Page 33 - TCExpression | Colours of Tata at TCE

TCEndeavour 33

Water–The first step towards

sustainable livelihood

CE’s intervention in Khoripada, Palghar district is
slowly coming to fruition. What started as a small
T initiative to build a rainwater harvesting tank in
this water-starved hamlet has evolved into a sustainable
livelihood program. The key issue was water and the retention
of the monsoon rain water for sustenance through the year.
Today, Khoripada is well on the road to self-sufficiency in
terms of water. A multi-pronged approach was taken – water
retrenchments through farm ponds and ground water Jasmine cultivation
enhancements; rainwater harvesting; group wells; solar-
powered pump for drip irrigation to distribute water across
the hilly, rocky terrain of the region. Today, the dynamics of the
village has changed with simple interventions. There is hope of
etching out a decent living with basic agriculture, floriculture
and horticulture as livelihood means. The establishment of Self
Help Groups (SHG) for the women, the youth and the village
level SHG has put the control in the hands of the villagers. The
youth SHG is a very positive lot today. They have learned the
skill of drip irrigation mechanism and solar panel maintenance
which has proved to be a successful entrepreneurial venture.
TCE hopes to scale up this program to include more such
hamlets and put the residents of this region on the road to Solar panels to power irrigation pumps
self-sufficiency.