Swadesh in Bastar – How :ift irrigation changed Lives in Kelaur Village
Agriculture in Central India is dominated by paddy cultivation with a large section of farmers only engaging in kharif agriculture. The same village, post-kharif season is filled with uncertainty, and very few households engage in profitable agriculture in the rabi and summer seasons. Some of the reasons behind this are traditional; yet,this is mainly due to the rocky terrain and undulating lands, leading to non-availability of water for crops. In Kelaur, the didis of the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have found a new direction and have started reaping the benefits of their hard work. This article documents the efforts of the community, the civil society organisations and the government department, which led to this transformation in Kelaur.
Kelaur Village and Its Conditions
Parwati, a tribal woman from Kelaur grampan Agriculture chayat(GP), wonders if borrowing food from neighbouring households is a permanent solution to her and her family’s troubles. She has been managing her household needs with the income from working in the fields and by selling rice and livestock as per needs. Like other families in the village, she and her husband have many different sources of income, for example, she works as a shepherd sometimes and her husband works as labour in construction and in the fields.