IWMP

1. IWMP Livelihood Activities

2. What is Livelihood ? Livelihood is: • A set of economic activities, involving self-employment and/or wage-employment • by using one’s endowments (human and material) • to generate adequate resources (cash and non-cash) • for meeting the requirements of self and the household, • usually carried out repeatedly and as such become a way of life.

3. Ideally, • a livelihood should keep a person meaningfully occupied, in a sustainable manner, with dignity Livelihoods, therefore, go far beyond generating income. A livelihood is much more than employment.

4. Two factors which ensure Livelihood support to families – Income Generating Assets Occupational Skills

5. What is a Livelihood Intervention? • Livelihood interventions are conscious efforts by an agency or an organization to promote and support livelihood opportunities for a large number of people (other than those directly or indirectly employed by them).

6. Relevance of Livelihood Activities in a Watershed Project • Watershed includes the human population also • Poor people heavily depends on Natural Resources like soil, water & biomass for their livelihood • Destruction of Natural Resources shall invariably affect the lives of marginalized people • Watershed activities aims to conserve and regenerate these Natural Resources

7. Watershed & Livelihood Equity considerations are of concern in the watershed approach as the intervention is essentially land-based and may potentially exclude the landless.

8. Historically, the watershed programme has focussed upon techno-managerial interventions with least concern for livelihood security • So people usually equate watershed programmes with construction of certain structures like check dam

9. In the new common guidelines for watershed programmes there is a shift towards a livelihood oriented approach where natural resources are conserved and enhanced not for the sake of nature itself but for its inhabitants too

10. And with this came the real application of Watershed Plus approach. • Watershed Plus approach is an advanced form of watershed management where emphasis shifts beyond technical measures and constructions to drinking water security, livelihood security, sanitation facilities, credit availability, micro enterprise activities and other allied activities based on natural resources.

11. IWMP – Common Guidelines • Livelihood activities for the asset less persons- • 9% of the Total Project Cost

12. Livelihood activities for the asset less persons • To maximize the utilization of potential generated by watershed activities • Creation of sustainable livelihoods and enhanced incomes for households within the watershed area.

13. Guiding Principles of Livelihood Improvement • Emphasize on natural resource based activities • Equity • Gender sensitivity • Transparency

14. Mode of Operation • Implementation of LAP is through SHGs/or their federation • SHGs should be homogeneous groups • Activity can be taken up as a group or support individual(s) for activities under the umbrella of the main SHG

15. Eligibility • BPL Families • Preference should be given to SC & STs, women, especially female headed households, according to the wealth ranking conducted as part of the PRA exercise

16. Fund Management • Funds can be used to provide financial assistance as • Seed money for Interest Free Loan to JLGs, (at least 70% of available funds) • Grant-in-aid for enterprising JLGs/SHGs/SHG federations to undertake major livelihood activities (maximum 30%) • One time grant for WDS & BLWDS

17. Seed Money for Interest Free Loan Seed Money for JLGs • Seed money may be given to JLGs as Interest free loan. • Maximum limit is Rs.25,000/- per JLG (90% of Project Cost can be given as Seed Money) • The JLGs should return the Seed money on monthly basis (maximum of 18 months)

18. Funding of Major Livelihood activities • For JLGs/SHGs/SHG federations(with at least 5 SHGs) to avail a composite loan for undertaking major livelihood activities or upscale activities, as recommended by WC and approved by WCDC • Composite loan = Grant-in-aid + Bank loan • Grant-in-aid will be 50% of the project cost or Rs.2 lakhs which ever is less • Per head subsidy ceiling is Rs.20,000/-

19. One time grant for WDS & BLWDS For meeting the administrative Expenses of WDS & BLWDS • Rs.25,000/- for WDS • Rs.40,000/- for BLWDS

20. SHG - Directory • Prepare a directory of all existing SHGs/NHGs incorporating all the details such as Name of SHG/NHG, number of members, profile of the members (men/women, PH, BPL or APL etc.), date of formation, details of grading & bank linkage, assistance received etc.

21. Joint Liability Groups • Joint Liability Groups(JLGs) with 5-10 members may be formed. • Members from existing SHGs/NHGs interested in a common activity can be pooled out and make a JLG.

22. These JLGs shall be registered in the WCs and consolidated register of such JLGs should be kept in the Block Panchayaths. • Joint accounts shall be opened in banks in the name of office bearers of the JLGs • No separate grading is required for JLGGs if the mother SHGs/NHGs concerned is graded.

23. If some members of the SHG/NHG are residing outside the watershed area, they may be avoided from availing benefits of financial assistance under the scheme. In such cases, JLG can be formed with those members residing in the watershed area

24. JLG Structure • 5-10 members interested in similar activity • JLGs shall be Men, Women or Mixed Groups • 3 office bearers from each JLG – President, Vice President & Secretary • Out of this one should be form SC/ST (if any SC/ST member available in that JLG), and one should be women (for mixed groups) • Account of JLG shall be in the name of President & Secretary • Separate minutes books & books of accounts

25. JLG Federation • At Watershed level – Watershed Development Society (WDS) • At PIA/Block level – Block Level Watershed Development Society (BLWDS)

26. Watershed Development Society (WDS) • Formed at Micro watershed level where at least 10 JLGs formed • WDS should have a General Body & Executive Committee • General Body consists of 3 office bearers each from the JLGs

27. Executive Committee – 9 members selected form among the General Body. Out of this 5 shall be women and at least 2 from SC/ST • President, Vice President & Secretary of the WDS may be elected form this Executive Committee – One among this office bearers should be women, and another one form SC/ST. All of these should be from BPL families • Ex-officio member - VEO in charge of WC Secretary

28. Block Level Watershed Development Society (BLWDS) • Formed at Project/Block level • BLWDS should have a General Body & Executive Committee • General Body consists of 9 Executive Committee Members each from all the WDSs

29. Executive Committee – 9 members selected form among the General Body. • Out of this 5 shall be women and at least 2 from SC/ST • President, Vice President & Secretary of the BLWDS may be elected from this Executive Committee – One among this office bearers should be women, and another one form SC/ST. All of these should be from BPL families • Ex-officio members – BDO, EO(WW) & Social Mobilizer

30. Tenure of General Body & Executive Committee of both the WDS and BLWDS shall be two years • Election shall be conducted after every 2 years • Same person cannot continue as Executive Committee Member or Office bearer for more than two times continuously

31. Seed money - Application The Seed Money shall be sanctioned based on a valid proposal for feasible livelihood activity to be taken up by the JLG. This proposal shall be verified by the WC and forwarded to the PIA with their recommendation.

32. Seed money- Verification This proposal shall be examined in detail at PIA level by a four member team consisting of BDO, Jt. BDO (EGS), EO (WW) and GEO with the assistance of Agri. Assistant/Social Mobiliser of WDT. Based on their recommendation, approval shall be given by the PIA.

33. Before issuing the Seed Money, beneficiary JLG shall be sensitised about the provisions/conditions and the importance of timely repayment. There shall be a mechanism through field inspection of WDT experts to verify whether these JLGs have utilised the amount for the purpose for which the same is sanctioned.

34. Field inspection by VEOs, WDT members, within one month of release of assistance. • In the case of misutilisation, the entire amount shall be recovered in lump.

35. Major Livelihood Activity • The SHGs/NHGs passed second grading after completion of one year from formation of the group shall only be considered for assistance. JLGs formed by such SHG/NHG members may also be considered. • Invoking a provision of per head subsidy ceiling of Rs.20,000/- shall be considered. • AS in SGSY, back-end subsidy shall be released to Banks.

36. The SHG/NHG/JLG shall submit detailed project proposal containing details of activity, project components, specific forward and backward linkages, availability of basic infrastructure like land, electricity and water, funding pattern, expected outcome etc. The WC shall forward this proposal to the PIA with their recommendations.

37. At the PIA level, a Team consisting of BDO, Jt. BDO (EGS), EO (WW) and GEO with the assistance of Agri. Assistant/Social Mobiliser of WDT shall examine the proposal in detail and forward to the WCDC for approval with their recommendation/remarks.

38. The WCDC, after proper verification, shall approve the proposal and return the same to PIA for submitting the same to the Bank chosen by the SHG/NHG/JLG. The WC may release financial assistance against this proposal only after getting approval from the concerned bank.

39. Selection Criteria The order of preference for selection of JLGs/SHGs/NHGs for assistance shall be as follows:- • SHGs/NHGs/JLGs of which all members belong to SC/ST • SHGs/NHGs/JLGs of which more than 50% of members belong to SC/ST • SHGs of Differently Abled Persons • Women SHGS/NHGs/JLGs • Other SHGS/NHGs/JLGs

40. Livelihood Planning • “Livelihood Action Plan” (LAP) – is a prerequisite for availing funds under the livelihood component • This plan should be an integral part of DPR • The LAP should be prepared during the preparatory phase by the PIA in consultation with the WDT, WC, SHGs, SC/ST, women, landless/assetless households

41. The LAP should analyze socio-economic conditions & existing livelihood capitals of the watershed village • LAP should contain schedule of activities, interventions, number of SHGs to be assisted and expected outcome

42. Comprehensive Planning of Livelihood Activities • If the income of one person is spent within the local economy itself, it becomes the income of another within the same economy. For example, if a dairy farmer, Ram buys the fodder from a neighbouring farmer, Shyam, the money Ram spends on buying fodder becomes income of Shyam. • This can have a perceptible implication for the economy as a whole.

45. If Ram could buy more fodder locally instead of buying cattle-feed from the town, the economy would have become stronger. • To move towards this, we could train someone to produce better fodder locally. • We could also train someone else to use the cow-dung to make compost, which in turn could be used for vegetable cultivation by other farmers. • W could also train someone to prepare organic manures & bio pesticides • This would keep the money flowing within the local economy and generate more income than before.

46. Training • WCs shall assess the training need for that area and prepare a training plan to PIAs • This training plan should include – • Number of Groups & number of persons to be trained • Types of training required – BOT, Skill Training, EDP, Accounting, Costing, Marketing etc • Duration of Training proposed

47. Based on this a comprehensive training plan shall be prepared by the Block Panchayaths • Suitable Training Institutions / Agencies / Master Trainers shall be identified • Training should be effective, and application oriented • EO(WW) of Block Panchayaths should coordinate the training programmes

48. Skill Upgradation of MGNREGS Labourers Activities – • Plumbing • Electrical Repairing • Masonry • Manufacture of building materials • Home Nursing • House keeping • Carpentry • Coconut tree climbing • Manufacture of Organic Manure & Bio fertilizers • Agri-Horticulture Nursery • Fruit processing (Jack fruit, Pineapple etc)

49. Suggestive List of Activities • Vegetable cultivation • Lease land farming • Backyard Poultry • Cow/Buffalo rearing • Goat farm • Rabbit rearing • Quail (Kada) farm • Duck farm

50. Suggestive List of Activities • Freshwater fish farming • Ornamental fish farming • Medicinal plant cultivation • Arrowroot cultivation • Vermi composting • NADEP composting • Mushroom cultivation • Flory culture