20 Years of Disha
1995: Development Initatives

Disha Supports Individuals and Small Organisations

Origin of this initiative lies in forceful echoing of the development situation of western Uttar Pradesh while responding to queries posed to it during A Study on Issues and Priorities of Development in Various Regions of Uttar Pradesh. Following the study a strategy was chalked out for intervention in five geo-economic regions of the state. Disha was selected as nodal agency for western Uttar Pradesh.

The activity began with intensive contact with the voluntary organisations and development oriented people in the western Uttar Pradesh. In the first year three voluntary organisations (VOs), nine community based organisations (CBOs) and one individual were given financial support. The next year two more VOs and four more CBOs were supported. In the third year the number of VOs supported dropped to three while the number of individuals increased to three. This year no support was provided to any CBO. Detalis of VOs, CBOs and invividuals whom support was provided are given below.

Support to the organisations and individuals was not just limited to financial support. During the first year six training and workshops were held to enhance capacity of organisations and individuals involved. The number increased to 12 in the next year.

Educational support was not limited to the organisations and individuals who were provided financial support – it was open for all organisations and development oriented individuals from western Uttar Pradesh. A number of supervisory and monitoring visits were made to provide handholding support to the organisations and inviduals so as to facilitate their work.

VOs supported
1. Prgatisheel Bal Vikas Sansthan, Bijnore
2. Anand Niketan Society, Pauri Garhwal
3. Tahreek Samajik Association, Saharanpur
4. Men’s Institute for Development and Training, Ghaziabad
5. Navjagriti Samaj Vikas Sansthan, Ferozabad

CBOs supported
1. Balmiki Yuvak Mangal Dal, Saharanpur
2. Yuvak Mangal Dal, Saharanpur
3. UP Voluntary Health Association, Dehradun
4. Uttarakhand SBD Organisation
5. Ambedkar Chetna Manch, Saharanpur
6. Pulse Polio Programme, Saharanpur
7. Mahila Mazdoor Evam Laghu Kisan Morcha, Saharanpur
8. Id and Holi Milan Saroh, Bijnore
9. Indian People Theatre Association, Saharanpur
10. Ghad Kshettra Mazdoor Samiti, Hardwar
11. Ghad Kshettra Mazdoor Morcha, Saharanpur
12. Ravidas Mahasewa Committee, Saharanpur
13. Uttar Pradesh Shramjivi Patrakar Parishad, Saharanpur

Individuals supported
1. Yogendra Singh, Muzaffarnagar
2. Aruna Saini, Saharanpur
3. Namita Guha, Sharanrpur

Tehri Garhwal Foray

Rural areas of Tehri Garhwal house ringal artisans, who eke out their livelihood by producing artefacts from ringal, a variety of cane. After the Central Government put a ban on all kind of harvesting in forests at altitudes over 1,000 metres following a Supreme Court order, the condition of these artisans worsened. Disha chose to work in a cluster of seven villages in Patti Hindao of Jakholi development block of the district.

Following mobilisation meetings, the ringal artisans formed a 30-member Ringal Dastkar Samiti. Disha gave the samiti a revolving fund of Rs 10,000. It held meetings every month to discuss and sort out the problems faced by the members. The samiti raised issues and problems of ringal artisans with gram panchayat, block and forest department.

To meet the shortage of ringal, the samiti on the prompting of the organisation, decided to go in for cultivation of ringal for commercial purpose. Since the land is scarce in the hills the samiti approached the forest department and gram panchayat to allocate land for ringal cultivation. While the forest department turned down the request of land allocation, the gram panchayat allocated land to the samiti. In addition, the samiti also acquired some private land too for ringal cultivation.

With this it was hoped that ringal would be available to the artisans in three years time.

Watershed Development

Conservation and development of a watershed near Dunda development block headquarters in Uttarkashi was initiated in 1996. The watershed measures about 1,200 hectares and covers seven villages. Residents of the watershed area mainly include Bhutias, a Scheduled Tribe, many Scheduled Castes and Garhwalis.

The watershed was named as Bhagirathi watershed. It comprises three micro watersheds and is aligned in northsouth direction and oriented towards east.
The land in the watershed is second grade, inclined and stony. Agriculture is traditional, based on human and cattle labour. It is entirely dependent on rain, which is mainly confined to four monsoon months. As a result agricultural yield is less than normal and people are dependent on non-agricultural activities like jobs, business and labour.

Necessary community mobilisation structure – Watershed Committee – was formed in the initial stages. It included two or three members from each village with due representation of Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and women. Watershed Committee was the nodal body to undertake several important jobs including formation and capacity building of user groups and self-help groups. Necessary arrangements were made for just distribution of benefits and maintenance of assets created under the activity.

To take care of the implementation aspects, a Watershed Conservation Team of the organisation’s staff associated with the activity was formed. This team received capacity building training from various organisations across the country. A mix of strategies are being used on the implementation side. These include awareness generation, plantation, trenching, construction, training and exposure. The major emphasis is on vegetative treatment of the watershed and there is less emphasis on creation of engineering structures.

Detailed information about various components of the activity has been painted on information boards. These boards have been displayed on panchayat bhawans and other public places.

Physical achievements
• 72,284 saplings of fuel, fodder and timber planted
• 9,803 saplings of fruits planted to promote horticulture
• 1,550 trenches dug for water retention
• Defunct water pipeline in Kurah village restored; 400 metres of new pipeline laid
• 376 metres of new pipeline laid in Balla village
• Three water tanks one each in Jakhari, Dunda and Kurah villages constructed
• 12 SHGs of watershed residents formed
• Three training – two for management and accounts keeping of SHGs and one for nursery raising – organised
• One exposure trip
• 24 meetings of Watershed Committee and Watershed Conservation Team organised
• Rs 1,85,402 contributed by watershed residents through labour as part of 20 per cent contribution

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