Shatrughna Naik, a resident of Gidhibas Village in Jhumpura block of Keonjhar, could witness a twist of fate when he initiated work with the Wadi programme, supported by District Mineral Foundation (DMF), Keonjhar and Directorate of horticulture, Government of Odisha.
The programme was implemented in 2019 with an objective to enhance the livelihood of farmers. Under it, Shatrughna, with his wife Ratnamani, planted 44 fruit bearing plants.
He could earn Rs 40,000 under the project during the lockdown period, where there was distress for jobs and livelihood. Considering the benefits of the project, he has already started planting for the next season.
The programme is a holistic attempt to promote agro-horti-forestry-based livelihood as a source of income for small and marginal farmers in mining affected areas. It provides an assured and continuous source of food, fodder, fuel, medicine and timber, year after year, once the trees reach maturity. Implemented at a cost of Rs 29 crore, more than 900 small and marginal farmers in mining affected areas have benefited from the initiative so far.
