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Abstract
Economy
of Assam today represents a unique juxtaposition of
backwardness amidst plenty. Growth rate of Assam’s
income has not kept pace with that of India’s;
differences increased rapidly since 1970s. The state has
27 districts, out of which the Planning Commission of
India identified five districts, viz., Kokrajhar, North
Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hill
as backward districts based on agricultural productivity
per worker, agricultural wage rate and scheduled castes
and scheduled tribes population. Amongst them Dhemaji is
shoddily affected by flood. In every year number of
development projects have been approved and implemented
by Government and other local or outside agencies. But
the impact is very diminutive due to various factors
like poor communication, lack of suitable plan, strategy
and timely supervision.
Changing climatic situations are affecting livelihoods
of people-especially the most deprived communities. The
changes like floods and droughts are affecting
agriculture and agriculture related livelihoods-directly
or indirectly. People normally cope with such climatic
variations. The adaptive capacities enable people to
address the adverse situations arising due to floods,
droughts and climatic variability.
The
local knowledge, wisdom and skills of people help them
to a large extent, in developing such adaptive
capacities. The traditional knowledge and skills in the
local communities evolve over a period of time according
to local agro-climatic conditions.
In
this context, efforts were made by a group of
non-governmental organizations of North East India to
compile such knowledge and practices related to
agriculture and related issues which have helped
communities in developing their adaptive capacities in
response to floods of the area.
Subsistence level integrated farming comprising
horticulture, animal husbandry and fish culture at
homestead and rice cultivation in main field has been
the means of livelihood in the flood affected region of
Assam.
A
multi disciplinary and multi-institutional action
research program for livelihood security in Dhemaji
district is apparently crucial. AFPRO proposes to
undertake a program under NAIP which will be community
based technically oriented. The program will look
forward for sustainable livelihood security with proper
management of existing resources and effective
utilization of pre and post flood situation.
AFPRO
has been promoting community based natural resource
management approaches since last ten years in North
Eastern region. The effort has been made to carry out
field based trials of appropriate technology and
documented results for dissemination. AFPRO with its
long forty two years of experience at grass root has
achieved varied level of results in areas like
sustainable livelihood development, watershed
management, management of natural resources and other
key areas of rural development. It has been establishes
through the experience that the multi stakeholder,
multi-disciplinary and multi-pronged approach provides
better results in achieving the goal of promoting
livelihood and its sustainability.
Taking
into account its contribution in the rural development
work, the Govt. of India through a Gazette Notification
No. 124/2004 F.No. 200/59/2003 – ITA.I dated 26.03.2004
had notified AFPRO as an Organisation having importance
throughout India. (Copy of relevant notification is
attached in the Annexure section).
AFPRO
developed a concept of promoting livelihoods through
integrated farming system for the areas of Dhemaji with
the theme of “Live Better with the Flood” to address the
challenge of recurring flood through integrated farming
system by considering the potential in pre and post
flood situation and promoting the disaster preparedness
strategies. Based on the strength of various
organizations, a consortium is constituted. It comprises
of North Eastern Regional Institute of Walter & Land
Management (NERIWALM), Assam Agricultural University,
Jorhat and Rural Volunteers Centre (NGO) under the
leadership of AFPRO.
The
project shall be implemented through Sustainable
Livelihood Approach (SLA) employing the framework
developed by the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD). The project shall intervene in four
IFS modules viz., Module-I: Rice-fish-vegetable;
Module-II: Livestock-fish-vegetable; Module III: Dairy-
Fish-Vegetable; Module IV:
sericulture-Livestock-Horticulture. It is envisages to
reach around 2500 families through direct intervention
of on farm and non-farm activities and cover around 4000
families through training and extension work in three
clusters of Dhemaji District.
The
project shall cost a sum of Rs. 290.64645 lakh, out of
which 62.23% (Rs. 180.86250 lakh) is recurring, 26.57%
(Rs. 77.23000 lakh) is non-recurring and 5.64% (Rs.
16.40395 lakh) is institutional charge. A total of Rs.
139.09 (47.86%) is proposed to be operational expenses.
A
monitoring and evaluation mechanism is built up as per
guidelines set by the NAIP. Output, outcome and
management process indicators are set for effective
implementation of the project. Impact assessment shall
be made at the end of the project.
For
sustainability, the project shall develop an adaptive
strategy. Utmost care shall be taken to develop farmers’
adaptive capacity within the mainstream development
endeavor, which in turn will make the project
sustainable after completion. Project intervention would
stretch the limits of the local adaptive responses, as
well as the innovation, experiences, selection of
technologies suiting their livelihoods, culture and
environment of the respective areas. The District Unit
has been forecasted to act as a full fledged development
agency in the post project period who will act as a
networking agencies and lobby group to work closely with
the line departments and other development agencies.
Consortia Partners |
