ICRISAT
Happenings Newsletter
31 October 2014 No. 1647
Photo: PS Rao, ICRISAT
Dr A Sharat (extreme right) and Mr Manish Choksi (2nd from right), launching the project in the presence of Dr SP Wani, other senior ICRISAT staff and village officials of Bhanur.
Working with Asian Paints for their corporate social responsibility
U
nderstanding the need to strengthen ecosystem services through natural resource management in dryland areas, ICRISAT in collaboration with Asian Paints Limited launched a project ‘Improved Livelihoods through Integrated Water Resources Management in Community Watershed in Medak’ at Bhanur village, Telangana, India, on 21 October.
population pressure and changing food preferences. The surface and groundwater resources in the region are at their lowest levels in the past two decades. “We need help in several areas. Firstly water management and thereafter on how to protect the crops,” Ms Narasamma told the ICRISAT team.
“Untimely rains and land degradation has hit agricultural productivity hard. In recent years, we suffered huge losses due to low yields. Many families from the village moved away in search of daily-wage jobs,” says Ms Motae Narasamma from Bhanur village. She cultivates sorghum, chickpea, paddy, maize, cotton, and vegetables.
The initiative is aimed at increasing agricultural productivity by enhancing the impact of integrated watershed management programs. This initiative is being taken up in six selected villages in Telangana state. Over the next five years the efforts will help enhance the water availability (surface and groundwater), water productivity, income and livelihood in the villages.
Water availability for agriculture is fast declining in her village with increasing intra-sectorial demands,
Ms Koran Lakshmamma from Ghanapur village has been growing sorghum, pigeonpea, maize, vegetables to page 2 ...4