Kalyanpur Samastipur Bihar

1. MNREGS KALYANPUR
A PHOTO ESSAY
BY
TARUN KUMAR
PO
KALYANPUR

2. The works undertaken as part of MAHATMA GANDHI NATIONAL RURAL
GUARANTEE ACT (MGNREGA) Kalyanpur have strengthen natural
resource management and addressed causes of chronic poverty like
Flood, drought, connectivity, deforestation, sanitation and soil erosion,
thereby encouraging sustainable development. However, the fact that it
is not simply a work creation programme but derives its legitimacy from
being an asset creation programme
It is not only some digging or filling but workers have built roads to
farms, fields and tolas where there were none. They have replaced
scrublands with forests, built earthen structures for impounding water
and preventing soil erosion, cleared lands and levelled them to make
them cultivable and made the assets beneficial in terms of reduced soil
erosion, increased water availability, groundwater recharge, biomass,
savings in diesel costs due to increased availability of
water.In this photoessay, I have shared a few examples of these assets
and activities from the panchayats of Kalyanpur Samastipur. These are
good examples of what the MGNREGA can and has achieved. The
materials presented here are the part of material collected over the
course of three years of my tenure as a Programme Officer in Kalyanpur
block

3. The primary purpose of roads built under the
MGNREGA is to establish connections to places that
were previously inaccessible, seasonally or
otherwise. Ten panchayats of this block was flood
affected upto 2007 and four of them is still under
threat per year. The difference of such roads can
make in lives of users is tremendous. The farm road
in panchayats has enabled farmers bring their
harvests home on a vehicle or tractor, saving on
time, costs and effort. Until then, they had to carry
headloads with great difficulty. There were almost
30 isolated hamlets in different panchayats are
connected now from all weather soling roads.
Farmers had come forward to offer their private land
and the path from hamlet cut righth through his plot
. More than 105 kilometer of soling road built
through MNREGA in Kalyanpur block

4. Livelihood to connecting
livelihood

5. CONNECTED REMOTE
FIELDS TO COLLECT
HARVEST

6. ISOLATED MAHADALIT
TOLAS

7. Water Consevation
Over the last three years, panchayats has improved agricultural
productivity by taking advantage of the opportunities to create assets- a
farm ponds and embankments and land levelling on his fields- created
under the Act. The enhanced water storage and recharge capacity of
public ponds. There are 55 public ponds here. Some of it desilted to
enhance storage capacity under the scheme and other already desilted
to cater the need of soil for other ongoing schemes. Seventy farm ponds
made under the scheme, now farmer uses the water from the pond to
cultivate wheat, vegetables and potato, They recently included brinjal to
his list of produce. He also shares pond water with his neighbours for
non-farming purposes. In another part of Triambakeshwar, Started from
Kurhwa panchayat whre some farmers built a farmpond under the
MGNREGA sacrificing a portion of his productive land to do so. Some
farmers had seen his acquaintance in a neighbouring village farm fish
and was inspired to do the same. In FY 13-14 the farmers shaow the first
season of pisciculture and the entire village was waiting to see if he
would succeed. If he does, Hajpurba and Ajna panchayats shown the way
and pisciculture in small farm pond is succeeded. Now we have
applications for new farm pond from almost all the panchayats and some
of the schemes ongoing too. The main problem, Some farmers says, they
have to learn about a commercial fish farm, even if the MGNREGA had
provided them a stepping stone. Now dependence of ground water for
wheat cultivation is reduced. Yet there is a huge prospect in water
conservation in Kalyanpur block. There are so many flood structures in
private land could be reshaped for better output and 12 kilometer
structure of dead Shanti river is untapped. This 12 kilometer stretch
could be renovated for livelihood of more than 500 households. In
remote Tera, Kalaunjar, Sormar and Namapur panchayats have more
than 50 flood structures in private lands. Gram sabha of the panchayats
can gain the interest of land owners for better output.

8. Total 55 public
ponds
MOST OF THEM ALREADY
DESILTED FOR LOCAL USE

9. 40 out of 55
contains water
over the year
WATER EXISTS

10. Schemes of Farm Pond
Over 50 schemes taken
under NREGS

11. Over 70000 m3 water to be
stored in newly made farm
ponds

12. Dependence of ground
water for wheat cultivation
is reduced

13. Fish production started
from some new points

14. Flood structures
A huge source of water

15. Shanti river structures
Huge potential of water
conservation

16. 12 Kilometer of structures to
be restructured for better
result

17. Afforestation
• The climate that prevails in this area is quite suitable for
growth, development and quality of plants. The warm and
humid weather of 2nd fortnight of October is considered
congenial for start the plantation with desirable initial growth.
Low temperature, bright sunshine and low humidity during
early growth stage of sapling plants help, in initial growth. Ten
panchayats where low and flood prone land rest panchayats
are having good condition for afforestation. However prior to
FY 11-12 the condition were not so encouraging but now the
panchayats have the success stories. Malinagar, Kharsand
east, Bhagirathpur, Kalyanpur, Chakmehsi, Namapur kurhwa
etc are the panchayats are successful paradigms of grown
plants. In these panchayts more than 80 percent of plant
survived. Intercropping with plantation in Bhagirathpur
panchayat reflects the huge potential of intercropping with
planted tree even it be with the road side plantation. The
story of Bhagirathpur intercropping published in ‘Samriddhi’,
newsletter of Rural Development deparment Bihar. Now we
have running plantation schemes in almost all panchayats of
this block. Plantation in private land is being taken in ten
panchayats and smallholders see a livelihood activity with
MNREGS. Now the farmers understanding that trees on and
around farms are some of the most durable assets while they
provide a host of environmental services like nutrient
recycling, carbon storage, resilient cropping environments,
and enabling agricultural land to withstand extreme weather
events.

18. STARTED WITH A NEW
THEME

19. WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL
REPRESENTATIVES

20. GETTING THE MOTIVATION
OF WORK FORCE

21. Intercropping in Bhagirathpur
Ten thousand plants and fresh vegetables of worth Rs. 5 lacs(approx) distributed in
the panchayats

22. Road side plantation

23. Other durable Assets
• community has a role in choosing which assets to build, they tend to be maintained well.
Several assets have lasted and are in good condition beyond a year. Some assets chosen by
the community are for make the asset durable too. Like some guard walls, chabutara for
multi use, park for beautification, filling land to safeguard the home and other building.
Rajeev Gandhi Sewa Kendras as office building. Drainage system in some panchayats,
household toilets, small bridges Brick structures are most easily recognizable as durable
assets, far more valuable to the lives and livelihoods of small holder farmers, pastoralists,
forest dwellers, herders, and fisher folk are restored and well maintained natural resources.
While there is scope for better design, the idea that MGNREGA assets are non-durable
seems to be a generalisation, not fully supported by evidence. The examples I have shared
here are testimony to what can be achieved under the MGNREGA and what is possible.
These examples challenge the concept that the MGNREGA is all about “digging holes” and
“filling them”. Through improved design of assets, careful selection of works and local
involvement in planning, the MGNREGA offers an ideal platform to support agriculture and
adapt to climate change.
For More activities, photos and article , please visit the pages:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ITi8xKAPAQ
• http://www.ruralsamastipur.blogspot.in
• http://www.ruralbihar.blogspot.in
• https://flic.kr/s/aHskgpAEzc
• https://flic.kr/s/aHsk334E5G

24. MNREGA Bhawan

25. Inclusion of stakeholder at
panchayat level

26. Participation of right
stakeholder

27. Chabutara

28. Levelling of school ground