Annual Report 201011
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NIRMAN Registered Office at Biruda, Dist-Nayagarh, Odisha
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Foreword NIRMAN, a small yet committed organization with limited resources has demonstrated successful examples of development interventions on sustainable agriculture, agro-biodiversity conservation with special focus on System of Rice Intensification (SRI), Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) and millet farming, crop improvement & seed conservation, environment education and forest governance. Some of its major interventions on SRI, SSI using organic approach and its emphasis on crop diversity have contributed significantly in livelihood and food security of marginalized communities. As a part of climate change risk management, it has enabled agrarian community to adopt a path-breaking innovative solution to Sugarcane cultivation through SSI, which improves productivity (at least 20%) while reducing their investment cost by 35% along with reduction of water use by 30%. Moreover, SSI has helped farmers to grow another short duration crop in between the rows to get additional income and add to farm diversity. NIRMAN has also intervened in wheat and millet cultivation through the SRI principle, increasing the productivity potential and decreasing the input factors. It has promoted home garden and mushroom farming with women groups that has contributed significantly towards ensuring household level nutritional security. Besides this, Environment education with orientation of schoolchildren towards the nutritional value of different crops, their usefulness for the improvement of their health, as well as conservation of the bio-diversity has enhanced their awareness level. NIRMAN, with its support for participatory forest governance, seized the opportunity provided by the progressive legislation of Forest Right Act (FRA) and initiated processes for strengthening of local institutions like Palli Sabha and settlement of ownership rights on forestland & community forest resource. Our emphasis on legal right over forestland prompted us to mobilize communities for filing claims under FRA for title on forestland and traditionally used forest areas in favor of tribal and forest dwelling families of Nuagaon block of Nayagada district. We do not confine ourselves in doing the things only; rather we always try to disseminate the learning of its field experiment to the larger group. After the successful intervention in SSI, the Agriculture Department of Govt. of Odisha has adopted SSI under Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana and promoted SSI with the technical support of NIRMAN in Nayagarh District. Still, the road ahead is much challenging…we have a lot to accomplish. In our journey of 2010-11, we sincerely acknowledge the support of our resource partners i.e. SDTT, ICRISAT-WWF, MINI-DDS, CWS and AgSri for their support to our endeavour. We also express our deep gratitude to the people who believe in us and extend their wholehearted support. Most importantly, the active involvement of the communities has always been a source of motivation to move ahead in the journey towards ecological agriculture and strengthening community control over local natural resources & bio-diversity.
Prasant Mohanty, Executive Director
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Content
Foreword 02
About NIRMAN 04
Where we are working 05
Food Security & System for Rice Intensification (SRI) 06
Livelihood Improvement & Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) 09
Nutritional Security & Home Garden 13
Towards Revive Millet Food and Farming System 16
Conservation of Indigenous Rice seeds & Crop Improvement 19
Environment Education at School Level 21
Democratize Forest Governance using Forest Right Act(FRA) 23
Our Publications 26
Vox Populi 26
Our Partners 29
Financial Statement 30
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NIRMAN, as a not for profit organization under Society Registration Act, XXI of 1860 in 1997‐98 is an environmental action group works for the conservation of bio‐diversity; promotes & advocates eco‐friendly & sustainable livelihood models through livelihood related functional literacy system approach. It promotes innovation that is participatory, encourages efficiency, shares capacities to grow as leaders and aims to build models that promotes equity concerns in natural resource management. NIRMAN believes that ‘people’ are the core to any development process and in order to achieve this, the first step is to value relationships that are built on notions of equity and justice. It stands to support abilities of the local community to preserve biodiversity and manage natural resources sustainably. Till date, the organization has its presence in four backward districts of the State. It mobilized local communities to safeguard the local biodiversity. It has been working with debt bound marginal‐small farming community for sustaining their livelihood security through bio‐diverse farming system approach. It promotes eco‐friendly, low investment practices like SRI, SWI, SCI & SSI for crop improvement through organic approaches. It also works with forest dwelling communities to settle their land rights through Forest Right Act (FRA) and promotes sustainable management of the natural resources for livelihood sustenance. NIRMAN associates with millet growers moves towards establishing localize, nutritious, cultural based farming systems sustaining farming & farm based livelihood. In addition, it works with school children promoting environment education through school gardening. Moreover, it continues campaign with environmental activists to reduce the dependence on carbon‐based energy. Its deals with women SHGs promoting safe food practices. NIRMAN initiates an ‘Organic Village Campaign’ since last year, modifying the villages towards a toxic free food and livelihood system practice.
Located in the coastal semi arid zone of Orissa, the organization marks its presence in the Nayagarh District of the State. It envisions strengthening grassroots marginal farmers’ network by realizing that sustainable agriculture approach is the only means to regain sovereignty over safe food systems. The vision statement gives emphasis on: A self‐reliant society with focus on social justice and equity through economically productive, environmentally sustainable, genuinely democratic strive for integrated development. Further, the mission statement aims to achieve farmer’s control over land, food, seed and farming system that leads to food sovereign state
about NIRMAN…
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Liaison office
Regd. office
Operational district
Where we are working…
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Food Security and System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
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Food Security & System for Rice Intensification In Orissa, cultivation of rice is an important livelihood practice that ensures food security, provides cultural identity, and represents aspirations of the communities. With the growing concern of decreasing productivity among paddy growers, NIRMAN intervened introducing the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) as our core strategy in strengthening household food security through rice cultivation with organic approach. Rice is the staple food. Round the year rice requirement is produced from Kharif. Farming in Kharif only means monsoon rain. A few people go for Rabi season rice cultivation in Odagaon Block of Nayagarh district. However, the monsoon rain dependency Kharif rice cultivation is become more vulnerable in the midst of unpredictable, irregular, un‐even rainfall. When rain water is precious, the conventional method of rice farming consumes huge quantity of water in comparison to SRI method in which average saving of water is nearly 40‐50% (increased plant population and water logging condition are reasons for huge water loss due to evapo‐transpiration, runoff and litching loss). In addition, SRI eases promotion of organic practices and is more yield‐efficient (more than 20%). Given the context, SRI will be a highly useful, effective, sustainable and eco‐friendly approach for the farming zone. With the support of CWS‐SDTT, promotion of SRI has been up‐scaled from 16 villages in July 2009 and now covers 56 villages of 3 Blocks of Nayagarh district, viz., Nayagarh, Odagaon and Nuagaon. This intervention has resulted in increase in production of rice by 30% per acre within last two years and decrease in production cost by 35% due to reduction in use of fertilizers. Increasing acceptance of the practice and its growing demand has encouraged NIRMAN to increase promotional activities from only 96 farmers in 2009‐10 to 790 farmers in 2010‐11. Accomplishments of NIRMAN during 2010‐2011:
• 790 farmers have been mobilized to practice SRI principles in 279 acres of land. • We have trained 200 farmers as cadre to provide onsite guidance to new farmers
on Organic SRI. • 50% farmers in 56 villages are producing homemade Vermin‐ Compost to meet
their manure requirements. • Green manure cultivation revived in project villages. • Farmers preserved seeds to meet their requirements during forthcoming
cropping season. • Share croppers are interested in SRI and practicing SRI process in their lease
land. • 62 farmers have adopted SRI principles in wheat crop. • Women farmers, PRI and SHG representatives took active precipitation in
propagation of the organic SRI in and outside their villages.
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• Jaibika Krusaka Sangathan, a farmer’s organisation was established to bring SRI practicing farmers to one point to get information, equipments, input required for farming, plan to highlight their problems in various levels.
• Local fabricators were encouraged to produced weeders and markers and market for the benefit of farming community.
• Change of farmers’ attitude on bio farming. • Hundreds of farmers used bio insecticide and saved their crop from pest attack. • Farmers have started learning from each other’s experience. • The learning materials developed by the project have been well accepted by the
farmers. • Agriculture department is now showing interest and invite the project staff as
resource persons in the Training Programme organized by the department.
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Livelihood Improvement & Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative
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Livelihood Improvement & Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) Farmers grow sugarcane only on a portion of their land along with a staple food crop like rice. Although sugarcane often determines the economic status of a farmer, it has functioned as an insurance crop to farmers in the midst of climatic variations. In the specific context of Nayagarh district, sugarcane is a second priority crop for the farmers after rice. It contributes largely to boost the economic condition of a household and the community at large. Lately, due to high cost of inputs, scarcity in water and frequently changing climatic conditions, Sugarcane has not been yielding the desired results.
A farmer who, other than the ratoon, promotes sugarcane spends a huge amount for seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and intensive labour as well as water, leading to inadvertent detrimental effects on the soil fertility, biomass, overall pressures on water sources and ecosystems. Besides, as sugarcane is a long duration crop, it faces one or the other vagaries of nature that adversely affect cane and sucrose productivity. In the district, a farmer spends anywhere from Rs. 30,000/‐ to 40,000/‐ per acre to get 28 to 35 tons per acre. Being a marginal, small and landless farmer, they neither get any loan from the banks nor count under any subsidy, incentive or compensation from the
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Government. Thus with huge investment on the crop and with minimum variation in the yield directly put them in economic vulnerable conditions. However, NIRMAN’s being with the sugarcane growers of the district for the last three years helped to further develop understanding on a few dimensions of cost of cultivation, processing and marketing strategies confronting their food security. NIRMAN has sought to increase the productivity of sugarcane by acquiring relevant technical yet simplified knowledge from ICRISAT‐WWF i.e. ‘Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative’ (SSI) in the year 2009. The new technology, which increases the sugar content in the cane, requires organic inputs and consumes 75% less seed and 40‐60% less water. From January 2010, NIRMAN with support from WWF‐ICRISAT has expanded the programme to cover 3 Blocks of Nayagarh district, i.e. Nayagarh, Nuagaon, Ranapur and one block of Khurda district i.e. Bolagarh.
The above mentioned production cost is found to be beneficial to the debt bound farmers. It is estimated that by adopting the SSI methods, a farmer will be able to produce at least 60% more sugarcane while reducing water inputs by 3 times. It is based on the principle of getting “more with less” as only 5000 seedlings are required, which cumulatively
weigh only 25‐30 kg instead of the 5‐6 tons of sugarcane required under the conventional method and the farmer can use the cane for crushing for jaggery after the buds are removed with a bud chipper in the former case. In the conventional method, the farmer spends up to Rs. 16,000/‐ for the seed, which is a saving for him in case he was to adopt SSI. So with low investment, a farmer can get more yields. Again, as there is irregular/deficient rainfall in the Nayagarh district and as sugarcane is the thirstiest crop – after paddy, SSI is a viable solution to address the problems mentioned above. During 2010‐11, the up scaling process with other local civil society networks has seen it extending to Gaisilat block of Baragarh district and Jagannath Prasad and Hinjilikatu blocks in Ganjam district with support from Agriculture Services Pvt. Ltd. The adoption of SSI technology by sugarcane farmers has led to increase in yields of sugarcane by nearly 25% and substantial reduction in input cost and vulnerability due to lesser use of water and fertilizers. In addition, innovation like vegetable cultivation along with sugarcane cultivation as intercrop in 5 numbers of villages on pilot basis has not only
Conventional vs. SSI Management
Particulars Conventional SSISeed (per acre)
76,800 nodes 5,600‐6,500 budsRs 14,400/‐ ($ 315) Rs 1,300/‐ ($ 29)
Water 24 hrs/day for 4 days: 8 times in a crop cycle (768 hrs)
8 hrs/day for 3 days: 4 times in a crop cycle (96 hrs)
Labour (including irrigation)
1,190 person‐days OR 1,776 hrs in a crop cycle
136 person‐days OR 648 hrs in a crop cycle
Cost per acre Rs 21,244/‐ ($ 464) Rs 7,200/‐ ($ 157)Intercropping Nil Possible – as a
bonus for farmers
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diversified the cropping pattern, but also added the food availability at household level with more options of income.
A success story of Krushak Bandhu Club (KBC) • The group of 13 members has taken Sugarcane cultivation (as Income Generation Activity) in
traditional method investing around Rs 86,350/‐ for 3.5 acres inclusive of costs like land lease (Rs 42,000) cost, seed, irrigation, fertiliser, labour (excluding self labour of 789 person‐days)
• At the same time 9 out of 13 members has taken the initiative for SSI in 78 decimil and invested Rs 14,420/‐ inclusive similar costs like (Rs 9000/‐ for land lease), labour (excluding self labour of 63 person‐days)
• Estimating for 25 decimal cost investment they spent 3 times more on traditional approach along with 3 times more time investment.
• The average production they harvested from traditional fields is 32 ton/acre. While from SSI fields it was more than 46 ton/acre.
• The bonus they gained from SSI through intercropping has been estimated to Rs 16400/‐ which includes okra, cowpea, cucumber and jute
Intercropping inside the SSI field
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Nutritional Security and Home Garden
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Nutritional Security and Home Garden The protein and vegetable intake is very low which is reflected in the lack of physical and mental development among a large number of the children. Considering the poor nutritional status of the target population, the project indented to train and start nutrition garden in the project areas. The purpose was not only to train people to adopt organic practices and realize the benefits of it, but also to enhance their nourishment level by nutrition garden which would provide vegetables throughout the year. Most of the households don't have enough food resources available during the 3‐5 months of scarcity. Only one third of the households get enough food grain from their farm land during nine months. Little more than 100 households depend on external sources for the same duration. About 25% of their total food comes from collected wild varieties. Only 25% of the total land is used to grow food crops. As a result of soil acidification & nitrogen deficiency along with erratic rainfall, there's nearly 20% decline in yield per acre combined with decreasing cropping intensity in last ten years. This has led to a very high malnutrition level and mortality rate among children younger than one year and women as well.
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There have also been observations and experiences reflecting on how a reasonably self sufficient community is becoming dependent on external sources for their essential food and their control over food & farming system is systematically weakening; how this has resulted in increasing the average debt to INR 13,000 at household level. In addition the nutritional, food, cultural & social integrity are at stake with disappearing trend of seed conservation & exchanges that were common phenomenon in the villages.
The project had primarily targeted 200 farming households from 3 villages living below poverty line with an average population size of 5.6. The average operational land holding of the community is below an acre with an average annual income is INR 7000/‐ only. NIRMAN has been in the promotion of Home Gardens and Mushroom Cultivation involving women, to provide nutritional security at the household level. Various indigenous vegetables, legumes, spices, roots & tubers and leafy vegetables are being organically cultivated in these home gardens. NIRMAN is working in 9 villages and 170 household have already been growing diverse vegetables in there homestead lands. This intervention has also resulted in generating additional income strengthening the family economy. In addition, NIRMAN also works with 3 schools; valorizing the concept of environment education with practical application developing chemical free, nutritious, self‐driven vegetable garden models.
Nutrition garden: ‘utilizing the small home stead area to produce chemical free, safe and healthy fresh food round the year’, on the other hand, valorizes common sense principles of community autonomy, cultural integrity, and environmental stewardship i.e. people determining for themselves just what seeds they plant, what animals they raise, what type of farming occur, and what they will ultimately eat on their plate. Nutritional garden would contribute in making communities, food sovereign.
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Towards Revive Millet Foodand Farming System
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Towards Revive Millet Food and Farming System Climate change and the global food crisis have put a spotlight on the vulnerability, unsustainability and social inequity of agriculture and food production. There is growing acceptance that policies and practices have failed to feed the world’s most vulnerable people, failed to adapt to continuously changing environmental conditions, and failed to protect the very ecosystems that sustain us. Policy makers are now referring to the traditional approaches in agriculture in order to sustain life and livelihood. Degraded natural resources and unpredictable climatic conditions make both farming system and farming community vulnerable. The situation gets complex with adoption of policy‐driven cropping patterns, production practices and procurement systems which have already been realized as highly unstable and unsustainable. The decade long farming practice has led to severe erosion of diverse genetic resources, rich indigenous knowledge & wisdom along with social support system are now acknowledged by both grower and consumer community.
In such a situation, NIRMAN finds ways and means to enable community to assess their collective knowledge and resource base; establish their rights over it and find avenues to use it more productively in improving the quality of their own lives. Some of these strategic initiatives have remained restricted to small pockets while some could be
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scaled to a larger area. Conservation of indigenous resources through organic practice provides scope to re‐form the control over food production system. Although farmers greatly feel the need to re‐grow the traditional varieties that were lost or depleted in order to sustain yield and revive culture. International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) recommended core organic management techniques for successful climate change mitigation and adaptation; including crop rotations, low external input agriculture, water‐conserving practices, agro‐biodiversity for increased resilience of agricultural systems and the diversification of agriculture. Millet based bio‐diverse farming practices has all the above values and proposes redesigning agriculture in an era of climate change entails investing more resources, research and training, the provision of appropriate policy support. NIRMAN joins with Millet Network of India (MINI) initiative to revive the millet food and farming system and have community‐own action ideas of LOCAL PRODUCTION; LOCAL STORAGE and LOCAL DISTRIBUTION system enables the suffered community to bring back lost biodiversity for sustaining livelihood system. NIRMAN associated with MINI moves towards Millet Communities Grassroots Policy Advocacy Actions; establishing area specific appropriate farming systems models which sustain & improve agriculture and agriculture based livelihoods and improve community food sovereignty. The process has been initiated in Nayagarh district and now, moved to another three districts of Rayagada, Kandhamal and Bargarh of Orissa.
Millet based farming system approach has a significant role to play in addressing two of the world’s biggest and most urgent issues: climate change and food security. Further such varieties demand less external resource. The cropping pattern has enormous capacity to mitigate climate change and nutritional insecurity.
Community’s Action Plan for Millet Cultivation: Each of the village has fallow or cultivable waste‐lands. Thus, this khariff season onwards, we will be cultivating millet. The community has already met twice for having a common thought on millets and pulses cultivation on the community land June‐2011 onwards.
Krushna Behera, 58 yrs, Tulluvi Converting the low lands to paddy growing area, the medium and up lands to millets, the ridges to pigeon pea, chick pea, black gram and green gram etc., in addition with few plantation crops, further adoption of SRI in paddy and millet cultivation will be more productive and resilient. This farming model can be made chemical free with periodical and timely application of home‐made organic solutions for crop improvement.
Udayanath Jani, 56 yrs, Saluapally
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Crop Improvement & Conservation of Indigenous Rice seeds
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Crop Improvement & Conservation Indigenous Rice seeds Biological diversity among crops is a heritage of nature. The ‘local people’ have been fostering the diversity since ages. They are the custodians of the genetic resources through decade long practice of exchange of seeds. Exchange of such resources has been a natural phenomenon among the grower community and very integral to food system. While discussing with the farmers, we found that nearly about 34 indigenous rice cultivars are in the process of disappearance by only four varieties of genetically uniform semi‐dwarf high yielding varieties and made skilled, self‐driven farmers to highly depend upon external agencies. With the technical support of Sahaja Samruddha, a non‐profit organization based in Bangalore, NIRMAN has started working with the farmers on crop improvement programme since 2009. In our first attempt for conservation of indigenous seeds, farmers in the locality received training to conserve and undertake seeds treatment and select good quality rice seed before and after harvest. They have already conserved 39 indigenous varieties of rice, along with indigenous varieties of egg plant, chilly, ridge gourd and several other vegetables. There are 31 varieties named herewith which are conserved with farmers’ and are in a process of ‘seed exchange’ through ‘seed sharing network’.
Indigenous Rice Cultivars 1. Saruchinamali 2. Kainchaphul 3. Kadalia champa 4. Laghu mahipal 5. Palasphul 6. Tholi Mahipal 7. Dhalabhutia 8. Nandika
9. Pathara10. Talabata 11. Kalamakathi 12. Kaincha Phul 13. Methi Mahipal 14. Mahalakshmi 15. Geleigoti 16. Barhagali
17. Mahipal18. Kabuli 19. Pashakathi 20. Magura 21. Benapanjar 22. Moti 23. Dahikera 24. Saluagaja
25. Mahullata 26. Barapanka 27. Amrutabhanda 28. Baiganamanji 29. Mayurkantha 30. Badaosha 31. Bharikadamba
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Environment Educationat the Schools
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Environment Education at the Schools The present environment conservation approach and daily practice leaves serious questions regarding the present context of environment education. Environment education has no connection with understanding and respect on the interconnectivity of human & nature; it has only reference to some mega issues like ozone hole, global worming & polar bear and names of birds and trees. However, underlying many of these challenges is a lack of functional awareness and understanding of environmental issues. Until now there have been few & scattered initiatives made to raise the awareness and understanding of environmental issues, but to get them to participate and contribute towards cleaning up, protecting and conserving the environment, is the need. NIRMAN believes that today’s children are the future citizens, leaders and decision makers of the country. They need to acquire traditional wisdom and practice skills associated with their family livelihood patterns to protect and preserve the environment for themselves. Environment education will lead to the acquisition of knowledge, development of analytical skills, formation of an environmentally conscious attitude and – ultimately – responsible and responsive behavior towards society and Nature at large. However, the advertising world has a wider impact on the psyche of its viewer to believe in what it projects, without much introspection towards the ground reality; we, at NIRMAN believe that let not the future citizen of our country be swayed by it. In this backdrop, we started environment education at the school level, consulting with the teachers, sharing with the children and demonstration with the community. We are conscious to develop the understanding of school children on the underlying causes of the environment degradation, crisis in agriculture and food insecurity. We share with them how they can contribute towards evolving a total organic village. We have started working with local high school at Biruda as well as at the village level to impart education on organic farming in 3 blocks of Nayagarh district. We have developed a training manual for school students, so that the young generation understands the importance of organic ways of farming and their significance in environment conservation.
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Democratize Forest governance using Forest Right Act (FRA)
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Democratize Forest Governance & using Forest Right Act (FRA) Forestland cultivation and forest products like Sal and Siali leaf, Mahua, tubers, honey etc. constitute one of the primary sources of livelihoods for tribal and agrarian communities inhibiting the areas of Nayagada, Kandhamal and Rayagada district. Forests not only provide them critical source of livelihoods but also forms the basis of their social and cultural identity. The customary practices and traditions revolve around forests and they play a significant role in protection and management of these fast depleting resources in 70% of the villages. However, various systems of forest governance ranging from colonial system to present one failed to acknowledge the customary rights of local communities over forests leading to insecurity of tenure and continuous contestations for rights. The enactment of the Forest Rights Act in 2006 with its focus on vesting individual and community forest rights on forestland to tribal and forest dwelling communities raised the possibilities of minimizing the perpetual disputes relating to forest governance.
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Communities from these districts (mentioned above) are critically dependent on forests for livelihood and face the growing threat of losing their livelihood options due to fast depleting natural resources base like land and forests. The other most important issue confronting these vulnerable groups is lack of secure tenure over customarily used land and forest resources thus resulting in very poor access and control over these resources. NIRMAN, with its support for participatory forest governance, seized the opportunity provided by the progressive legislation of FRA and initiated processes for strengthening of local institutions like Palli Sabha and settlement of ownership rights on forestland and community forest resource. Our emphasis on legal right over forestland prompted us to mobilize communities for filing claims under FRA for title on forestland in favor of 75 tribal families from 20 villages of Nuagaon block of Nayagada district. The right on land apart, our focus is on facilitation of CFR rights in a cluster of 7 villages where we are facilitating legal right of communities over traditionally protected forest patches. We have also initiated to facilitate rights of tribal under FRA in selected areas of tribal dominated Kondhamal and Rayagada districts.
After the recognition of CFR rights, we also plan to facilitate post management plan of community forest resources involving all stakeholders. The post management plan would reflect existing management practices of communities, livelihood dependency, convergence with other programs etc.
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• Millet Communities Grassroots Policy Advocacy Action • SRI (System of Rice Intensification) • Dhan Bihan Sangraha O Sanrakshana (Collection and conservation of
paddy seeds) • Sustayee Akhuchasar Prayas: Prasikhyan Pustika (A Training Manual
on Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative) Supported by ICRISAT‐WWF Project
• Stepwise Guide to Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) Practices • Prakruta/Handikhata (Liquid Manures)
Our Publications
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VOX Populi…
We have been experiencing the erratic rainfall for the last 5‐6 years. As our farming system only depends on rain, so we understand how vulnerable we are. During the Kharif, drought ruined the seedling & again rain during harvest time (December) has again ruined the produce. If we could revive the diverse farming pattern, we may overcome such vulnerability. Yes! It is only NIRMAN who has realized us regarding the revive of traditional millet based mixed farming system and now, we plan for work together towards a healthy, toxic free food production system.
Banamali Pradhan, 72 yrs, Duruda
What they share
about…
Being landless, I found difficult in managing my family as a share cropper. Every time, we depend on market for each kind of inputs; take loans, but end with indebtedness. I knew about NIRMAN in a meeting with SHGs talking about nutrition garden. I called them, showed my piece of backyard land and requested them to help. They told, I practiced and now I sell mushroom, vegetables, vermicompost and sugarcane seedlings to others.
Sashi Rekha Muduli, 38 yrs, Biruda
I am a farmer cultivating over my 56 decimil of land. I have been used another small patch of land for cultivation which is not belong to me. Many times, people & officials told me that the land belongs to Forest Department. But I was cultivating in necessity to feed my 5 members family. One day, I attended a meeting about Forest Right Act organized by NIRMAN. Then, I got a ray of hope that the piece of land can be legally mine. With the support of NIRMAN, I have filed my claim over cultivated forest land and I am going to be the owner of land.
Bijay Jani, 35 yrs, Odokapa
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I have been growing rice over my half acre of land for the last 30 years. Every year, I experience shortage of rice in my family. Now‐a‐days, distress rainfall and shortage of seed have become chronic problem everywhere and I am one of the like‐victim. NIRMAN came to me during Kharif 2009 with SRI approaches; I adopted and continued the same for next year. Today, I can claim more rice for extra three months for my family and it is possible due to SRI adoption through NIRMAN’s intervention.
Udaya Pradhan, 45 yrs, SRI Farmer, Jayamangal Prasad
I grow sugarcane as an economic crop, but in my last 32 years of experience reflect only a token profit. I came across a motivation camp organized by NIRMAN during November 2009. I found this beneficial and adopted. I realized the innovation of single seed plant with more tillers. My expenses cut down nearly by 60% though production remain the same as conventional. It’s amazing; I raised my income through intercropping very first time. NIRMAN has really provided me a base of ‘More with Less’ farming approach.
Matia Jena, 64 yrs, SSI farmer, Biruda
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Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT), Mumbai;
ICRISAT‐WWF, Hyderabad;
AgSri‐ Agriculture Services Pvt. Ltd. Secunderabad;
Centre for World Solidarity (CWS), Bhubaneswar;
Millet Network of India (MINI‐DDS), Hyderabad &
Global Greengrants Fund(GGF), India
Our Partners
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Financial Statement of 2010‐11
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NIRMAN
Liaison Office:
Plot No: S‐3‐753, Niladri Vihar,Bhubaneswar‐751021,
Odisha, INDIA Phone: 0674‐6510474
Registered Office:
At/P.O.‐Biruda, Via‐Itamati,Dist‐ Nayagarh ‐752068,
Odisha, INDIA Phone‐ 06753‐211042
E‐mail: [email protected]; Website: nirmanodisha.org
Registered under Society Registration Act, XXI of 1860, FCRA Registration Act, 1976 and 12 AA(2) of the IT Act 1961.