National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a natural resource management project to Udyansh Gramin Samaj Sewa Samiti in Haldi village of Kukshi block, about 130 Kms from Dhar district headquarters. The objective of the watershed project is recharge of ground water, improvement in top soil layer, increase in area under cultivation and improvement in cropping intensity. The project has two phases, i.e Capacity Building Phase (CBP) and Full Implementation Phase (FIP). Presently, the project is in the FIP from September 2023.

The benefits of the project have percolated down to the villagers / farmers of the area. Kalu Singh, a tribal, small farmer lives with his two sons and daughters, in a family of 6 members, in Haldi village.

He has three acres of cultivable land, where he sows cotton in two acres and maize in one acre land, with traditional agricultural practices. Due to flow of rainwater in monsoon season, the soil, in his field used to get washed away. Resultantly, the crop production was only about five quintals of cotton from two acres  and four quintals of maize from one acre. Due to low productivity, there was very little savings and it was difficult for him, to meet the expenses of his family.

When the project commenced, the villagers through labor donation, constructed a Loose Boulder Structure (LBS) under the NABARD supported project. LBS is made up of loosely arranged boulders, which reduce the speed of water and help in reduction of soil erosion. Due to the LBS, the crop yield improved, in the farm of Kalu Singh, and the soil erosion was arrested. Further, there were less weeds as compared to the earlier years. He  was able to produce nine quintals of cotton from two acres and  eight quintals of maize from one acre of land. He made a profit of Rs. 16000/- from cotton and Rs. 8000/- from maize, apart from a saving of Rs. 2000/-, as weed control, was no longer required. Through these enhanced earnings, Kalu Singh plans to upgrade to a pucca house and provide better education to his children.

In the coming year, construction of 25 LBS are planned, which will help farmers across   50 acres, in the village.