Activities
Tribal Development Programme
a) Integrated development of tribal community in Aralam Tribal Resettlement Area
With the support from Tribal Development Fund of NABARD, CRD is implementing integrated development programmes for the Tribal community in Aralam tribal resettlement area of Kannur district, which is one of the largest tribal settlements in Asia. The project is being implemented in two phases.Phase I covers 598 families and Phase II covers 500 families. It has activities in the components such as Horticulture, soil conservation & water resources development, livelihood promotion, health & nutrition, lease farming, women development, community organization and aggregation of farming activities through farmer collective. The project also promotes unique farming practices of tribals and a goat village programme. The tribal products are being marketed under a common brand name called ‘NAAC’. Value added products and honey is being marketed along with vegetables, turmeric, ginger, finger millet, sesame and tuber crops produced organically. 2 processing and marketing centres for tribal produces are in operation in the area.
b) Technical Agency for TRIFED for its SFRUTI project
CRD is one of the empanelled Technical Agencies (TA) for TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India) an organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India for its SFRUTI project. As TA we provide technical support to promote tribal cluster development activities.
Studies and Participatory Action Researches
CRD give top priority for studies and action researches. Following are the highlights
– Reconnaissance study of potential 162 Small Hydel Project sites in various Grama Panchayats of Kasaragod DT, under a scheme of Total Energy Security Mission of ANERT, Thiruvananthapuram. The study was completed and the report was submitted to ANERT.
– Monitoring study assignments of the tribal development projects of NABARD in Kannur, Wayanad and Palakkad districts.
– A study for designing a comprehensive development programme for the tribals in Attappady areas of Palakkad has been conducted for NABCONS. We have conducted impact study of Hariyalai watershed projects implemented in 3 Block Panchayats of Kasaragod and Kozhikode Districts.
– As RSO, we have conducted Project Completion Study in 35 watershed projects of NHWDP. Analysis of the impacts generated in the watershed was a major focus of the study.
– With NABARD support we have conducted study of selected 101 farmers from Kasaragod district to document their good practices in farming and allied sectors to publish a book.
– Conducted PRA studies and Watershed Project/Master Plan preparation studies under various projects of PRIs including MGNREGS and NABARD.
– Provided field study (questionnaire designing, data entry, data analysis and PRA) support for the livelihood planning study of Tribal families of Aralam Tribal Resettlement area (through the team engaged for the purpose).
– Participatory Action Researches are being conducted in the ongoing projects and several case studies and good practices were prepared.
Drinking Water and Sanitation
a) Support Organisation (SO) for JALANIDHI Project of the Government of Kerala: “JALANIDHI” Project under the Department of Water Resources of Government of Kerala has selected CRD as the SO for implementing Community Drinking Water Scheme in Gramapanchayats. We have completed planning and implementation of 20 water supply schemes in Balal Gramapanchayat of Kasaragod DT. Sanitation activities like sanitary latrines, community toilets, etc were also implemented.
b) Service Provider to PRIs in Kerala in the area of sanitation activities: CRD has experience in working as service provider to PRIs in Kerala as empanelled by the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) of Government of Kerala as in the area of sanitation activities.
c) Implementation Support Agency for drinking water schemes under Jal Jeevan Mission of the Government in Kerala State.
Natural Resources Management (NRM) Programmes
Our NRM programmes are known by the name Jeevanam. We adopted a community participatory net planning and implementation strategy in NRM projects. Following are the major interventions in NRM sector. In various capacities like RSO, TSO and PIA, CRD could cover a total area of 67243 Ha directly benefiting about 1.25 Lakh families.
a) Resource Support Organisation Project (RSO) for NABARD
NABARD appointed CRD as its RSO for its Holistic Watershed Development Projects in Kasaragod district during 2008-2014; covering 35 Watersheds with total area of 30351 Ha spread over in 22 Grama Panchayats comes in Manjeshwaram, Karadka, Kasaragod, Parappa and Nileshwaram Blocks of the District. The association also continued in its Sustainable Development Projects (SDP) implemented in select 13 Watershed projects during 2018-20.
Providing technical support to the PRIs, NGOs and VWCs, conducting Capacity Building Trainings, Coordination & Linkages with various institutions, doing Studies & Documentation, making Special Recommendation for Release of Funds, Project Monitoring, developing replicable Watershed models by acting as PFA, coordinating Cluster Plus Activities and MIS Reporting System were the major responsibilities of RSO
b) Technical Support Organisation (TSO) for the implementation of Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), a centrally sponsored scheme.
CRD was one of the approved TSOs for Block Panchayats (PIAs) for the implementation of IWMP projects. Parappa and Karadka Block Panchayats appointed CRD as the PIA for IWMP Cluster Watershed Projects. As TSO we have conducted detailed technical studies and PRA in the 5 watershed clusters comprising 64 micro watersheds with an area of 27571 Ha and prepared the Detailed Project Report.
c) Watershed Projects under NABARD Holistic Watershed Programme (NHWDP) – Distressed district package
CRD implemented 7 watershed projects (Kunjar, Banatpady, Kuntar, Neelimala, Pallikandam, Thaliyammada and Pettikundu- Chanappamchal watersheds) under NHWDP in Kasaragod Dt, covering a total area of 6756 Ha, during 2008-2014, in the role of Project Facilitation Agency (PFA). The project has mainly 5 stage viz. Pre-Capacity Building, Interim Phase, Feasibility Study Report preparation, Full Implementation and Consolidation stage. Community Organisation, Capacity Building Training and Exposure programmes, Watershed Treatment measures, Demonstration activities and Livelihood through Revolving Fund are the are the major components of the project.
d) Watershed Projects under Western Ghats Development Programme (WGDP)
We have experience in implementing 14 Watershed Projects under WGDP of Planning Commission, Government of India. Total area of these projects comes to 9321 Ha. The watersheds are Kundenvayal, Kakkatt, Vazhakode, Kothottu and Karakode watersheds in Madikkai Gramapanchayat, Kaliyadukkam, Koodanam and Chalinkal in Pullur-Peria Gramapanchayath, Podavoor, Alandatta, Nalilamkandam-Kuttamath in Kayyur Cheemeni Gramapanchayath, Konnakkad watershed in Balal Gramapanchayat and Deviyottukavu watershed project in Kankol-Alapadamba Gramapanchayat and Parakkol-Keekkanam in Kinanoor-Karinthalam Gramapanchayat. Community Organisation & Training, Production System Management, Natural Resources Management, Livelihood Systems and Project Management are the major components of the project.
e) Climate change mitigation and adaptation programmes
With the Support from NABARD-KfW (KfW is the development bank of German Government) Soil project, we are implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation programme (Integration of Watershed Development for rehabilitation of degraded soil and climate change adaptation” (SEWOH Phase II) in 5 treated watersheds in Kasaragod District viz. Mugu, Kunjar, Banatpadi, Cheripadi and Pettikundu. The purpose of the project is to reduce vulnerability to climate change of small scale farmers in selected watersheds through the stabilization, enhancement and sustainable use of soil and water resources. In these watersheds, various climate change mitigation and adaptation measures and capacity building training programmes are being implemented covering the select hotspots covering an area of 1194.91 Ha to benefit 1543 farmer families. The activities are grouped in components such as Soil and water conservation, Soil health and productivity enhancement, Sustainable NRM, Climate change adaptive farming practices and nutritional security, Measures to mitigate climate change risks, training & knowledge transfer and knowledge management.
f) Springshed Project
CRD is implementing springshed project in Kundaram area of East-Eleri Gramapanchayath of Kasaragod District to develop and conserve springs with the support from NABARD. The project covers 299.92 Ha and 346 households. It aims at revival of drying springs for drinking water purpose, enrichment of soil fertility through control of soil and water erosion and promotion of sustainable farming practices like organic farming. Project has activities in components like Soil and Water Conservation, Crop productivity enhancement interventions, Agriculture and allied activities, Gender and Livelihood development activities, Community organization and Training & Capacity building programme
g) Watershed Master Plan Preparation
We prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPR) / Feasibility Study Report (FSR) for all the watersheds with which we act as Support Organisation/ Project Implementing Agency/ Project Facilitating Agency. We follow a community participatory net planning approach in DPR preparation. All thematic maps are prepared in GIS platform. We also prepare Watershed Master Plan under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for the local bodies. The Watershed Master Plan we prepared for Madikkai Grama Panchayat is the first of this kind under MGNREGS in Kasaragod DT.
h) Capacity Building Training and Awareness programmes
Capacity building training programmes is targeted to People’s Representatives, Officials, Watershed Community, Farmers, Rural women, Watershed Committees, Watershed Development Team and NGOs. We prepare information education and communication materials in print and digital form for the benefit of the target groups.
Livelihood and Entrepreneurship Development Programmes
Under various schemes, we are promoting livelihood & entrepreneurship development programmes. We help the community to identify most suitable & viable livelihood activities through micro entrepreneurship development and livelihood entrepreneurship development training programmes, financial inclusion programmes and through participatory micro planning exercise.
Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
CRD is one of the Producer Organisation Promoting Institutions for NABARD. Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) are formed to increase the income of the farmers through value addition and aggregation of farming activities. CRD is promoting 6 FPOs in Kannur and Kasaragod Districts with the support from NABARD. They are Gramalakshmi Marketing Producer Company LTD, Thulunad farmer producer company LTD & Ksheera Farmer producer company in Kasaragod district and Pariyaram Coconut Farmers’ Producer Company LTD, Anthoor Vegetable & Fruit farmers producer company LTD & Kurumathoor Honey farmers producer company LTD in Kannur district . All the FPOs are registered under Companies Act.
Rural Mart
With the assistance from NABARD, we have promoted a Rural Mart at Peria. It is run by Kairali Farmers’ Club. Rural Mart facilitate marketing of the own produces of the farmers and supply necessary tools and inputs for farming activities. Process is on to install a Rural Mart at Irrity for the Aralam Tribal Community.
Farmer participatory Seed Production and Seed Bank programme
This farmer participatory programme is indented to produce and supply quality seeds of vegetable crops to the farmers in our intervention areas. Selected farmers were trained on various aspects of seed production and seed bank and they took part in the programme.
Promotion of Self Help Groups and Joint Liability Groups
We have been promoting small groups of the communities to facilitate social and economic improvement and community empowerment programmes. Savings and thrift programmes, income generating programmes, bank linkage programmes, lease farming, community shramadhan and various capacity building training programmes have been undertaken.