kerala state western ghat development programme...

W.G.D.P: Mutholapuram Watershed Project 2008 - 2011

Muvattupuzha Social Service Society, Muvattupuzha

KERALA STATE WESTERN GHAT DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAMME

A REPORT ON DOCUMENTATION AT KUNNACKAL –

VELLAPAELY THODU WATERSHED PROJECT

Submitted to

Secretary of Planning and Economic Affairs (E) Department

Submitted by

MUVATTUPUZHA SOCIAL SERVICE SOCIETY (MASS)

Muvattupuzha



PREFACE

We have great pleasure in presenting the watershed based documentation report of

Mutholapuram watershed project before secretary of government. We place on record our

sincere attitude to the officials, activist, volunteers and general public who contributed to the

success of this programme as a part of decentralization of power, our government encouraged

peoples participation for developing the society. The participation of people in the planning

process, implementation and monitoring make the programme more effective.

Let us express our sincere thanks to the Western Ghat Cell officers, District Planning

officer, Assistant Planning officer, at present and former and the District Collector for entrusting

us such an activity and we consider it as an honor to our institution for the development of all

society.

We presenting this report expressing on gratitude for the co – operation by all whom we

have not mentioned and expecting the same commitment and determination which was shown

during the preparation of this report and the future activities also.



WESTERN GHAT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (WGDP)

A separate Western Ghat Development Programmes (WGDP) was launched in 1974 –

1975 as a part of the programme for the development of the hill areas of the country. The

delineation of the Western Ghats region for inclusion in programme was settle in 1981 by the

one man committee headed by Dr. M.S.Swaminadhan, then member- in charge of the hill area in

the planning commission. The programme is being implemented in 159 taluks comprising of

Western Ghats in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa with the area of 157.95

thousands square kilometers and population of 382.09 lakhs (1981 Census).

Watershed Management

The concept of watershed development is that the development and management of the

resources in the watershed so as to achieve higher production that can be sustained without

causing any deterioration in the resources base for causing no ecological imbalances. For the

formulation and implementation of a package of programmes for action for optimum resources

use in the watershed without adversely affecting the soil and water base or life supporting

system. The watershed development aims at preventing watershed degradation that results

interaction of physiographic features, eliminate unscientific land use, inappropriate cropping

pattern, soil erosion thereby improving and sustainable productivity of resources leading to

higher income and living standard for the inhabitants in the watershed area. Therefore it involves

restoration of eco system and protecting and utilizing the locally available resources with in a

watershed to achieve sustainable development.

The people feel the impact of the development works since entire watershed is fully

treated after proper planning. It is the policy and the principle of the central and state

governments that all the development works related to land, water, and other natural resources

management works must be taken on watershedbasis. The various programmes under operation

are; (i) Western Ghat Development Programme (WGDP), (ii) Drought Prone Area Programme

(DPAP), (iii) Integrated Watershed Development Programme (IWDP),(iv) National Watershed

Programme for Rain Fed Agriculture(NWDPRA), Western Ghat Development Programme

having the basic objectives of landand water resources management for sustainable production

and environmental protection.Watershed management is an effective solution to many of



thecommon problems like drought, flood, integration of many programmes of soil conservation,

afforestation, minor irrigation, crop protection ect.

Watershed Profile

Name of the Watershed : Mutholapuram

Watershed Toposheet No : 58/C/N.

Latitude :9049’04”to9

051’ 01”(N)

Longitude : 760

33’23”to76035’0”(E)

Name of the important thodu : Mutholapuram thodu

Name of the river in which the thodu joining : Perumbadavom thodu

Name of the wards included : 3, 4, 5Elanji Grama Panchayath, 1 of

Uzhavoor Grama Panchayath

Gramapanchayats : Elanji, Uzhavoor

Block : Pampakuda

Taluk : Muvattupuzha

District : Ernakulam

State : Kerala

Total Area : 625 ha

Treatable Area : 500 ha

Total No. of houses : 1153

Population : 4734



Boundaries

North : Kizhakombu, Koothattukulam Grama Panchayath

East : Puthuveli, Veliyannoor Grama Panchayath

South : Parts of ward 1 of Uzhavoor Gama panchayath

West : Parts of ward 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Elanji Grama Panchayath

Mutholapuram Watershed project

Mutholapuram watershed area is an agricultural tract and it is structured out Elanji and

Uzhavoor Grama Panchayaths. Total area is 625 ha and treatable area is 500 ha. This watershed

area is hilly, sloppy, and soil erotted too. Majority of the inhabitants were poor farmers

struggling for their livelihood. Land could not be utilized in a sustainable manner. People in this

area are facing many problems like drinking water scarcity, soil erosion, heavy drought, low

productivity etc. Better watershed management can minimize this problem.

Watershed Committee

The watershed committee is the executive arm of the watershed community. Its memberships

should be as follows

1. Ten farmers from the Watershed community identified in a general body meeting through

draw of loads and having land ownerships as follows

Below 50 cent - 2 members

50 – 100 cent – 2members

101 – 250 cent – 2 members

251 – 500 cent – 2 members

Above 500 cent – 2 members

2. Five representatives of kudumbasree or S.H.G’s or N.H.G’s in the watershed community

3. Representatives of N.G.O’s active in thearea of watershed development

4. All officials of the working group on agriculture, allied sectors and poverty reduction.



5. Elected members from the wards in the watershed area

6. The president of the Grama Panchayath will be the chairman of the watershed committee

and the agricultural officer will be its convener.

DETAILS OF P.I.A

MUVATTUPUZHA SOCIAL SERVICE SOCIETY

Muvattupuzha Social Service Society is a reputed Non – Government organization with

efficient personnel’s. This agency is working for the upliftment of the poor and neglected and

weaker sections of the society. Muvattupuzha Social Service Society is registered under

Societies Registration Act 1955. Reg. No. ER/471/04 (Travancore – Cochin Literal, Scientific

Trust Act 1955). Some of our activities are given below.

Awareness Programmes

Muvattupuzha Social Service Society conducted 45 awareness programmes in different

parts of Muvattupuzha and Kothamangalam Taluks

Camps Co – ordinated

1. Ayurvedic camp

2. Special camps on National days

3. Cattle rearing awareness camp

Training programmes Co – ordinated

1. Personality development programme

2. Vegitable cultivation training programme

3. Food processing training programme

4. Medicinal plants cultivation training programme

5. Training on soft toys making



Organizational effort to encourage ecological sustainability

Encourage eco-friendly farming practices through:

1. Encourage use of bio – fertilizers to the Pineapple, Banana and Paddy cultivation.

2. Give training and technical assistance to start Vermi compost unit and bio fertilizers.

3. Create positive attitude among the people towards eco – friendly farming practices.

Role and Responsibility of Muvattupuzha Social Service Society in this Project

1. Study the watershed area (Geographical peculiarities & social characteristics)

2. Understand the needs and problems of that area.

3. Priorities the needs and problems.

4. Identify the felt need

5. Conduct tools like P.R.A and Base line data collection

6. Prepare a project plan based on this needs with the people’s participation.

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) of Mutholapuram Watershed

Introduction

The term watershed development has got much popularity in new development

endeavours. Watershed is a natural unit that binds together soil, water, and bio resources.

Watershed development is a topic that in being discussed widely in these days. The changing

outlook in that the overall development can be brought about only by harnessing they above

mentioned resources.

Watershed area development aims at sustainable development by safeguarding nurturing

enriching the available ground water – bio resources in their natural habitat and thus ensuring the

overall development of that area in an ecofriendly manner. The identified area ofMutholapuram

Watershed project is constituted with portion of area in Elanji&Uzhavoor Panchayaths in

Ernakulam district.

This Watershed area is an under developed both in agriculture, industry and

infrastructure. Majority of the people depend agriculture for their livelihood. The price fall of



agriculture products, low fertility of soil, plant diseases, the climatic extremes, unavailability of

water at proper time, unscientific farming methods etc. leads to the low economic status of these

people. The infrastructural facilities are limited in this area and also health facilities are very

poor.

Participatory Rural Appraisal may be defined as “a versatile semi – structured process of

learning from, with and by local people about rural conditions” (Leurs. R 1993)

Building up of report is the first step to a PRA approach. Rapport with the rural folk is

built by spending sufficient time with them so that the mistrust of outsider is overcome. These

make for free and frank discussion, learning and sharing of information (Chambers R1992). The

main emphasis by Chambers in the theory of PRA is on attitudinal change, from teaching to

learning, from doing to facilitating, from taking away information to sharing and leaving it with

the community, “We know – they do not know” to “they know – we do not know”.

Principles of PRA

1. Right attitude – openness, humility, curiosity, acceptance and sensitivity

2. Right behavior – sharing, being friendly, showing respect, embracing,

error, listening not lecturing.

3. Flexibility and innovations – do not convert PRA in to a set of rigid

methods and fixed jargon: allow it to evolve continuously.

4. Triangulation (source, method, point of view)

5. Appropriate imprecision.

Objective of PRA

Participatory Rural Appraisal can be defined as a method, which aims to obtain multiple

feedback of any given area. PRA evoke enthusiasm, interest and participation of village

community. PRA is carried out in the Mutholapuram Watershed area with the following

objectives.



General Objective

To understand the socio – economic conditions of the people living in the Watershed area

and identify the problem with the people and thereby designing appropriate project intervention.

Specific Objectives

To access information on

Historic and cultural background of the village.

Agricultural cropping pattern.

Existing infrastructural facilities and institutions in that area.

Social settings of the area in terms of caste composition, economic classification

and social conditions.

Existing problems and solutions.

Use of PRA

PRA has been used by NGOs for implementing programmes having a participatory

approach involving relatively small areas, population and a long time frame

Methodology

PRA exercise was conducted in Mutholapuram Watershed area using following methods

People related methods

1. Social Map

2. Wealth Ranking

3. Venn Diagram

Resource related method

1. Time Line

2. Trend Analysis

3. Seasonality Analysis



Household Survey

The house hold surveys conducted initially provide to be an extremely routine exercise

with a very marginal impact in establishing a report with people. While conducting survey,

community people were in convinced about watershed programme and its procedure during

implementation

An attempt was made to collect certain personal and social characteristics of the

community people in the Mutholapuram Watershed area in order to understand the socio

economic status and infrastructural facilities

Details that Obtained through Survey as follows

Total population of this watershed area is about 4734 among these 2394 males and 2340

females. The main religious domination in this area is Christians, and Hindus the total area of the

watershed is 625 hector and treatable area is 500 hector. It is an agrarian community mainly

depends on Rubber, Coconut, Arecanut, paddy, Banana, for their livelihood. In this project area

there are 1153 houses out of this 1106 house holders are electrified, 876 houses has own wells



and 277 households depend on public tap for drinking water. The main livestock included in this

area Cow, Goat, and Hen.

Watershed Community (Grama Sabha)

This is the general body of the residents of the watershed as well as farmers who own

land within the watershed area. Its functioning’s are

1. Discuss local problems and possible solutions based on available data and arrive at

consensus on the priorities.

2. Mobilize the contribution of the beneficiaries to the programme.

3. Ensure full beneficiary participation in the implementation

4. Decide on locations of public assets created as a part of the programme.

5. Sort out problems, which may arise during implementation.

6. Conduct social audit of the programme every six month.

7. Selection of beneficiaries.

In the project period the watershed community meets 15 times with in the participation of

minimum quorum.



Natural Resource Management (NRM)

SL.

NO

COMPONENTS UNITS NO.

OF

B.F

B.F.

SHARE

P.R.I.

SHARE

W.G.D.P.

SHARE

AMOUNT

1 Contour bund 8441 103 539841

2 Rain pit 2000 21 62000

3 Centripetal terrace 1000 20 25000

4 Digging of new

well

11 11 55000 55000 110000

5 Protection of well 12 12 24000 24000 48000

M.I Works

6 Side protection works to Vettiyuodi 193929 193929

7 Side protection works to Perumbailimeal Padashekharam 38800 38800

8 Rain water harvesting structure 45000 45000

9 Side protection work of Manakkathazham 157592 157592

10 Leading channel for Perumbailimeal 32115 32115

11 Nellikkanam colony soil conservation 165528 165528

12 Urulichalil Colony soil conservation 203435 203435

Production System Management (PSM)

Agricultural Development



SL.

NO

COMPONENT

S

UNITS NO

OF

BF

B.F.

SHARE

P.R.I.

SHARE

W.G.D.P.

SHARE

AMOUNT

13 Nutmeg 403 101 50300 17530 42920 110750

14 Jack tree 190 55 9500 2755 6745 19000

15 Mango tree 189 87 4680 2193 5452 12240

16 Coconut plant 151 38 6040 1752 4288 12080

17 Organic manure 102 102 65000 18850 46150 130000

18 Sprayer 18 18 45000 13050 31950 40500

19 Vegetable

cultivation

50 50 25000 7250 17750 50000

20 Pumb set 6 6 35000 7250 17750 60000

21 Weed cutter 9 9 99000 26100 63900 189000

22 Vermicompost 2 2 15000 4114 10073

30000

23 Aquaculture 5 5 125000 36250 88750 250000

24 Goat rearing 65 65 97500 28275 69225 195000

25 Poultry 190 190 570000 16530 40358 114000

26 Calf rearing 32 32 141714 33143 1256000 256000

27 Dairy 5 5 200000 29000 71000 300000

28 Milching machine 5 5 9250 9250 18500



29 Biogas plant 14 14 184000 32480 79520 112000

30 Cattle shed 13 13 91000 13195 32305 136500

Livelihood Support System (LSS)

31 Tailoring unit for BPL

Women

35 35 71750 99750 171500

32 Toys making 12 12 42190 58754 49056 150000

33 Bee-keeping for SHG 13 13 73907 54155 121938 250000

Project Management Component (PMC)

34 P.R.A & Base line survey 210900

35 Awareness & Training 209726

36 Administration cost of P.I.A. 313386

37 Documentation 104256

Impact of the Project

Natural Resource Management (NRM)

Soil and Water conservation activities

Soil and water conservation activities like Contour bunding with the stone, Rain pit,

Central petal terracing etc helps to decrease soil erosion and it helps to increase the water level in

the soil.In this watershed area Perumbailimeal colony largely affected the problem of soil erosion

so the project give importance to solve this problem and make a leading channel to

Perumbailimeal colony and it helps the colony to reduce the soil erosion. Water conservation

activities like digging of new well, side protection of wells, side protection for thodus, side



protection of ponds etc. Digging of new wells in watershed area helpthe people to solve their

problems related with the drinking water and also it helps the people to get sufficient water for

their agricultural needs and it helps farmers to get water in all season for their agricultural

activities and side protection of wells helps the people to get pure water and avoid diseases

related with the polluted water.

(Contour Bund with Stone)



(Contour Bund with Stone)

(Centripetal Terracing)

(Manakkathazham thodu side protection)



(Leading channel to Perumbillimiyal paddy field)

(Vettiyuodi thodu side protection)



(Protection of existing well)

(Digging of New Well)



(Rain water harvesting tank for Nellikkanam Anganwadi)

Production System Management (PSM)

Agricultural development

Agricultural activities like supply of different types of seedlings (nutmeg, coconut plant,

mango plant, and hybrid jack tree), vegitable cultivation, organic manure, motor pump, sprayers

and other agricultural technologies like Vermi compost etc helps the farmers to increase their

agricultural production and it helps the farmers for the maximum utilization of land. These types

of agricultural activities help the watershed community to return back to organic farming and it

reduce the use of chemical pesticides.



(Vermi Compost)

(Vermi Compost)



(Supply of Vegitable Plants)

(Supply of Mango plants)



(Supply of Sprayer)

(Supply of Manure)



(One day training programme for Aqua culture, Honey – Bee, and Mushroom cultivation)



(Bio gas plant)

(Supply of Hybrid Jack fruit plant)



Animal Husbandry

Animal rearing programmes like Calf rearing, Goat rearing, Milching cow for B.P.L and

A.P.L, Poultry etc. It helps the people especially for the women to get a better economic

condition to satisfy their own needs and also it helps to increase the production of milk, and egg

in the Watershed area.

(Calf rearing)

(Goat rearing) (Supply of Poultry)



(Aqua Culture)

Dairy development programmes

In this watershed area is agrarian community. Agriculture is the main occupation of this

community and cattle’s rearing is a part of their agricultural programmes so dairy development

programmes like Dairy unit, Cattle shed, Milching machine etc helps the watershed community

to increase the production of milk and also it helps the community to get some additional

income.

(Cattle Shed)



(Cattle Shed)

(Dairy Unit)



(Milching Machine Unit)

Livelihood supporting system (LSS)

The project helps inhabitants to improve their living standards. Livelihood supporting

systems like Tailoring unit for B.P.L women, Toys making unit, Bio gas plant, Bee – keeping for

S.H.G’sect helps the people to get improvement in their living conditions.

(Sewing Machine)



(Honey -Bee Unit)

(Toys making Unit)



Limitation

Lack of time is the major limitation to complete the project

Conclusion

The watershed development programme was launched by government of India in1974 –

1975 for the development of hill areas of the country. Kerala has 27.8 m. ha. Forest and only 6.6

m. ha. is treated with soil conservation measures. Almost all areas are accelerated soil erosion,

land slide, loss of productivity, rapid loss of habitat and genetic diversity. The main problems in

the watershed region are the pressure of increasing population on the land and vegetation,

undesirable agricultural practices etc. This fragile eco system is under great pressure due to

submersion of large areas under reservoir, damage to areas due to mining, denudation of forest,

adverse effects of floods, encroachment of forest land.

Growing trend of industrialization and civic needs are also creating increasing challenges

for the present searceland resources. For maintaining the soilin a state of high productivity on

sustainable basis, there is a need for rational use of soil this project is not only to help farmer but

also to protect, restore and reconstruct the fragile eco diversity of our nature.

Kunnackal – Vellapaely thodu watershed project is successfully running with the support

of Community people, Watershed Committee members, Agriculture officer, Panchayath

President, Ward members, Planning and Economic Affairs department.Our humble attempt is the

protection oriented approach to restoration of degraded areas and protection – cum – production

oriented objectives of related natural resources and eco – restoration.

kerala state western ghat development programme...

Documents