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A Brief Profile of the GP adopted under SAGY by Dr. Heena Gavit, Honorable MP, Nandurbar

SAGY Development Programme

Kahatul Gram Panchayat

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Kahatul Gram Panchayat Name  of  GP:  Kahatul   Name  of  Block:  Shahada  (Nandurbar  district)    Kahatul  (Census  Code:  525613)  is  one  of  the  149  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  in  Shahada  block  of  Nandurbar  district  (Maharashtra).  The  GP  is  located  at  a  distance  of  approximately  20  kms  from  Sarangkheda,  which  hosts   the   famous   horse   and   cattle   fair   every   year.   The   approach   to   the   village   is   through   the   road  constructed  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak  Yojana.  Kahatul  has  more  than  1100  households  and  55  percent  of  the  population  belongs  to  the  OBC  category.  Farming  is  the  primary  source  of  income  for  719  households   with   Cotton,   Papaya   and   Banana   being   the   major   crops   cultivated   in   the   GP.   The   papaya  grown  here  is  very  famous  for  its  sweetness  and  pulp  and  is  sold  in  markets  in  Delhi  and  Mumbai.    The  Gram  Panchayat  is  located  approximately  50  kilometers  from  the  district  HQ  of  Nandurbar,  15  kms  from  the  block  HQ  of  Shahada  and  about  200  kms  from  the  nearest  economic  centre  of  Surat  in  Gujarat.  Kahatul  is  part  of  a  primarily  tribal  belt  and  40%  of  the  population  belongs  to  ST  and  SC  category.      

Panchayat  Profile    

 

   

   

     

Population  is  4,567  (January  2016)  according  to  the  Village  Summary  Report;    Sex   Ratio:   1011   i.e.   1011   females   per   1000  males,   which   is  much   higher   than   the   district  average  of  972  and  state  average  of  925  (Source:  Census  2011)    Population  in  the  age  group  0-­‐6  years  is  377,  which  is  8.2  percent  of  the  total  population  

Total  of  1106  Households  (HHs)  in  the  GP  according  to  the  Village  Summary  Report  (SAGY)    There  are  963  Male  Headed  Households  and  143  Female  Headed  Households.      

Kahatul   GP   has   a   Literacy   Rate   of   84%,   (Village   Summary   Report),   which   is   significantly  higher  than  the  district  average  of  64%  but  slightly  lower  than  the  block  average  of  86%.    The  enrolment  of  girls  is  higher  than  that  of  boys  in  Primary  School  as  well  as  in  High  School  

Agriculture  is  the  primary  occupation  for  719  households  in  the  village  out  of  which  70%  are  small  and  marginal  farmers  owning  less  than  2  Hectares  of  land.    60%  of  the  workers  in  the  village  are  unskilled  wage  labourers.  

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 Vital  Statistics  of  Kahatul  Panchayat  as  of  Jan’16  (as  per  Village  Summary  Report  and  Baseline  Survey)  

 Locating  Kahatul  on  the  Map  (colored  region  marked  Kahatul  GP  depicts  the  revenue  village  Kahatul)        

                                                           

   

Village  Name   Total  HHs   Population   Literacy  Rate   SC/ST  HHs   BPL  HHs  Kahatul   1106   4567   84%   40%   408  

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 Demographic   Profile   –   Social   Group-­‐wise   and   Age   Group-­‐wise   distribution   of   Households   &  Population      OBCs  are  the  largest  social  group  comprising  55%  of  the  households  in  the  GP,  followed  by  ST  (21%),  SC  (19%)  and  others   (5%).  All   the  households   in   the  GP   follow  Hinduism,  except   two  which   follow   Islam.  About  29%  of  the  population  is  below  18  years.                                As  per  the  data  provided  by  the  Block  Development  Office,  408  Households  in  the  GP  belong  to  the  Below  Poverty  Line  (BPL)  category,  thereby  implying  that  almost  37  percent  of  the  households  are  entitled  to  benefits  under  various  central  and  state  government  schemes.  However,  interactions  with  the  community  members  indicated  that  quite  a  few  households  fulfilling  the  BPL  criteria  have  not  been  considered.      Panchayati  Raj  Institution    

 The   GP   has   only   1   revenue   village   i.e.   Kahatul.   There   are   4   wards   in   the   GP   and   the   Village   Council  comprises   of   11   elected   officials.   The   last   panchayat   elections   have   been   held   in   2016.   Out   of   the   11  elected   officials,   Ward   1,   Ward   3   and   Ward   4   elect   3   members   each   whereas,   there   are   2   elected  representatives   from  Ward  2.  6  members  belong  to  the  ST  category,  3   to  the  General  category  and  one  each  to  the  OBC  and  SC  categories.  There  are  8  committees  present  in  the  village,  listed  as  under:    

1. PWD  Committee  (5  members)  –  Panchayat  Committee      

The   local   Village   Council   comprises   of   11  elected   officials   representing   4   wards   of  Kahatul.   The   11   elected   officials   include  Sarpanch,   Up-­‐Sarpanch   and   9   members.  Gram  Sabha  is  held  4  times  in  a  year.    

Panchayat  Bhawan  was   built   in   1954   and  has   been  renovated  6  months  ago.  Village  Council   functions   out   of   the   Panchayat  Bhawan.   It   has   a   meeting   room   with  computer;  no  Internet  or  toilet  facilities.    

608

229

213

56

OBC ST SC Others

3248

935

327 57

Above 18 6-18 2-6 0-2

Age Groups (Pop.)

Social Groups (HHs)

Social  Group-­‐wise  and  Age-­‐wise  distribution  of  Households  in  Kahatul  Village  

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 2. Health  Committee  (5  members)  –  Panchayat  Committee      3. Alcohol  Prohibition  Committee  (5  members)  –  Panchayat  Committee      4. Revision  Committee  (5  members)  –  Panchayat  Committee      5. Village  Water  and  Sanitation  Committee  (13  members)  –  Gram  Sabha  Committee      6. Social  Audit  Committee  (11  members)  –  Gram  Sabha  Committee      7. Women  Welfare  Committee  (11  members)  –  Gram  Sabha  Committee      8. Child  Nutrition  and  Health  Committee  (11  members)  –  Gram  Sabha  Committee  

Name  of  Sarpanch:  Sakkutai  Motisinh  Bhil      Name  of  Up-­‐Sarpanch:  Sangita  Vijay  Patil    

The   GP   has   a   Village   Development   Officer,   who   is   responsible   for   maintaining   the   GP   Data,   revenue  records   and   preparing   action   plans   under   the   provisions   of   the   14th   Finance   Commission   and   other  government  schemes.    The  Gram  Sabha  is  held  4  times  every  year  on  26th  January,  1st  May,  15th  August  and  2nd  October.    

Drinking  Water  and  Sanitation  Facilities    

   As  per  the  Village  Council  members,  over  400  households  have  to  be  provided  with  toilets  in  the  next  few  months.  There  is  no  community  toilet  in  the  village  as  well.    The  situation  of  drinking  water  is  grim  in  the  village.  Though  tap  water  is  available  to  665  households  in  the   village,   the   remaining   441   households   have   to   collect   water   from   only   3   standposts   installed   at  prominent  locations  in  the  village  such  as  the  Ram  Mandir.  The  two  overhead  storage  tanks  in  the  GP  are  not  being  used   for   lack  of   repair  and  maintenance.  A  village  entrepreneur  has  also   installed  a  RO   filter  plant  named  Mayur  Jaldhara  in  the  GP  and  provides  a  jar  of  water  at  a  nominal  cost  of  Rs.  20  per  jar  and  currently  about  150  HHs  avail  the  services  of  this  filter  plant.    Education  Infrastructure    

 There  are  a   total  of  2   schools   in   the  Gram  Panchayat  and  both  are  co-­‐educational.  The  Primary  School  caters  to  classes  from  1st  Std.  to  4th  Std.,  while  the  High  School  caters  to  classes  from  5th  Std.  to  12th  Std.      

2   Schools;   1   Primary  School   (1st   to  4th)  and  1   High   School   (5th   to  12th)  in  the  GP  

Total   798   students   across  the   2   schools;   158  students  in  Primary  School  and  640  in  High  School    

24   teachers   in   the   2   schools  (Primary   School   HM   not  involved   in   teaching   role);  PTR  for  the  GP  is  33:1  

As  per  the  SBM  dashboard,  440  of  the  768  HHs   identified  during  BLS-­‐2013  now  own  a   toilet.  However,  a  significant  40%  of  the  families  do  not  have  Individual  Household  Latrines  in  the  GP.    

Tap  water   is   supplied   to   665  Households  through   2   borewells.   2   overhead   water  storage   tanks   are   non-­‐functional   due   to  lack   of   repair   or  maintenance;   Standposts  have  been  setup  in  3  locations  in  the  GP  

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 The  Primary  School  –  Z.P.  School  No.1,  Kahatul  (U-­‐DISE  Code:  27010311501)  –  is  a  co-­‐educational  school,  founded  in  1903  and  shifted  to  a  new  building  constructed  within  the  same  compound  in  2012-­‐  13.  The  school   has   a   total   of   158   students   and   4   teachers,   thereby   implying   a   Pupil-­‐Teacher   Ratio   of  approximately   40:1,   as   against   the   recommended   30:1   in   the   RTE   Act.  Mr.   Subhash   Suka   Jhalte   is   the  Headmaster  of  the  school.  In  terms  of  infrastructure,  there  are  8  classrooms  in  the  school  and  currently  only  4  classrooms  are  being  utilized  and  a  big  challenge  is  the  complete  lack  of  maintenance  of  the  school  premises.   Additionally,   there   is   a   lack   of   utilization   plan   for   the   four   vacant   classrooms.   They   could  conveniently  be  converted  into  a  library  and/or  a  computer  lab.    Separate  toilets  for  boys  and  girls  have  been  constructed  but  they  are  not  in  a  usable  condition.  There  is  no   source  of  drinking  water   in   the   school   compound  and   the   teachers   fill  water   from   the   standpost   at  Ram  Mandir  in  a  tank  placed  inside  a  vacant  room  besides  the  kitchen  shed.  Mid-­‐Day  Meal  is  served  to  the  students  and   the  menu  comprises  of  Moong  Dal  Khichdi   (Monday  and  Thursday),   Subzi   (White  Beans)  and  Rice  (Tuesday  and  Friday)  and  Wattane  Subzi  and  Rice  (on  Wednesday  and  Saturday).  Two  women  belonging   to   a   local   Self-­‐Help  Group   cook   the  Mid-­‐Day  Meal   in   the  kitchen   shed.  Though  utensils  have  been  provided   for   cooking   the  meals,   the  women   continue   to   use   a  wooden   challah   as   there   is   no   gas  connection  for  preparing  the  food  served  under  the  Mid-­‐Day  Meal  Scheme.  The  school  had  submitted  an  application  to  the  gas  agency,  which  is  pending  for  the  last  seven  years.  The  school  authorities  have  been  requested  to  submit  a  fresh  application  for  the  same.    The  school  has  a  permanent  boundary  wall  but   it   is   in  a  dilapidated  condition  and   is  broken  at  certain  points.  There   is  a  ramp  for  the  disabled  and  a  separate  room  for  teachers  and  head  master.  The  school  also  serves  as  the  Polling  Station  in  the  GP.  A  School  Management  Committee  comprising  of  15  members  (11  males  and  4  females)  from  the  GP  has  been  set  up  and  includes  2  members  from  the  school  including  the  Head  Master.    The   K.Y.R   Patil   Vidya   Mandir   and   Anand   Junior   College,   Kahatul   is   a   co-­‐educational   Marathi-­‐medium  school   founded   in   1965.   The   school   is   run   by   18  Trustees   and   has   12   School  Management   Committee  members.  Dattu  Natthu  Patil   is   the  Director  of   the  school  while  Arvind  K.  Patil   is   the  Head  Master.  The  school  has  a  total  strength  of  640  students  for  classes  5th  to  12th,  where  the  number  of  girls  (352)  is  over  1.2  times  the  number  of  boys  (288).  The  school  has  a  total  of  20  teachers  including  the  Head  Master  who  teaches  Mathematics   to   class   8th   students.   The   Pupil-­‐Teacher   Ratio   of   the   High   School   stands   at   32:1,  slightly  off  the  mark  against  the  RTE  Act  recommended  30:1.  On  an  average  8-­‐10  students  drop  out  after  8th  and  9th  classes.  For  the  session  ended  March  2016,  the  number  of  students  in  10th  was  88  and  that  for  12th  was  27.  The  fact  that  the  school  provides  only  Arts  stream  after  10th  explains  the  low  enrolment  in  12th   as   compared   to   10th.  Majority   of   the   students  move   to   Shahada   to   pursue   Science   and  Commerce  streams,  though  some  students  do  drop  out  of  studies  post  completing  matriculation.      

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 The  school  has  a  separate  division  for  each  class  catering  to  English  medium  Science  and  Math  courses,  though  the  preference  of  majority  of  the  students  lies  with  Marathi  medium.  The  school  has  17  rooms  but  it  runs  in  two  shifts.  Classes  for  5th  to  7th  are  conducted  in  the  first  shift  from  7.15am  to  12pm.  The  second  shift  from  12pm  to  5.30pm  conducts  classes  for  8th  to  12th.  Out  of  the  17  rooms,  there  are  10  classrooms,  1  Yoga  Room,  1  Ladies’   Staff  Room,  1  Males’   Staff  Room-­‐cum-­‐  Projector  Room,  1  Library-­‐cum-­‐  Science  Lab,  1Computer  Room,  1  Store  Room  and  1  School  Office.    The  classrooms  do  not  have  any  lights  or  fans.  Moreover,  the  roof  of  the  classes  on  the  second  floor  is  not  concrete  and  has  gaps  resulting  in  overheating  of  the  classrooms  and  rainwater  seepage.  The  school  has  a  playground  but  lacks  a  boundary  wall.  Basketball  court  is  present  but  the  condition  is  very  poor.  A  ramp  to  classrooms  for  the  disabled  has  been  constructed.      The  school  has  a  total  of  6  separate  toilets;  2  for  girls,  2  for  boys  and  1  each  for  male  and  female  staffs.  The  condition  of   staff   toilets   is  decent  but   that  of   students   is  deplorable.  The   toilets  are  without   seats,  doors  and  roofs.  Though  new  toilets  are  under  construction  but  they  are  not  up  to  the  desired  standards  as   they   lack   doors   and   proper   seats.   Water   is   available   to   the   students   through   taps   in   the   school  premises.  The  school  has   its  own  tube-­‐well  which  operates   for  10  minutes  during  the  day  and  water   is  stored  in  the  tank  and  then  supplied  through  multiple  taps  at  the  same  location.  According  to  the  school  authorities,  water  tanks  are  cleaned  every  week  and  hence  pose  no  danger  to  the  quality  of  water  being  supplied   for  drinking  purposes.  The  Kitchen  Shed  of   the  school,   constructed   just  a  year  ago,   is   in  good  condition  and  has  a  gas  connection  for  cooking  meals.    Health  and  Integrated  Child  Care  &  Development  Infrastructure    

   There   is   a   Primary  Health   Centre   (PHC)   and  Health   Sub-­‐Centre   (HSC)   in   Kahatul.   The   PHC   is   a   6-­‐bed  health  centre  with  OPD,  Maternity  and  OT  facilities  available  and  there  is  one  Medical  Officer  In-­‐charge  (MO   I/C),   an   Aarogya   Sahika   and   2   Health   Assistants   as   well   as   an   ANM   at   the   centre   apart   from   a  pharmacist  and  other  administrative  and  office  staff.  Though  the  PHC  was  fully  equipped,  bed-­‐sheets  had  not   been   sent   to   the   PHC   for   the   last   2   years.   Letter   for   the   same   has   been   sent   to   the   concerned  authorities.   The   PHC   has   7   residential   quarters   but   as   per   the   PHC   workers,   only   3   are   in   a   usable  condition.  The  toilets  in  the  PHC  were  in  a  pathetic  state  and  had  not  been  used  owing  to  choked  drains  for  the  last  one  and  a  half  years,  the  ceilings  had  cobwebs  and  the  walls  were  filled  with  spit  marks.  As  a  health  centre,  the  compromises  made  on  the  cleanliness  aspect  are  simply  unacceptable.    

1   Primary   Health  Center   and   1   Health  Sub-­‐Center   in   the   GP;  PHC   has   6   beds   and  HSC  has  1  bed    

5   AWCs   in   Kahatul,   all  housed   in   permanent  buildings   and   staffed  by   the   Anganwadi  Worker  and  Helper  

All   the   children   in   the  GP  visit   the  Anganwadi  Centers,   which   runs  from  8am  to  11am.  Hot  cooked  meals  served  

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 As  per  records  of   the  Health  Sub-­‐Centre  ANM  Mrs.  Kavita  Rathod,  Kahatul  boasts  of  100%  institutional  deliveries   and   100%   immunization   of   children   between   0   to   2   years.   Additionally,   antenatal   care   and  postnatal  care  is  provided  to  all  the  women  who  need  it.  Incentives  of  Rs.  2,000  at  the  time  of  registration  to  expecting  mothers,  Rs.  700  at  the  time  of  institutional  delivery  and  Rs.  400  as  Matrutva  Anudaan  for  visiting  health  care  centre  for  Antenatal  check-­‐up  is  also  given  to  all  women  in  the  GP  belonging  to  SC/ST  and  BPL  families.  108  deliveries  were  carried  at  the  PHC  in  FY  2015-­‐16,  while  6  deliveries  took  place  in  April  2016.  As  of  April  2016,  there  were  27  pregnant  women  in  Kahatul  GP.    Malnourishment   though   seemed   an   issue   primarily   due   to   external   factors.   Early   marriages   amongst  tribals  are  very  common  and  pregnancy  at  the  age  of  14-­‐15  years  results  in  malnourished  infants.  As  of  March   2016,   there   were   11   malnourished   children   but   the   numbers   came   down   to   5   in   April   2016.  Special   care   was   taken   of   malnourished   children   by   the   ANM   and   providing   nutrition   as   per   ICDS  standards  helped  in  curbing  malnourishment  in  the  GP.  As  per  ANM’s  records,  there  are  384  children  in  the  age  group  0  to  6  years  and  57  infants  (0  to  2  years)  in  Kahatul  GP.      Public  Services  Infrastructure    

 Kahatul  has  a  branch  of  Dhule  District  Central  Co-­‐Operative  Bank,  though  a  majority  of  the  population  has  bank  accounts   in  Union  Bank  which  is   located  12  kms  from  the  village.  The  nearest  ATM  is  also  that  of  Union  Bank,  located  again  at  a  distance  of  12  kms  from  the  GP.      There  is  a  post  office  in  the  village  too  which  offers  the  savings  deposit  option  as  well  to  the  villagers  and  they  might  soon  open  up  ATM  services.  The  post  office  functions  out  of  a  small  room  in  the  village  which  is  not  in  a  very  good  condition.  Talks  are  on  to  relocate  the  same.      There   is   a   BSNL   telephone   exchange   in   Kahatul   and   there   are   plans   to   provide   Wi-­‐Fi/broadband  connectivity  to  the  Gram  Panchayat  Bhawan.  Currently,  the  only  source  of  internet  in  the  village  is  mobile  services.   Under   the   National   Optical   Fibre   Network   Project   (NOFN)   project   undertaken   by   the  Government  of  India,  the  entire  Shahada  block  is  to  be  connected  with  Optical  Fibre  Cables  (OFC).  There  exists  a  Common  Service  Centre  in  the  GP,  run  by  Sandip  Nanasaheb  Birhade.      A  well-­‐functioning  Public  Distribution  System  is  also  present  in  the  village  and  ration  cards  are  provided  to  100%  of  the  intended  beneficiaries.  There  are  2  PDS/Fair  Price  Shops  in  the  GP,  one  of  which  functions  out  of  the  primary  school  compound  itself.  The  primary  school  compound  has  a  couple  of  dilapidated  and  unused  buildings  and  the  PDS  functions  out  of  one  room  in  one  of  the  buildings.  

1   Cooperative   Bank   is  located   in  Kahatul.  The  nearest   ATM   (Union  Bank)   is   12   kms   from  the  GP  

1   Post   Office   of   the  India  Post  with  savings  deposit   option   is  present   in   Kahatul.  Area  Pin  Code:  425409  

BSNL   has   a   telephone  exchange;   Plans   to  provide   Wi-­‐Fi/broad-­‐band   connection   to  Panchayat  Bhawan  

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 Road  Infrastructure  and  Public  Transport      

 Kahatul   is  well   connected   to   adjacent  GPs   and   the  Block  HQ  of   Shahada   through   the   road   constructed  under  PMGSY.  However,  the  road  is  in  a  dilapidated  condition  and  requires  urgent  repair.  The  problem  of  dust  is  very  apparent  in  the  village  because  of  the  kuccha  internal  roads.  Hence,  concrete  roads  must  be  constructed  in  the  village  to  both,  ease  the  travel  and  also  bring  down  dust  levels.      115  streetlights  have  been  installed  in  the  GP,  which  currently  have  CFL  bulbs  but  a  proposal  has  been  made   to   change   them   to   LED   bulbs   under   the   14th   Finance   Commission.   Electricity   is   supplied   to   200  households   through   4   transformers   in   the   GP.   The   remaining   900   households   use   illegal   means   for  electricity  in  their  houses.      The  public  transport  system  is  decent  with  buses  and  tempo  service  plying  frequently  to  places  such  as  Shahada,  Dhule  and  Jalgaon  through  the  Ram  Mandir  Chowk,  though  a  bus  shed  for  waiting  passengers  is  required.      Major  Development  and  Welfare  Schemes  Implemented  in  Kahatul    MGNREGS:  As  per  the  information  received  from  the  Gram  Rozgar  Sevak,  out  of  the  408  Below  Poverty  Line   (BPL)  households,  only  115  have   job  cards  and   they   too  could  manage  work   for  an  average  of  30  days  only  out  of  the  100  sanctioned  days.  Activities  undertaken  under  MGNREGS  include  construction  of  roads  and  check  dams,  building  houses  under  IAY  convergence  and  cowshed  construction.      Indira  Awas  Yojana  and  Ramaya  Awas  Yojana:  For  FY  2015-­‐16,  Indira  Awas  Yojana  (IAY)  was  sanctioned  for  68  households  of  Kahatul  GP  and  62  were  under  progress  while  the  remaining  6  had  documentation  issues.  Besides  houses  constructed  under  IAY  for  BPL  families,  4  houses  were  constructed  in  FY  2013-­‐14  for  families  belonging  to  the  SC  category  under  the  Ramaya  Awas  Yojana  and  48  in  FY  2012-­‐13.    Despite  these  efforts,  there  are  still  502  Kuccha  houses  in  the  GP  and  hence  pose  a  good  target  to  the  Block  Office  under  IAY  and  RAY.    Maharashtra  State  Rural  Livelihood  Mission  (MSRLM):  A  total  of  12  Self  Help  Groups  have  been  formed  in  the   village   catering   to   approximately   120   households   belonging   to   the   Below   Poverty   Line   category.  There  are  408  BPL  households  in  the  village  and  hence  MSRLM  needs  to  speed  up  their  process  of  SHG  formation   in   Kahatul.   Besides   MSRLM,   Mahila   Arthik   Vikas   Mahamandal   (semi-­‐government)   and  Chaitanya   (NGO)  also  have   saving-­‐groups   in   the  village  with  only  women  members.  Talks   are  on   for   a  

Well   connected   to   other  parts  of  the  block  via  the  road   constructed   under  PMGSY.   Internal   roads  are  not  concrete.          

115   streetlights   in   the  Panchayat;   provision   for  installing   LED   lights  under   the   14th   Finance  Commission  

Buses   and   tempo   services  ply   frequently   to   places  such  as  Shahada,  Dhule  and  Jalgaon   through   the   Ram  Mandir  Chowk  

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 possible  tie-­‐up  with  these  two  organisations  so  that  group  formation  process  can  be  streamlined  in  the  GP.      Economic  Development      

   The  economy  of  Kahatul   is  primarily  dependent  on  agriculture  and  719  households  practice  farming  as  their   primary   occupation.   The   main   agricultural   produce   cultivated   in   Kahatul   is   cotton,   papaya   and  banana  and  the  papaya  grown  here  is  extremely  famous  for  its  sweetness  and  pulp  and  is  sold  in  markets  in  Delhi  and  Mumbai  as  well.  The  interaction  with  the  farmers  highlights  their  poor  condition  since  they  have  to  sell  their  produce  to  middlemen  at  a  fraction  of  the  amount  commanded  by  the  products  in  the  markets.   Hence,   there   is   an   immediate   requirement   for   value   addition   to   the   farm   produce   through  sorting  and  grading,  processing  and  aggregation  of  the  finished  produce,  which  would  not  only  bring  in  increased  returns,  but  also  remove  the  presence  of  middlemen.  Irrigation  is  a  major  issue  in  the  GP  and  currently   plans   have   been   finalized   to   draw   water   from   Minor   Irrigation   (M.I)   Tanks   in   Londra   and  Dudhkedra.      More   than   400   agriculture   farmers   do   not   have   proper   irrigation   facilities   for   their   farmlands.   The  groundwater   level   is  at  600   feet,  which  only  makes  matters  worse   for   the  small  and  marginal   farmers.  Gully   plugs   have   been   constructed   amidst   farm   lands   to   benefit   farmers   through   rainwater   stored   in  them.  The  current  depth  of  the  gully  plugs  in  Kahatul  GP  is  9  feet,  which  does  not  help  in  increasing  the  groundwater  level  as  the  rainwater  gets  absorbed  by  the  soil  and  does  not  percolate  further.  The  depth  of  the  gully  plugs  need  to  be  20  feet  in  order  to  serve  the  intended  purpose.  There  are  3  such  check-­‐dams  constructed  in  the  village  and  each  of  them  spread  for  7kms  taking  the  total  length  of  the  check  dams  in  the  GP  to  21kms.  The  check  dam  and  canal  constructed  in  Londhra,  a  neighbouring  GP,  has  severe  leakage  issues  which  directly  affects  the  water  scarcity  situation  in  Kahatul.    Livestock  as  an  economic  activity  used  to  perform  extremely  well  in  the  region  in  the  past  and  the  milk  from  the  GP  was  also  supplied  to  places  such  as  Surat  through  the  Surat  Milk  Union  Limited  (SUMUL)  van.  Currently,  approximately  100  households  own  livestock,  which  is  mostly  non-­‐descript  indigenous  breeds  and  100  HHs  own   the   Surti   and  Mehsana  breed  of   buffaloes.   The   village  dairy   cooperative   society  has  ceased  to  exist  and  one  of  the  major  concerns  highlighted  by  the  villagers  is  the  lack  of  fodder  and  water  required   to  maintain   the   cattle.   The  milk   produced   is   sold   to   neighboring   households   or   to   small   tea  vendors  in  Shahada.  There  is  a  Veterinary  Centre  in  the  GP  and  Artificial  Insemination  (A.I)  facility  is  also  available  in  the  centre.        

Cotton,   Banana   and  Papaya   are   the   main  crops   cultivated   in  Kahatul;  irrigation  is  an  issue  for  many  farmers    

Dhan   has   a   livestock  population   of   307  cattle;   281   goats   and  396   poultry   animals  are  also  there  

There   is   a   Veterinary  Centre   with   AI   facility  in   the   GP;   Livestock  Supervisor   looks   after  17  villages  

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 The  village  veterinary  centre  is  in  a  pathetic  condition.  Constructed  way  back  in  2003,  there  was  no  board  sign  for  the  premises  and  the  centre  has  been  functioning  without  an  electricity  connection  for  the  last  13  years.   Though   the   building   had   a   storage   room   for   storing   medicines,   the   cotton   produce   from   a  neighbour’s   farm  was   stored   there.  Medicines  were   kept   there   too,   but   in   a   condition   that  would   not  permit   their   further   usage.   The   space   for   toilet   was   provided   in   the   building   but   no   toilet   has   been  constructed.  An  alarming  fact  was  that  the  Livestock  Supervisor,  Dr.  A.  R.  Patil,  looks  after  17  villages  in  Shahada   Block   and   he   has   been   provided   with   an   additional   charge   for   Kahatul   GP.   Due   to   other  commitments,  the  Livestock  Supervisor  is  able  to  make  visits  only  on  Tuesdays  and  Fridays  and  in  cases  where  there  is  a  call  from  a  livestock  farmer.    Important  Places  in  the  Vicinity  of  Kahatul      

 Sarangkheda:  Sarangkheda,  host   to   the  annual   cattle   fair  on   the  occasion  of  Datta   Jayanti,   is  one  of   the  most  popular  tourism  attractions  in  the  block.  The  Shri  Datta  temple  is  visited  by  thousands  of  pilgrims  and   a   big   fair   is   organized   every   year.   The   biggest   draw   of   the   fair   is   the   horse   bazaar   for   trading   of  horses,  as  thousands  of  horses  and  their  traders  participate  in  the  event,  which  is  among  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  country.        Prakasha:   Prakasha,  also  known  as  Dakshin  Kashi,  is  situated  25kms  from  Kahatul.  It  has  108  Lord  Shiva  temples   among   which   the   most   visited   temple   is   Kedareshwar   and   Sangameshwar   temple   (Triveni  Sangam).  Prakasha  is  also  known  for  its  Dhwaj  Parvani  which  comes  after  every  12  years  and  is  held  on  the  banks  of  the  Gomai  River.  This  event  is  visited  by  lakhs  of  devotees.        

Sarangkheda,   located  at  a  distance  of  10-­‐15  kms  from  Kahatul  hosts  an  annual  horse  fair,  which   is   among   the   largest   in   India   on   the  occasion  of  Datta  Jayanti  

Prakasha,   also   known   as   Dakshin   Kashi,  houses  famous  temples  on  the  banks  of  the  River   Gomai;   Prakasha   barrage   dam   is  located  close  by  

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