by Biplab Ketan Paul, Ashoka Changemaker Fellow, India 00919825506900 biplabkp@gmail

1. Soil water Rejuvenation, Desertification Control & Agro Productivity AugmentationField experience through Innovation (winner World Bank India Development Marketplace 2007 &Awarded as the Best Environmental Practice in Gujarat 2013) by Biplab Ketan Paul, Ashoka Changemaker Fellow, India 00919825506900 biplabkp@gmail.com April 2013

2. Objectives of this practice • Geological/soil and aquifer issues attended by Bhungroo • Freeing of lands from water logging = reducing salt deposition & curtailing desertification • Creation of lifelong sustainable water sources (ie irrigation supply)= both monsoon and winter cropping for poor farmers • Yearly augmentation of subsoil saline aquifer (with non saline storm water) = reducing salinity in subsoil aquifer i.e. rejuvenating subsoil water , which is also creating of better water source over long term • Crop/farming and ecology issues attended by Bhungroo • Ensuring higher soil productivity • Socio economic issues attended by Bhungroo • Entrustment of food security, emancipation from debt trap & reversing of migration • Gender dimension attended by Bhungroo • Women driven gender centric programme in unique commune agro system

3. Ensuring Sustainable Agro-Livelihood for vulnerable farmers of Salinity affected &/or Flash Flood prone areas through World Bank IDM 2007 awarded Socially Innovative Irrigation Technology (Bhungroo) And/or

4. What is World Bank awarded technology? It is awarded in World Bank’s Socially Innovative Ideas competition IDM 2007 and it is named as “Bhungroo” (in local language means straw for water) . • How does it work? • Bhungroo, a filtered injection method is actually injecting low density storm water underground • Creating water lenses due to density variation between filtered storm water and subsoil high density saline aquifer. • Top soil gets free from water logging • Existing soil moisture takes care of monsoon cropping. • In winter period (the cash crop period) the farmers lift the injected low density storm water from subsurface storage for winter irrigation.

6. What is “Bhungroo”? Meaning of “Bhungroo” • “Bhungroo” is a local term in Gujarat. In Gujarati it means a “straw” • But in local dialect it means a “Straw” through which “Dharti (i.e. mother earth)” can sip in water inside as well as can give water to its children for lifelong Impact: • Now highly popular in the region especially within women members Plots, which were perennially unproductive for decades due to water logging, produce at least 2 crops from the very first year due to installation of Bhungroo. Retain soil water and reduces the salt deposition ie controlling desertification

7. Injecting of rainwater underground & creation of subsoil lenses of low density water Work Diagram Waterlogging Installation of Bhungroo on the land which is water logged Food crop= nutrition security Freeing of land from water logging Water lifting from under ground water lenses by pumping Cash crop = income generation Supplying of water for alternative season cropping Impetus towards Social Enterprises • For Local Partners • For below poverty line vulnerable farmers • Major focus on women • Designed into community driven company ie Joint Asset Groups = benefit to more than 5 farming families = cooperative/group cultivation= risk minimization=economic of scale • Definite time-line • On Global issues • Controlling of desertification, Mitigation of climate change and • Women led development

8. Issues attained • Disaster prone- Desertified, • Water-logging= flash flood affected • Soil and Aquifer Salinity, • Near zero Irrigation availability,

9. How is it relevant in local area? • Flash flood/salinity affected areas are defeating agro process of local people due to water logging in every monsoon. It solves the poor agro productivity issue in the area • Water depth in tubewell 1200/1300 ft needs an investment of USD 30000 for deep tubewell. Bhungroo needs an one time investment of<USD 10000 • The erratic rainfall and current water storage process does not result better conservation. It solves that problem • Due to heavy sheet flow of muddy water the water percolation rate is very low. By reducing the water logging it is actually increasing soil productivity The aquifer depths 62 -100 ft. The filtered storm water collected through Bhungroo can be stored underground. It stays over there for next 365 days. Makes landholdings free from water logging= rainydays cropping= food security. In Alternative season injected water is pumped out for irrigation= cash crops=higher income= economic richness.

10. Planning- “Bhungroo” Suitability- locations? Salinity Affected areas: • Regions with high soil salinity • Regions with high subsoil salinity • Regions with low top soil permeability/porosity Flash flood regions: • Regions with long duration water-logging • Regions with subsoil water TDS level > 1000 ppm within a depth of 40-80 ft Pre installation technical, social, soil, geographical data collection is needed

11. Collection of runoff surface water in farmers plot through farm bund and filter it to inject underground Monsoon rainfall Training of SHGs and farmers = understanding of commune agro process & Bhungroo based irrigation system development= water quantum finalization based upon land geography detail = crop specific agro water balance finalization with local knowledge Bhungroo Implementation (Process) Finalization of quantum of Landholdings + irrigation of selected farmers. Their lands get free from water logging = near zero salt deposition from capillary force = increasing soil fertility & ensuring monsoon cropping = Food security= reverse migration= ecological rejuvenation of erstwhile fallow land Post Monsoon cropping, Lifting of stored water Reuse the lifted stored water for winter cropping=cash cropping =economic richness Higher irrigation coverage for winter crop with higher return

12. Process1-Concept Promotion Old beneficiaries share their success –experience with this group; exposure visit is conducted (if needed) List the potential beneficiaries as per their poorest poor rank in the poverty mapping Village level SHGs do the local level poverty mapping Community Manager explains work process & norms & terms of Commune to be followed by beneficiaries Finally agreed members from the SHGs’ list, who are keen to access Bhungroo as per given agreement and acceptable terms SHGs are responsible to for beneficiaries’ performance & norms abiding

13. Process2-Beneficiary Selection & Site Finalization Short listed members submit land entitlement legal papers & poverty certification to local SHGs SHGs are responsible for beneficiaries’ paper authenticity Papers Verification by SHG & community local village institution/ government machinery are roped in for document attestation Screening of potential beneficiaries based upon Sites’ technical feasibility (soil strata report) and peer group assessment at community level List of beneficiaries gets finalized; Commune is formed for next 10 years operation

14. Process 3-Technology erection, machinery installation & maintenance at site Commune members are informed about their selection. They form their labor team and work timing is finalized Commune members’ sites gets ready with drilling completion & machinery installation within 30 days of commune formation Machinery team deliver the machines to local SHGs; in presence of village institution and SHGs machines are installed by the machinery agency Drilling agencies complete the drilling within 10 days Onsite full service & parts replacement warranty by machinery and drilling agencies Commune members are responsible to manage the system on their land

15. Process4-Water injection and crop mapping Rain water collection, water logging duration, water quantum measurement by Commune members with approval from SHG, verified by community SHG and Commune members upkeep water injection units aprior SHG and Commune assess water injection & possible water draft for irrigation Commune decide on crop planning for monsoon and winter along with irrigation water quantum need and timing Irrigation chart and timing is shared within commune in advance Commune prepare the irrigation Plan

16. SHG keeps tab on water distribution & farmers’ on site water management to minimize the wastage & stealing SHG &Commune keep note on monsoon irrigation Process5-Irrigation supply Commune start winter irrigation on rotation process i.e. machine time is dedicated to single farmers, so each farmers is getting irrigation cycle within next 5 days. Commune daily updates water usage by each commune member water usage, cost of usage & agro input use by each farmer is shared within; this gives actual picture of crop growth

17. The Bhungroo Process

18. Process • Gender centric– from partner selection, approval, technology erection and sale proceed control by women • Priority -Food security and economic upliftment • Crop selection by women – • Monsoon- food security, AH & fuel security • Winter- minimum risk, minimum agro input usage • Technology- inclusive and risk sharing

19. Program Output -- Direct measurable result • Within first monsoon after irrigation operation from Bhungroos: • Inclusion of 20 acresof land into cropping system • Net income from 1 Bhungroo USD 5000 to 10000 • Guaranteed Food Security for at least 25 BPL members • Lifting of 25 poorest poor farmers to APL level • Reduction in migration of targeted farmers Program Output -- Indirect result • Good no of poor rural people are saved from flash flood. • Works as buffer zone for the Flash flood. • Reduces threat to hygiene and health • Saves good no of animals’ lives in low lying areas.

20. Bhungroo Achievement

21. Bhungroo Impact

22. Impact • Facilitation of Millennium Development Goals • Regenerate the dairy industry of all the project villages through grass growing on water logging free lands= near zero land erosion • Freeing the BPL members from the clutches of village power groups. • Empowerment of underprivileged women in the area • Technical knowledge ownership with SHG members - inbuilt sustainability. • Local women members working as resource person - auto replication. • Local wagecreation • Improvement of women health and education status over time. Most importantly it implies a new ecological era for this degraded and disaster-prone region leading to flood coping and/or disaster preparedness

23. Potential of scaling up • BestAgro solutionfor drought/flash flood affected areas • Innovative low cost easy to use irrigation process for poor farmers- takes care of 95% of scaling up issues. • Emancipation of farmers from debt-trap • Instead of single ownership, it isequally-shared-asset and community shared knowledge. • Highknowledge ownershipReduce/ reverses out-migration of farmers as bonded labors to other areas • Promotesbest agro practices • Women leadership and informed animators (i.e. least-cost-second-line is getting ready) • Being people-centric and targeted to immediate need of livelihood of the poorest of poor, dependent upon most precious natural resource Land and Water

24. Integration Need-oriented financial services and uplifting the clients to be credit worthiness Extension services towards crop loss minimization (women run) Business plan based agro activity in both land owner & landless women farmers Linking with existing public services (e.g. WATSAN, health, education etc.) and scoping exercise on innovative ideas on the subject Market information on Agro-allied sector Market information provision services for higher income

25. Learning Major lessons & learning by community & implementer • Technical: • What is innovation • How to operationalize the process of innovation • Social: • How to internalize the innovation at larger scale • Roles and responsibilities of each stakeholders in the internalization process • Institutional: • How to streamline the replication process with a view of better output • Role of Financial institutions • Advocacy for credit worthiness of the poor farmers for Bhungroo experiment Local level understanding: Technology –process inclusiveness, gender centricity in innovation, visual &functional literacy in correlation to innovation execution etc

26. Understanding Acquired Addressing two fold issues:Increase in Agro income & Self reliance of poor farmers in fragile ecology of desert & flash flood prone areas Economically viable:possibly the lowest cost of per cubic feet irrigation water (among all other irrigation structure) Environmentally sustainable :locally acceptable Low/zero maintenance cost Solve the major crisis of drought affected area: agro productivity through better water management Solve the major crisis of flash flood affected area: Freeing of land and animal husbandry from water logging in monsoon as well as ensure consistent water supply for irrigation in winter and summer Have a strong possibility for: replication Able to change the social and power equation in the village Involve the underprivileged women in each step of work thereby: knowledge endowment

27. Future Scaling up, Echoing, nurturing, self sufficiency, knowledge building “technology transfer” “business plan based development approach”. “right set of knowledge carrier” • Support Agencies • SEAPCP, Kualalampur knowledge sharing centre for south east Asia. • “Ashoka Global Change maker network” in its Rural Innovation in Farming- • “Globalizer “ programme’s part. • Mentored by “Safe Water Network”

28. Future Expansion plan INGOs/ Global Networks/ DONORs/ Foundations/ Local NGOs/ MFIs/ CSR Free access to the technology to like minded people, support from Research Instt Paradigm shift New Government Policy New loan product for Banks Geography centric training conducting, module preparation, backed with SEED CAPITAL

29. The Need- National & Global National and Global Strong prospect in– Maharshtra, Bihar, Haryana, Orissa, West bengal etc. Further Potential in Pakistan, Indonesia, Bali, Papua and Timore and African countries etc As per geo-hydrology principle, The technology can easily work where • water logging is due to rainfall or flash flood with at least 3 ft height • Subsoil aquifer table is available within 30 mt • The underground geology shows coarse grain permeable sand

30. Opportunity Source: (FAO/UNESCO Soil Map), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_salinity_control

31. Web: http://naireetaservices.com/ Email: biplabkp@gmail.com biplabkp@rediffmail.com trbjain@yahoo.com Ph- 00919825506900 00919925007097 New Technology New Process New Horizons

32. Thank You

33. Biplab K Paul - Credential • Got selected as Changemaker for India by Noble laureate IPCC General Secretary, Dr. R K Pachauri. • Awarded as Ambassador for Peace by UPF, New York • Made his NGO to win prestigious World Bank India Development Market Place award 2007 for innovative irrigation technology. • Commonwealth Scholar, US dept of State Scholar, TREE (German) Scholar • Ashoka Change Maker fellow from India in 2011 • Jal Star award in 2012. • Awardee as Best contributor for State Rural Development in 2012 • Globalizer fellow in RIF from India in 2012 biplabkp@gmail.com biplabkp@rediffmail.com http://naireetaservices.com Skype: biplabkp Ph: 09825506900 Director – Naireeta Services pvt ltd (a social enterprise)