Mother Earth: thy savor of vulnerable people
Location
My new Idea: “Bhungroo”- an innovative process based upon monsoon water through which any small/marginal farmer can get his land free from water logging along with access timely and adequate irrigation for both winter and monsoon cropping in each year in salinity affected areas.
About You
Section 1: About You
Section 2: About Your Organization
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
Organization Name
LOKVIKAS
Organization Website
Organization Phone
009102767222667
Organization Address
Lokvikas, 49 Vijay Nagar Soc, Nr Dethali Char Rasta, Mehsana Palanpur Highway, Sidhpur 384151
Organization Country
India, GJ
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
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Your idea
Name Your Project
Mother Earth: thy savor of vulnerable people
Describe Your Idea
My new Idea: “Bhungroo”- an innovative process based upon monsoon water through which any small/marginal farmer can get his land free from water logging along with access timely and adequate irrigation for both winter and monsoon cropping in each year in salinity affected areas.
Country your work focuses on
India, GJ
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
• Instead of project approach it is a business plan approach where farmers (target group/clients) are facilitated and serve through need based services. Instead of felt need based works these services is attaining the root cause of local poverty.
• The service box is based upon World Bank IDM awarded unique innovative technology conceived and operationalized through gender centric approach –eventually increases their status within the society as well as increases their income
• Greater opportunity towards value addition through demand side management, ITES, etc.
• Instead of creating any new liabilities within existing system – we are trying to develop the process within the existing resources- this implies easier coping up.
• Instead of top down knowledge delivery mechanism, knowledge ownership process by each participating members is followed of.
• Intensive advocacy/negotiation platform for the farmers with the govt agency is also getting created
• Instead of delivery mode of actions – current process is self defining one.
• It is an integrated approach encompassing various facets people life and local ecology
Do you have a patent for this idea?
No
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Tell us about the social impact of your innovation. Please include both numbers and stories as evidence of this impact
Social impact of our innovation:
a. Less salt deposition on top soil (done in 310 landholdings in Salinity affected region of Gujarat)
b. Increasing of soil productivity (535 Below poverty line families got benefited)
c. Monsoon cropping (all the 310 have taken benefit)
d. Food security ensured(same as above)
e. Alternative livelihood development – Grass cultivation for Animal Husbandry (all 535 fmailies)
f. Better family nutrition((nearly 2987 Below poverty line members with a focus on vulnerable backward caste, women headed families. Widows, Below poverty line, bonded labour etc)
g. Our service supplies winter Irrigation water to registered farmer from Injected underground aquifer at affordable Rate
a. Higher land coverage under irrigation (more than 893 acres of involuntarily fallow land was brought into repeated cultivation)
b. Higher agro income (average increase in family income from Rs. 10200 pa to Rs. 57000 pa
c. Lower migration (nearly 72% reverse migration)
d. Lesser social and financial exploitation (better servicing of the debt for 168 fmailies)
e. Better children health (all families)
f. Better quality of life for all family members (all family members)
g. Upgradation to Above Poverty Line (all the 310 families )
h. Millennium Development Goal achievement (explained by World Bank evaluation team to the women)
Problem: Describe the primary problem(s) that your innovation is addressing
The Problem/Opportunity/Need of our women Self Help Group members
Problem of them:
➢ Soil or aquifer salinity affected regions get waterlogging for 90-134 days
➢ Waterlogging leads to salt deposition on topsoil
➢ Salt deposition on top soil leads to decline in soil fertility
➢ Reduction in soil fertility leads to abject poverty for small and marginal landholding community
➢ Dramatic decline in agro produce = decline in agro income = decimating of small farmers into migratory agro labours
➢ Food security stressed and accelerates Child Drop Out
Need in the market:
• Primary Need (immediate):
• Freeing of the land from waterlogging
• Adequate, timely, better quality irrigation water supply at farm site for monsoon & winter
• Secondary Need (short term) : Guarantee of crop produce from salinity affected lands
• Tertiary Need (mid term): Knowledge support for better sale decisions of the produced crop to realize higher income
• Long term need: Farmer centric market creation for all agro activities
• Vision: Controlling of Desertification = Climate Change Mitigation
Actions: Describe the steps that you are taking to make your innovation a success. What might prevent that success?
Based upon our innovation now our women SHGs are ready to form a company through that copmapny they are ready to extend a comprehensive service package to the farmers. The service basket is consisting of various factors like
1. Technology erection within 2 days for salinity affected regions farmers. = immediate result on the ground= freeing of land from water logging = decline in salt deposition on top soil= higher soil productivity
2. Supply of locale specific irrigation water to the same farmers from the same stored water at underground
3. Services to clients for agro productivity increasing= least cost, flexible knowledge = higher acceptance with lower risk=
4. Services to clients (farmers) for right decision making in attaining better market prices of agro produce= encouraging people to earn more = hunger for higher earning = paving the path of future intervention
What might prevent that success? (250 words or fewer)
Challenges for our services:
1. Conviction/trust creation within targeted audience= all the clients are actually becoming our stakeholders
2. Reaching consensus for “Commune Cultivation”= shared vision needs to be cultivated within the clients
3. Consistent backward linkages = supply of drilling people/materials/ equipments is needed
4. Price escalation of raw materials and equipments= can reduce the break even period
Results: Describe the expected results of these actions over the next three years. Please address each year separately, if possible
Year 1. At least 150 vulnerable families, 900 vigha of lands are covered through 30 units = Revenue generation INR 9824700= aproximately 800 people are coming above poverty line
Year 2. new units installed 70. Total unit in operatoin 100= total 500 vulnerable families, 3000 vigha of lands are covered through 100 units= Revenue generation INR 39298800= aproximately 3000 people are coming above poverty line
Year 3. new units installed 110. Total unit in operatoin 210= total 1050 vulnerable families, 6300 vigha of lands are covered through 210 units= Revenue generation INR 84885408= aproximately 6300 people are coming above poverty line.
Besides above facts other benefit:
1. Animal husbandry rejuvenation
2. Food security for children and reverse migration
3. Better nutritional status among children
4. Better ecology
5. Reduction in desertification
6. Mitigation of climate change
How many people will your project serve annually?
1001‐10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your innovation seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
If your innovation seeks to impact public policy, how?
In India we have NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). This act can be amended little bit and then can be suitably made for this innovative model. I have started full fledged policy advocacy on the subject with Govt.
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Does your organization have a board of directors or an advisory board?
Yes
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with businesses?
No
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with government?
No
Please tell us more about how partnerships could be critical to the success of your innovation
In a good no of ways:
1. NGO partnerships: Knowledge accessibility, cross verification of clients, participatory monitoring, branding, propagation
2. Govt partnerships: Recognition, Accessibility of value addition options through other govt schemes, faster expansion
3. Financial Institutions partnerships: development of local specific finance/business models, linkage with retail finance products (insurance, Agro value addition Loans, fund management etc)
4. Management Instt partnerships: Risk minimization modeling, ICT based support in venture fudn management, branding, product positioning etc
We would like to learn more about how your initiative is financially supported. Please explain your business plan/revenue model
Cost of one unit Bhungroo can be described as COG+Opex= 14800+20000=168200
Our Revenue generation plan (for each irrigation system)
1 irrigation system can irrigate at least 30 vighas of land per season
Monsoon crop: subsistence crop= food crop
Farmer can produce 200 - 280 kg/vigha. Price crop Rs. 10-15.
Per vigha income of the farmer Rs. 2000-4200.
Farmer has to pay 1/3 of his vigha’s income as irrigation charge= Rs. 700-1400
Total 30 vigha can give a monsoon income of 21000-42000
Winter crop: cash crop= high priced crop
Farmer can produce 200 -280 kg/vigha.
Each kg of cash crop fetches Rs. 100-140.
Per vigha income from cash crop Rs. 20000-39200
Farmer has to pay 1/3 of his vigha’s income as irrigation charge= Rs. 6667- 13066
Total 30 vigha gives winter income Rs. 199980-392000
Total income from 1 irrigation system in one year= (21000+199980) to (42000+392000)= Rs. 220980 to 434000.
Thus total cost to the company for 1 unit of Bhungroo is Rs. 168200
Thus total income to the company for 1 unit ob Bhungroo is Rs. 220980 to 434000.
Thus in the first year the company can recover its whole investment.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
When I found that our policy makers are focusing on “top down” approach of water collecting on top soil which is actually depriving the small and marginal farmers soil productivity and they are becoming bonded labour. So there was a need to reverse the maddening govt movement as well as save the farmers institutional system of indebtedness.
Tell us about the person—the social innovator—behind this idea.
My name is Biplab Ketan Paul and I am involved in not for profit community based developmental activity at grassroot for last 14 years with a focus on participatory approach in sustainable development and gender just society, catering a population of 0.15 million households (leaving under daily income of USD 2). Starting from village level field worker, I am giving policy framing input at state, national and global level. I have been inducted into board of a good no of organizations. I have received a good no awards/recognition/ nomination like “Ambassador for Peace”, Global Change Makers, World Bank IDM award, Best Innovating Mind Work by Aga Khan Foundation, “Change Makers of India” by Dr. R K Pachauri, Commonwealth Scholar to name a few.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Personal contact at Changemakers
If through another source, please provide the information
ICRW
Does your project address any of the following barriers to women’s technology access and use?
Women’s time poverty, Social norms, Economic or institutional constraints, Women’s lack of involvement in the technology development process.
If you checked any of the boxes above, please explain how.
• Women’s time poverty- yes- In my innovation it took 5 years to come up with the right solution - In the whole process I got full-fledged support from our women SHG leaders. I found that they are taking care of nearly 66% of total agro work and majority of their time gets used for manual labour. Their time gets wasted if they are devoid of timely agro input like irrigation- which in turn stressed their daily packed schedule from 4.30 am till 10.30 night. Our innovation can help them is saving time.
• Social norms – yes- in this area people feel that agriculture is male domain but now to get water for irrigation the male members has to get permission from women groups. This tilts the balance in favour of women
• Economic or institutional constraints-yes- now the innovation backed with the business plan is enabling the women to control the water lifting machines i.e. irrigation process. So instead of male dominated decision making the women are making decision on economic front and also calculate the family income (which was a strich no no in earlier cases)
• Women’s lack of involvement in the technology development process-yes- they are the people who was with me for last 5 years for developing the technology and they now know each nitty gritty section of the technology
Does your project involve women in one or more of the following stages of the technology lifecycle? Identification of the problem the technology will solve:
Technology design, Market research, Technology introduction, Technology training, Assessment and evaluation.
If you checked any of the boxes above, please explain how you will ensure women’s involvement in each relevant phase of the technology lifecycle.
Technology design- explained earlier and that will be continued
Market research- they are doing the selection of the clients- so they are doing the market research- they have developed various tool for selection in locally acceptable language as well as they share that within the group for transparency
Technology introduction- they are facilitating the clients to access the technology and keeps tab on technology erection- they have 3 layers process
Technology training- they have already been trained in local language in smaller modular forms and that they can impart for others- they have done it.
Assessment and evaluation- they are keeping tab of the post technology water distribution as well as cropping output
If women are a focus of your project, how did this focus evolve?
The project focused on women from its conception..
Which type of women will your project reach directly?
Rural, Low income.
In what ways does your project team/leadership involve women?
It is led by a woman/women..
Has your organization formed any new partnerships in response to this challenge? If so, with what type/s of organization/s?
For-profit.
Has your project leadership had prior experience with the following?
Working with women, Working to increase women's economic empowerment through technology, Working on innovation.
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| Lokvikas.doc | 179 KB |
 | joncamfield said: Sorry for my also delayed response; and thanks for your very insightful post on the role of the SHGs. I hope you continue to visit ... about this Competition Entry. - 485 days ago read more > |
| lokvikas said: Dear Jon: sorry for such a delayed reply. We are actually not very good in computer and we missed this discussion. This is our fault. ... about this Competition Entry. - 524 days ago read more > |
| lokvikas said: Dear Jon: sorry for such a delayed reply. We are actually not very good in computer and we missed this discussion. This is our fault. ... about this Competition Entry. - 524 days ago read more > |
| lokvikas said: Dear Jon: sorry for such a delayed reply. We are actually not very good in computer and we missed this discussion. This is our fault. ... about this Competition Entry. - 524 days ago read more > |
| joncamfield said: You might consider clarifying the role of the women's SHGs, it seems they are going to implement the company which addresses the ... about this Competition Entry. - 714 days ago read more > |
| Biplabkp updated this Competition Entry. - 732 days ago |
| Biplabkp updated this Competition Entry. - 732 days ago |
| Biplabkp updated this Competition Entry. - 732 days ago |
| Biplabkp updated this Competition Entry. - 732 days ago |
| Biplabkp updated this Competition Entry. - 732 days ago |
