T. Durgappa in Kodihalli village of Sandur taluk was unable to cultivate on his one-and-a-half acres of land, as it had turned saline. Now, his worries have come to an end. Under the Tribal Development Scheme of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), his saline land is getting converted into a mini orchard.
He hopes to get a regular income in a couple of years from now.
Like Durgappa, there are around 890 beneficiaries (90 per cent of them belonging to Scheduled Tribes and 10 per cent to Scheduled Castes category) in six villages — Ankammanahal, Kodihalli, Hiral, Thippanamaradi, Maralahalli and Jigenahalli — with small land holdings, who will benefit from the scheme. NABARD will extend financial help in the form of a grant to develop a wadi (a small orchard covering one or two acres).
It will also provide expert technical guidance through the Sankalpa Development Centre, a non-governmental organisation, to ensure that the scheme will be successful and the benefits can be reaped by the beneficiaries.
The wadi approach aims at the rejuvenation of the environment in an integrated and comprehensive manner leading to an improved quality of life. It involves the management of the needs of the tribal community in such a way that their demands match the resources available within their reach.
Under the scheme, around 40 fruit-bearing plants and tree species, are planted in one to two acres of land. Awareness is created among the beneficiaries about rain-water harvesting and plant protection.
To water the plants, each beneficiary is given a 1,000-litre capacity tank to which water is supplied through tankers.