Punjisil village, in Mujanga Gram Panchayat of Dasmantpur Block, Koraput District, is a tribal settlement reliant on rainfed agriculture, cultivating millets, coffee, vegetables, and paddy. Despite stream-fed irrigation, water scarcity during the Rabi season hampers productivity.

Dora Badanayak exemplifies resilience amid adversity. His farm pond, built two decades ago by the Soil Conservation Department, had silted up, reducing its water capacity. This led to irrigation challenges, resulting in crop failures and financial losses. Last year, he lost half an acre of chili worth ₹5,000 due to water shortages.

During the Village Development Plan (VDP) and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) exercises conducted by CYSD, his plight was prioritized. Through community discussions, Dora’s pond was selected for renovation under CYSD’s Parivartan Project, ensuring year-round water availability.

Dora’s farm pond had become nearly obsolete due to heavy silt accumulation, limiting water retention and affecting irrigation during the Rabi season. In the community, only 46 acres of land had access to irrigation, while 135 acres remained entirely dependent on rainfall. This imbalance in water availability posed significant challenges for farmers, limiting their ability to cultivate crops during the dry season and affecting overall agricultural productivity.

In March 2024, the Parivartan Project undertook its renovation to enhance water availability and agricultural resilience. Key steps included de-watering, de-silting to restore storage capacity, embankment dressing to prevent erosion, and grass turfing for sustainability. This intervention revitalized the pond, ensuring reliable irrigation and improving livelihoods for Dora and the broader farming community.

The Parivartan Project enhanced the farm pond renovation by integrating the Integrated Farming System (IFS) model. With support from government departments, Dora diversified his farming practices. The Agriculture Department provided a vermicomposting unit, improving soil fertility, and enabling Dora to plant banana on the bunds to prevent erosion. Fish farming was introduced with the provision of fingerlings, creating an additional income source. Through PMKSY, the Horticulture Department supplied a 1.5 HP submersible pump, ensuring year-round irrigation from the renovated pond and Punjisil stream, sustaining Dora’s 2 acres of farmland during the Rabi and Zaid seasons.

The intervention brought transformative outcomes for Dora’s agriculture and financial stability. The renovated farm pond ensured reliable water availability, reducing crop failure risks. Dora cultivated tomato and chili seedbeds during Rabi, expecting ₹10,000 in income. Fish farming provided an additional revenue stream, while vermiculture and water-efficient irrigation promoted sustainability. This support restored his pond’s functionality, diversified his farming, and improved productivity.

Dora expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am deeply thankful to the CYSD Parivartan team for their invaluable support in overcoming my challenges. With improved water storage, reliable irrigation, and new income opportunities, I now see a secure and prosperous future in sustainable agriculture.”