The document discusses several case studies of villages in remote, drought-prone areas of southern India where NGOs have facilitated various interventions to improve agriculture and livelihoods. In one village, self-help groups were formed which federated at the mandal level and engaged in collective procurement, processing, and marketing of crops. In another village, degraded soils were restored through integrated organic farming approaches including construction of bunds and application of compost. Water bodies were also renovated through watershed programs, increasing surface and groundwater.

1. V & A P r o g r a m m e
A F P R O , M A N A G E 1
Facilitation of group centered approach in Agriculture development
OUTREACH, Khammam
Devarapalli is a village in Bhadrachalam mandal of Khammam district. This is a remote
area without any transport facilities. The village has red soils with stony lands, which are
largely uncultivable. Most of the land lies in the forest area. People are illiterate. They
grow very few crops as the land is mostly coming under forest cover. There are no
employment/work opportunities. The crop yields are low to very low and the people are
living in poverty. Groundwater table is two deep leading to no or little irrigation. In this
village 126 families are living.
In this situation 1998 Self-help groups were formed with the help of OUTREACH facilitators.
These self-help groups were federated upto mandal level namely mandal level
Mahasanghams. The Mahasangam is having two different types of activities one is with
financial transactions another with agriculture development i.e. procurement of fertilizers
to reduce dependency on money lenders, purchased tractor for transportation of food
grains, procurement of raw material i.e red gram from the farmers, processing of red
gram, selling of red gram dal to Girijana Cooperative societies by participating in open
tenders, all these activities having been done through self help groups.
The out come of this story is to integrate the Social Resource Management with
Agriculture development. These types of group interventions were required for many of
the developmental programmes.
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2. V & A P r o g r a m m e
A F P R O , M A N A G E 2
Integrated Organic agriculture
PEACE, Nalgonda
The Village Cheekatimamidi located in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh. The village
was having degraded soils. They received highest rainfall during the year 1988 and from
1993 onwards the rainfall is declining. The village is having perennial seasonal streams but
due to drought condition the streams were dried up and ground water was depleted.
Cropping pattern was Jowar, Castor and Red gram.
During this condition the facilitating organization intervened and implemented RIDF
and Agro Forestry programme. A case study of one women headed family with 5 acres
rainfed Degraded soil given hereunder- Through RIDF constructed field bunds; she
applied tank silt, farmyard manure and vermicompost. She went for vegetative fencing.
She is cultivating maize, soargham, Vegetables, castor, rainfed paddy, fodder and
custard appleand getting Rs.1000/yr. She purchased two milch animals also. She is
managing of these crops with non- pesticides. She is managing with low cost input and
getting high cost output. Presently there is a cushioning effect in this degraded soil.
The out come of the story is that, with this type of integrated agriculture on land
management, farming systems approach, crop diversification and non-pesticidal
management to be required for overall development in delivery systems.
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3. V & A P r o g r a m m e
A F P R O , M A N A G E 3
Water bodies
WCUSS, Kurnool
The WCUSS is an organization working Done mandal in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
There was a flood in 1977. During 1993 almost all water bodies were filled with only 10-12
cms rainfall due to accumulation of 70% silt. So water capacity in these water bodies
were reduced. Excess water with silt was going to join in rivers and so on. 80% of water
bodies (Wells) were accumulated with silt. Bushes and plants are coming up in tank bed
areas. In 1995 with the help of watershed development programme these water-
harvesting structures were renovated. After that surface and groundwater was
increased. Greenery was coming up. Crop diversification and cropping pattern were
changed and shifted to commercial and horticulture crops like mango plantations from
paddy.
Presently, there was erratic and less rainfall, they are cutting mango plants because of
drought, Family size was reduced but poverty is increasing. Population of sheep and
goats were increasing There is a fruitful migration in these areas and resulted in digging of
more bore wells.
Natural and Human Resources Development
Disha, Nalgonda
Disha is a non-governmental organization implementing Watershed activities and also
Andhra Pradesh Rural livelihood programme i.e watershed plus activities. They expressed
that they worked with both physical natural resource and human resource point of view.
Social changes have also been taken place in their adoptive villages by creating
awareness through SHGs, UGs, Was etc. they identified strategies towards managing
Natural Resources through these Social institutions.
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4. V & A P r o g r a m m e
A F P R O , M A N A G E 4
Presently farmer needs, knowledge, technical information, instruments of investments i.e.
seed, fertilizers (NPM), supply of micronutrients, self sustaining systems like exchange of
seeds, development of micro enterprises, marketing facilities etc.
Excessive borewells
REDS, Ananthapur
Kadiri mandal was a drought mandal 15 years back, seven years back there were 425
suicidal deaths in this mandal because of 90% failure of bore wells, even children suicidal
cases also very high in this area. Women trafficking were also very high. During this
situation a Rayalaseema drought group was formed with 8 NGOs. They are implementing
watershed and other related activities.
The outcome was that they conducted suicidal study, accordingly the counseling
centers were established for those attempt to suicide farmers, discussion with money
lender for settlement of debts. Seed dibbling and natural regeneration was taken place
in forest area. Desiltation and cattle ponds were constructed, ridge portion was covered
with watershed development programme, and feeder channels were renovated.
Importance of traditional methods in Agriculture Development
facilitation
Mr. Balaram Reddy, President of Farmers Federation, Medak District.
Mr. Balaram Reddy is progressive farmer and also president of farmers federations of
Medak district.He emphasized mainly on traditional systems in Agriculture
development.He shared his expierences and observations on present situation of
Agriculture.Due to the poor managememt of water tanks, less interest on livestock and
forest lands Development by the farmers ,lack of advaced technology on Agriculture
the living standards of the farmers come down day by day and farmers also commited
suicides. To over come the all those problems he highlighted the following areas which
are more related to the Agriculture Development.
• To protect the Natural resources
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5. V & A P r o g r a m m e
A F P R O , M A N A G E 5
• To manage the water resources in proper manner
• To avoid the usage of chemical fertilizers in Agriculture
• To practice the organic farming systems and vermicompost in the fields.
• To give importance to the forest lands as well as live stock development
He made the following suggestions to the Government.
• To give support by the Govt for marketing.
• To take openions fom poor farmers rather than small farmers before going to plan
for any policy making issuses.
• To prevent the farmers suicides .
Facilitation of various watershed interventions in agriculture
Development
KVK, Nalgonda.
KVK Gaddipalli is a one of the watersheds implementation agency in Nalgonda district.
They adopted some of the villages which are less rain fall i.e. 600mm, drought proofing
crops cultivated areas. Due to the lack of employment opportunities within the village
level, 70% people were migrated from these villages. They have done so many
Watershed interventions like conversion of irrigation tanks to percolation tanks, New
percolation tanks, field bundings, desiltation of the tanks and check dams etc.During
project period they worked on the following interventions in watershed areas.
• Vermicompost preparation through biomass chopping .
• Vermicompost preparation through usage of Azolla i.e. 1ac-
800kg/day.Azolla is helped for earthwards multiplication.
• Livestock development.
• Crop diversification .
• Biomass
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6. V & A P r o g r a m m e
A F P R O , M A N A G E 6
Facilitation of practice of different farming systems approach in
agriculture Development
MARI, Warangal.
MARI is one of the NGO in Warangal district, main focus on watersheds and different
farming systems approach. They focused on various activities in agriculture.
• To create water source for domestic animals through tanks Desiltation .
• To practice cotton seed with chick pea sowing.By this the cotton seed
germination rate is increased.
Facilitation of biomass and organic farming in agriculture
development
REEDS, Mahabubnagar.
REEDS is one of the NGO which they are adapting different practices agriculture
development .Pigeon pea is the main crop in their areas.They are doing many practices
in Pigeon pea crop cultivation.
• To control the pest by cutting tops of the crop and in turn this material is used as
Fodder .
• To use other parts of crop as fuel wood and in vermicompost.
Facilitation of Livestock importance in agriculture development
Homo Sapiens, Nalgonda District
Homo sapiens is NGO , working on many activities like which are factors for
development the agriculture.
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7. V & A P r o g r a m m e
A F P R O , M A N A G E 7
• To empower women in project areas.
• To develope the Livestock .
• To Transfer of learings from one other village to villages.
• To create self reliant with in the community.
Facilitation of in NRM activities in agriculture development
WCUSS, Kurnool
WCUSS is NGO which they focusing the following various NRM activities
• Assign lands development through silt application.
• To remove the bushes /plants in tank bed areas, by this the water bodies
capacity may increased.
• To increase ground water level by construction of water harvesting structures.
• To change the cropping patterns by horticultural plantation.
• To increase Poverty because of drought situations.
To encourage the sheep and goat rearings in less rainfall sit
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