National Agro Foundation (NAF)
Community empowerment through a holistic approach on water conservation, improvement in agricultural production, solar based electrification, school education and awareness building on improvement in agriculture.
5,660 Farmers
Location
5 Villages in Nanjangud
Taluk, Mysore District,
Karnataka
Project Achievements
- 4 Water bodies rejuvenated, 6 Check dams constructed, and 5 channels of total 2,625 running meters cleaned.
- 35,179 Kilo Liters of water potential created.
- 2,130 cattle benefited.
- Sub-surface water level from the bottom of the borewells increased significantly from an average of 218 feet in February 2022 to 372 feet in December 2022
- Farmers increased their agro-productivity from single crops to multiple crops cultivation that results in significant improvement in their socio-economic welfare.
- Minimized distress migration to the cities.
Story of Change
The situation in Karepura has undergone a drastic change since the Mindtree Foundation "Integrated Watershed Community Development Project" was introduced. Previously, the farmers relied on rainfed conditions to cultivate crops such as maize and horse gram, despite investing a significant amount of money in digging bore farming that went as deep as 450-500 ft. Consequently, many of them opted to abandon their farms and instead work as daily wage labourer during the dry season.
However, the bore wells that were once left idle are now yielding water again, benefiting farmers like Mr. Mahadev from Karepura village. Prior to the project, he grew less important crops in his 1.5-acre field, and his family used to work on nearby farms. Thanks to the prolonged supply of water from the surrounding bore wells, he is now able to cultivate his own field and even introduce vegetable cultivation. He has plans to install drip irrigation and expand his vegetable production, to increase his income.