Project Umed

Location:

Village: Kasrud Village, Taluka: Mahabaleshwar, District: Satara, State: Maharashtra

SIF Partners:

Save Indian Farmers Foundation-SIFF (Mumbai), Save Indian Farmers (SIF), USA, Jnana Prabodhini

Renovation of farm land, severely damaged by natural calamity (heavy rainfall/ cloudburst dhagputi/ landsliding) on 22 July 2021 to enable the selected farmers from Kasrud village to sow/transplant the rainfed paddy crop on the onset of monsoon 2022.

Background

During August 2021, we received a call on Kisan Mitra helpline from Santosh Khandaskar (a farmer from Kasrud village) about the severe farm damage caused by heavy rainfall on 22 July 2021. Farmers were not able to earn their livelihood due to this severe damage.
1) Tree collapsed
2) Soil, rock and stones eroded
3) Water stream channels damaged
4) A well fully filled with rocks, stones and mud
5) Irrigation pump and pipeline vanished

Background Work

SIFF Team (Deenar Walawalkar-Project Head, Manish & Dr. Yashwantrao Yadav) visited Kasrud field site (project Umed) to check the ground conditions for starting the project implementation. They implemented a plan to restore the farms by JCB machine work and active participation by farmers (Shramadan).

Around 30 to 40 villagers (senior citizens, youths & school childrens) participated in shramdan during the project implementation in April & May 2022. They did daily two hours of shramdan from 4 pm to 6 pm for around 40 days of project implementation.
JCB & Tractor work monitored & work record (date & timing) is kept by Sanjay Khandaskar & team. Mr. Prakash Rathod agreed to contribute with discounted JCB rent as his social responsibility towards farmers’ cause.

SIFF and Jnana Prabodhini Volunteers conducted regular field visits during the project implementation

In 2022, project Umed (renovation of farm damaged by landslide) was successfully implemented by SIFF with support of SIF & Jnana Prabodhini. This is the second year farmers are cultivating the kharif paddy crop. SIFF is now working to enable the Kasrud farmers to cultivate rabbi and summer season crops by lift irrigation from the river.

Activities completed in 2022:

1) Removed the collapsed trees and plant debris from the field area
2) Leveled the farm area by JCB machinery
3) Farm borders bunding by big stones and soil (band bandisthi) is completed
4) Restructured/repaired the channels for the rain water stream

Overall Impact of the Project from 2022

1) Total land renovated: 16 acres
2) Twenty two farmers benefited.
3) Farm land renovated and majority farmers are enabled to cultivate & harvest kharif season paddy crop (Indrayani variety) in year 2022.

Activities completed as of July 31st 2023

Soybean, tur and cotton seeds were distributed to the needy farmers under the Nirdhar project at Parbhani Tanda in Beed. Last week the farmers sowed through the new sowing machine (BBF Method).This sowing technology will surely increase the yield of soybeans and the farmers will benefit financially.For this, SIFF provided seed funding and guidance.

2. Paddy farm school (Bhat sheti shala) was conducted at Umed project site in Kasrud village (Satara District). Agriculture Officer Vishal Suryavanshi guided the farmers on a package of practices of rainfed paddy crop. He also answered the questions of paddy farmers. 12 farmers participated in this farm school (sheti shala). Farm school was successful in spite of the light rains. Farmers are happy about SIFF support & guidance of the Agriculture Department.