Murari Adivasi is a small farmer of Kalothara village, about 45 km from Shivpuri. He has 4-acre agriculture land and he could only cultivate kharif crop and that too if the rainfall was good. He used to work as a labourer to raise his six-member family, including two children. Very hard working Murari wished to cultivate more crop, but unavailability of water came in the way to realise his wish. Last year he sowed rabi crop and for irrigation he took water from a Dhakar family (SC community). In exchange of water, Murari had to share 50 per cent of his total produce despite the fact that he bore all the expenditure like composed, spray, seed and sowing cost. He got measly profit.
During Kisan Majdoor Sangh meeting the cluster coordinator was discussing MNREGA and organic farming benefits, some training on organic farming was also provided. Murari shared his problem with the cluster coordinator. Then he prepared farm pond proposal and submitted it to gram sabha. In month of May-June 2018, 50x50x10 feet deep farm pond was constructed on Murari’s land. A solar pump was also installed on his farm through Mukhyamantri Solar Pump Scheme. Now that pond is full of water because this year rain was good. Some plantation was also done at his farm with the support of Parhit like bamboo, drumstick, pomegranate, amla, etc., so that he can get profit from plants also.
Now Murari has own source of irrigation and cultivating rabi crops (gram and mustard) organically this year. For irrigation he is using that pond’s water through solar pump. He is also doing fisheries in that pond. There is no need to depend on others for water requirements. Now he is happy as he has own source of water and is able to cultivate more crop at a time. He has over 5000 fish in the pond. with the help of the organisation he planted 80 saplings on that farm so he can reap benefit in future. Incidentally, first solar pump of Shivpuri district was installed at Murari’s farm.
