabha imposes a fine of Rs 1001 on first offence and subsequent violation leads
to their disconnection from the government scheme.
 Sunil Sharma, head of the cluster facilities team of MNREGA scheme and deputed
here to work in Tandem with villages. He said that, “People here are aware and have
the will power to walk the extra mile for everyone’s good. That has made the
difference. The government can sanction schemes, but execution becomes easy if
there is mass support.”
 He also said “ We never planned anything in advance, but just took up issues one by
one which concern us from time to time gradually, it becomes a movement of sort.”

10. Result and Impact…
 Given that agriculture was the main source of livelihood in Ara-Keram, water harvesting
structures and ponds were constructed and used for agriculture and fisheries. The
Department of Agriculture, Animal husbandry and Co-operatives identified, trained and
provided fish spawn to beneficiaries.
 In addition, Jungle Bachao Samiti protected and rejuvenated the forests spread across
80 hectares of land. A total 45 Dova (farm ponds) were constructed of which 33 were filled with
adequate water during the rainy season and are being utilized for fish farming while the
remaining 12 Dova are located on the upstream ridges and do not have sufficient water
retention capacity. Hence, they are used as collection and recharging ponds of surface water.
Breeding of different species of fish has been taken up in all 33 ponds, helping the farmer to
earn Rs. 10000 to Rs. 15,000 per year.
 Suraj Karmali, a resident of Ara village said how he started growing crops around the year.
He said “ Earlier, I only used to do farming during the kharif season, but from last year
onwards, I have taken up vegetables farming too, as there is enough water in the doba on my
farm”

11. WATER- CONSERVATION EFFORTS….
 The villagers said they were inspired after a chance
visit in 2016 to Ralegaon Siddhi in Maharashtra, the
native village social activist Anna Hazare, who has taken
up developmental work there.
 On their water conservation efforts, Ramesh Bediya, head
of village forest conservation committee, said in three
months, they created around 650 check-dams to channel
water running down from Domba Pahar to farms to tide over
problems of irrigation facilities, stop soil erosion and
wastage of rain water.
 He also said that “We first approached the government
(MNREGA department) to approve the project. They hailed
our plan but asked us to wait due to imposition of model
code of conduct in place due to Lok Sabha polls. But
rather than wasting time, we took up the mantle to build
minor check dams by using loose boulders available in

12. Continue…
 The Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann ki Baat, made a special
mention of the villages saying it a model for the country on efforts
towards water conservation.
 He also said “The way villagers of Ara-Keram showed enthusiasm towards
water management is an example for everyone. The villagers by
contributing labour give a certain direction to the stream water flowing
out of the hill that too by adopting pure Deshi method. Besides checking
soil erosion and waste of crops, the farm fields are also getting water by
the effort.”
 Reacting to PM’s praise, the residents said that they began
their work in 2016-end and the Prime Minister has enthused
them further.

13. THANK YOU