Tika Maya Tamang
Ward No. 2, Mitinichhap village Devitar VDC.
We are a family of 7 members and we all depend on agriculture for our very survival. We have 1 hectare of land of which only 0.1 hectare is irrigated. In this land we take up maize in the monsoon season, wheat, mustard and vegetables in the winter season, in an area of 0.3 hectares. Due to lack of irrigation facilities no crop is taken up in the summer season and the field remains fallow. All the production is used for family consumption; even then, the farm produce is not sufficient to feed the family throughout the year. In the deficit months the family has to meet the food requirements by selling the livestock products and by taking temporary loans. Even though we have sufficient land to produce enough food for home consumption and marketing, because of lack of irrigation facilities we are not able to make maximum use of it. With assured irrigation facilities we could have taken up cash crops instead of the traditional crops and could have kept the land cultivated throughout the year. This would have improved our economic as well as social condition. Everyone neglects the poor. We don’t have any say in the village because of our poor economic condition. Not only irrigation, we don’t even have proper drinking water facility. For drinking purposes we collect water from the village tap. But for washing, cleaning etc., we don’t have any particular source, as a result of which our sanitation condition is not good. Poor sanitation is the cause of most of our health problems but realization alone is not sufficient to solve the problem. I just wish that something could be done about utilizing the vast water resources that we have in our area to improve our livelihood.
Rudra Bahadur Baniya
Ward No. 7, Bakhreldihi, Panchkhal.
I have a joint family with 17 members. My brother and i stay together with our parents and children, and everybody is involved in the family farms. I have 1.25 hectares of bari land and 2.05 hectares of khet land. All the land is under irrigation. The bari land is irrigated by tank and the khet land by canals from the Jhiku river. In the khet land I take up paddy, potato/wheat and vegetable/Maize in the monsoon, winter and summer seasons, respectively. In the bari land I grow maize, vegetable/ mustard and vegetable in monsoon, winter and summer seasons, respectively. This way most of my land is cultivated round-the-year except for some areas in the summer season. I make an annual income of Rs 786,350 from crop production. Apart from that I also make an income of Rs 7,200/ year from livestock. Of the total income of Rs 793,600/year, 70 percent is spent on the family for education and other purposes, while the remaining 30 percent is saved in the bank. I completely owe my economic and social empowerment to good irrigation facilities. Because of good irrigation facilities, productivity of the crops in my land has improved, which has directly affected my economic and social status. As the income from the farm is sufficient to meet all my family’s requirements I do not feel the need to go for any alternative source of income. As we don’t face any kind of scarcity
we don’t have much conflict among the family members and we all live happily and peacefully under the same roof.
I strongly believe that economic and social status is very closely linked. Because of my strong economic condition I can make lots of contributions for the village, and the village people give me lots of respect, in return. I am consulted for all minor as well as major decisions in the village, be it political or development issues. My social standing has improved a lot after having access to improved water resources. During the festivals, I can afford to celebrate in a grand way without much worry about the finances. For all these reasons, many younger people in the village consider me as a source of inspiration. I give them hope for a bright future in the village itself without having to move out for employment.
Health and sanitation conditions of my family are good because of easy access to drinking water. Since water is not a problem, regular bathing and cleaning of house is not a problem, which reduces the health problems. Also, my neighbors have benefited from this as they can fetch water from my place.
I believe that water and poverty are very closely interlinked. Fish without water and farming without irrigation is one and the same. Without water the farmland will be equivalent to a desert. I have understood the linkage between water and poverty to be as follows: land – irrigation – cultivation – production – income – economic and social empowerment – poverty alleviation.
Tika Ram Shrestha
Ward No. 4, Majhdihi, Jaisithok V.D.C.
I am an ex-Indian army personnel. After retiring from the service I am now completely involved in farming. I have 1.3 hectares of land in 4-5 parcels. Most of my land is irrigated. In 0.4 hectares of my land, canal irrigation was done for the last 30 years, but recently, I have been able to bring more area under irrigation by means of pipes. This has increased my farm income by way of vegetable cultivation and livestock raising.
From 1985 onwards I have clean drinking water supply in my house from taps. Before that, we used to drink water from rivers, spouts or wells. This improved access to drinking water has greatly reduced drudgery and health problems, in particular, infections. In 2002, I constructed toilets near my house at an expense of about Rs 7,000. This has improved the cleanliness of the surroundings and has made life more comfortable.
After having resided in India for nearly 20 years, I was used to lighting at night. The prevailing darkness in my home after my retirement was very uncomfortable. So my brothers and i together invested Rs 20,000 on a small turbine for electricity generation. It has a 200W production capacity that we distribute among our 4 households. Brighter nights have improved the studying environment for my children, who are now pursuing higher studies. Also, it has helped save the money spent on kerosene. Life is more comfortable and there is no smoky atmosphere anymore in the night.
Realizing the various uses of water, I have also started an improved water mill using the same water used for electricity generation. After being used in turbine, the water is then taken to the water mill through a small channel. This mill has become a good source of income for my family. Moreover, I also divert small water from the channels towards the kitchen garden in my backyard which helps to improve the nutritional status of my family.
I have also taken up 2 buffaloes and some poultry. Two liters of milk is used for home consumption and the remaining sold in the market. In the case of poultry, eggs produced are used for home consumption, which has improved the dietary habits of my family.