Lack of rain
jeopardising
fodder
production
Diversifying livelihoods in Rajasthan
Drought has become an increasing problem for the people of Judya village in
Rajasthan. Each year the villagers have noticed the scarcity of rain jeopardising
agricultural production and access to drinking water. Around 10 years ago villagers
say that they used to be able to grow all the millet they needed for their families, only
purchasing a few other food items such as oil, but now the lack of rain is decreasing
their millet yields forcing them to have to frequently purchase it instead. The villagers
also used to be able to store fodder for their goats and camels but now because of
the lack of rain the availability of fodder has decreased and thus the ability to keep
goats and camels. The overall cost of planting and cultivating the land has increased
as now tractors have to be used instead of camels, and seeds have to be purchased
as the villagers are less able to get good quality seeds from their previous harvest.
This decline in agriculture and livestock has forced villagers to look to alternative
livelihood solutions. Many men have turned to stone mining, a precarious option
which offers poor wages and causes many to suffer from silicosis, a fatal disease of
the lungs caused by prolonged inhalation of silica dust.
Tearfund's partner, Discipleship Centre (DC) has been working in Judya village to
help the community cope better with their changing climate. DC has installed
rainwater harvesting tanks within the village as well as introducing bunding, a
technique of building small embankments around crops to prevent rainwater run-off
and soil erosion. DC has set up and worked with the village's Disaster Management
Committee to advocate to the local government to provide water tankers to fill up the
village water tanks during the dry season, and to increase the water harvesting
infrastructure in the village. The Block Development Officer from the local
government said that he was keen to use the National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (NREGS), a scheme aimed to provide daily wages to local rural villagers, to
build more rainwater harvesting tanks, water channels and ponds to increase water
for agriculture and irrigation use. He saw NREGS as the best way to provide jobs
whilst also looking for ways to mitigate against the effects of drought.
DC has also started self-help groups to help women create revolving funds to give
them savings and loans to start new livelihoods. For example, Mrs Asarlam’s had
taken a loan to start a small shop in their home. After giving R50 a month to her self-
help group's revolving fund for around 18 months, she was able to take out a loan for
R3,000, to purchase what she needed for the shop. Her husband purchases items in
bulk, such as oil, matches and shampoo, from Barlisa, a town around 15 kilometres
away. Together they are now making an income of around R500 a month from which
they are able to save almost R400 a month. Buying items in bulk has helped to
reduce their own personal expenses as well. They have paid the loan back in full now
and Mr Asarlam, who previously worked in the stone mines has been able to give up
this work in order to support his wife in the shop. However he commented that if the
drought continues and they suffer a decline in their income then he will have no
choice but to return to stone mining.
Women from the self help groups felt that the groups, which meet monthly, had
improved their confidence and increased their access to information. They said that
before DC established the groups they never mingled with other ladies except at
weddings and they never had faith in outsiders. Now the responsibility they hold in
managing their savings has increased their standing in the eyes of the men of the
village and given them opportunities to meet with other women and learn new things.