The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), established as an autonomous body in 1929, celebrated its Foundation Day on July 16th, 2024. While agriculture is entering the technology revolution in India, there are various communities especially tribal farmers deprived of various needs for improved and allied livelihood practices. AROEHAN collaborates with farmers and different institutions to integrate farmers’ needs like spheres of crop production, orchard plantation, livestock management, and goat rearing, among other practices. On ICAR’s 96th Foundation Day, AROEHAN conducted a study tour for farmers of Jawhar to Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Kosbad Hill, Dahanu.

Senior Scientist Dr. Vilas Jadhav briefed farmers about Krish Vigyan Kendra (KVK) which is an integral part of the National Agriculture Research System (NARS) that aims at the assessment of location-specific technology modules in agriculture and allied enterprises, through technology assessment, refinement, and demonstrations. Subject Matter Agronomy Specialist Mr. Bharat Kushare talked about utilising modern technology for lower cost of rice production and gave information on nursery cultivation, tray rice, mattress steam, and modern machinery.

Mr. PV Wartha, Farm Manager at KVK, elaborated on techniques like the token method of paddy cultivation, Saguna Rice Technique, Derm Method, Benefits of mulching paper planting – which can help retain moisture in the soil, which reduces the need for irrigation. Mr Ashok Bhoir, PA of Soil Science, gave instructions about orchard plantation, and the farmers were also briefed about bee-keeping for honey production and poultry farming by Mr. Uttam Sahane- an entomology specialist.

KVKs have been functioning as a Knowledge and Resource Centre of agricultural technology supporting initiatives of the public, private, and voluntary sectors for improving the agricultural economy of the district and linking the NARS with the extension system and farmers. 35 Farmers from Nyhale and Borale Gram Panchayats of Jawhar benefitted from AROEHAN’s expedition to Kosbad’s KVK.

AROEHAN is paying special attention to bridging the gap between tribal groups and technology by using modern technology in all aspects like water conservation, agriculture and agro-based livelihood tools. Through AROEHAN’s Resource Centre – Shramik Adivasi Bachat Gat, Mokhada – the local farmers, self-help groups and other beneficiaries witness demonstrations of various technologies as well as the state-of-the-art farming methods. The latest installation in our centre are Hydroponics for growing green fodder.
An evolving technology, hydroponics is a method of growing green fodder without soil in an environmentally controlled machine or space. This device has been estimated to utilise 98% less water than traditional methods, and the water is recycled. It is possible to generate up to 1000 kg of green fodder per day from 480 square feet of area, which is comparable to 25 acres of cultivable land producing 25 acres of traditional fodder. Fodder can be produced round the year irrespective of the failure of monsoon, land availability, natural calamities, labour shortage. The green fodder is more palatable, digestible and nutritious, it enhances the immune system of animals and augments their productive and reproductive performance.
After thorough testing of the machines, AROEHAN aims to provide training to local tribal farmers in technology usage and maintenance. This will enable ease in adopting new technology and fulfil their requirements for livestock-feeding as well as endorse cultivation in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner.

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When we think of summer in childhood, we remember playing games, meeting friends, drinking refreshments, eating sour foods, listening to stories by elders, road trips and so on. Children in tribal areas do not always have luxury of vacation trips or summer camps during vacation. AROEHAN decided to bring summer fun to them through an initiative called Bal Anand Melava. 21 such camps were held from 15th April to 29th April, 2024 at Zilla Parishad Schools in Mokhada.

In Bal Melava, children were taught to make simple drinks on their own like lemon juice and Rasana. They made them and excitedly shared it with their friends. To ignite their creativity the participants were taught the art of origami and were guided through the process of creating intricate paper hats, boats, and planes. Old newspapers were used for these crafts and children were instructed to ensure zero waste to imbibe environmentally responsible behaviour. They were encouraged to perform local folklore and sing songs in front of their peers as a way to foster confidence. In an attempt to demonstrate the importance of sports in school, we organised a variety of enjoyable, classic activities to encourage physical activity and well-being.

While the study break is important, recreational activities during this period are just as valuable and crucial in poverty-stricken areas to prevent children from being pushed into child labour and domestic work, as they lose touch with their learning capacities. 96 students, between 1st to 7th Grade, were a part of this initiative. The Bal Melava were held in 21 Zilla Parishads in Swaminagar, Bhowadi, Adoshi, Saprewadi, Sadakwadi, Dudhgaon, Dhamanshet, Vasind, Behtwadi, Pendakwadi, Bramhangaon, Bedukpada, Thakurwadi, Amle, Ikharichapada, Bhawaniwadi, Sakharwadi, Dolhara, Shelampada, Kakdoshi and many other places.

AROEHAN is creating public awareness about the silk industry and get government subsidies for farmers. In collaboration with the Silk Development Officer, a study tour was conducted for farmers at Pimpurna village in Dabhosa Gram Panchayat, Mokhada.

भारत हा तरुणांचा देश आहे कारण भारतात सर्वात जास्त तरुणांची संख्या आहे. सध्या भारत देश विकसाच्या मार्गावर आहे पण तरीही ग्रामीण भाग मात्र अजूनही मागेच राहिलेला दिसून येतो. याचे कारण म्हणजे ग्रामीण भागात दर्जेदार शिक्षण नाही, रोजगाराच्या संधी नाहीत, दळणवळणाचा अभाव, गरिबी त्यात कामासाठी स्थलांतर या सर्व गोष्टींमुळे ग्रामीण भागातील तरुण वर्ग चांगले शिक्षण किंवा चांगला जॉब याचा विचार न करता अर्ध्यावर शिक्षण सोडून एकतर मजुरीच्या कामावर जाणे किंवा फिल्मी गोष्टींचा प्रभाव पडून कमी वयात प्रेम करणे, पळून जाणे तसेच उनाडक्या करत फिरणे अशा गोष्टींच्या आहारी गेलेला आहे. याचा परिणाम त्यांच्या पुढील आयुष्यावर तर पडतोच पण देशाचा विचार करता देशाच्या विकासावर गंभीर परिणाम दिसून येतो. 

डहाणू तालुक्यातील आगवन ग्रामपंचायत मधील शिशुपाडा येथे आरोहन माता व बाल आरोग्य आणि पोषण या विषयावर काम करत असतांना आरोहन कार्यकर्ती धनश्रीला जून महिन्यात १४ वर्षाची किशोरी गरोदर मिळाली. तिचा साथीदार सुद्धा १५ वर्षाचाच होता म्हणजे दोघेही अल्पवयीन होते, त्यामुळे त्यांच लग्न देखील झालेलं नव्हते. मुलगी आणि मुलगा दोघेही अल्पवयीन असल्यामुळे त्या मुलीला तब्बल ७ वा महिना लागलेला असूनपण तिची आरोग्य केंद्रात तसेच अंगणवाडीमध्ये गरोदरपणाची कुठेही नोंदणी झाली नव्हती याचे कारण पाहता त्या मुलामुलीवर पोलीस केस होऊ शकते म्हणून तिची कुठेही नोंदणी करून घेतली नव्हती. अशा काही घटना घडल्या असतील तर आरोग्य कर्मचाऱ्यांनी आपल्याला काही शिक्षा होईल किंवा आपल्याला याचा पुढे जाऊन त्रास होईल या भीतीने त्यांना मिळणाऱ्या आरोग्य सेवा देण्यास नकारणे कायद्याने गुन्हा आहे, कारण आरोग्याचा अधिकार हा प्रत्येक व्यक्तीला मिळालेला मुलभूत अधिकार आहे. म्हणून ती मुलगी कमी वयाची आणि अतिजोखमेची असल्यामुळे तिला आरोग्य सेवा मिळणे अत्यंत गरजेचे होते. असे असूनसुद्धा तिला कोणत्याही आरोग्य सुविधा न देता शिवाय तिची आरोग्य संस्थांमध्ये नोंदणी देखील करून घेतली नव्हती. 

हे सर्व आरोहन कार्यकर्ती धनश्री हिला माहिती झाल्यावर तिने अशा वेळेस काय करता येईल याची माहिती घेण्यासाठी आरोहन प्रकल्प समन्वयक सुजाता यांच्याशी संपर्क केला तर त्यांनी सांगितले कि, दोघांच्या आईवडिलांची जर पोलीस केस करायची इच्छा नसेल तर पोलीस केस होऊ शकत नाही म्हणून धनश्रीने याविषयी माहिती घेण्याकरिता दोघांच्या घरीदेखील भेट दिली त्यातून समजले कि दोघांचे आईवडील एकमेकांना स्वीकारण्यास तयार आहेत. पण तरीही आरोहनचे कार्यकर्ते अशा अल्पवयीन मुलामुलींवर काही तक्रार होऊ शकते का? जर झाली तर अशा मुलामुलींचे करियर धोक्यात जाते म्हणून पोलीस केस होऊ नये याविषयीची माहिती घेण्याकरिता डहाणू पोलीस स्टेशनमध्ये भेट दिली. आरोहनने घटना घडली आहे असे न सांगता जर अशी घटना घडली तर त्यावर तक्रार न करता वेगळा उपाय काय असू शकतो याची माहिती घेण्याचा प्रयत्न केला पण तिथे घटना घडूच नये यासाठी काय करणे जरुरीचे आहे हे सांगण्यात आले म्हणून अपेक्षित माहिती न मिळाल्यामुळे तिथून माघारी यावे लागले पण आरोहन ला जेव्हा हि घटना माहिती झाली होती तेव्हाच 

त्या मुलीची जवळच्या आरोग्य केंद्रात नोंदणी करवून घेतली होती त्यामुळे तिला गरोदर तपासणी व लोहयुक्त गोळ्या चालू करून दिल्या होत्या. यासाठी त्या मुलीला उपकेंद्र, उपकेंद्र ते प्राथमिक आरोग्य केंद्र आणि प्राथमिक आरोग्य केंद्र ते उपजिल्हा रुग्णालय येथे फिरावे लागले सोबत तिच्या आरोहन कार्यकर्तेदेखील होते. 

पुढे इतर हालचाल करायच्या अगोदरच ती कमी वयाची आणि जोखमेची माता असल्यामुळे तिची ७ व्या महिन्यातच प्रसूती झाली. किमान तिची आरोग्य केंद्रात नोंदणी झाली म्हणून तिची प्रसुतीदेखील उपजिल्हा रुग्णालय डहाणू येथे झाली, पण बाळाचे वजन कमी असल्यामुळे व आरोग्याच्या पुरेशा सुविधा शासकिय रुग्णालयात उपलब्ध नसल्यामुळे त्यांना उपजिल्हा रुग्णालयातून दुसऱ्या राज्यात सेल्वास(दादरा आणि नगर हवेली) येथे पाठविण्यात आले,नाईलाजाने त्या मुलीला व तिच्या नातेवाईकांना तिकडे जाण्यास भाग पडले. परंतु त्या दोघा अल्पवयीन मुलामुलींवर कोणत्याही प्रकारची पोलीस तक्रार झाली नाही तसेच आई व बाळ दोन्ही सुखरूप आहेत. येथे आरोहन चा उद्देश हा नाही कि अशा अल्पवयीन मुलांना प्रोत्साहित करणे तर अशा घटना काही कारणात्सव घडल्या असतील तर त्या व्यक्तींना त्यांचे अधिकार मिळवून देणे हा आहे कारण आरोग्याचा अधिकार हा प्रत्येक नागरिकाला घटनेने दिलेला मुलभूत अधिकार आहे आणि तो प्रत्येकाला मिळालाच पाहिजे.

AROEHAN activist Dhanashree came across a 14-year-old pregnant girl Pallavi (name changed) during her regular maternal and child health related interventions. Situated in Shisupada in Agavan Gram Panchayat of Dahanu, Aroehan has witnessed at least 56 teenage pregnancies in the past year. Pallavi’s male partner was 15 years old and she was in her 7th month of pregnancy. It is common among tribal communities that many adolescents cohabit after engagement or stay in a live-in relationship. 

Despite being an at-risk mother, Pallavi was not registered anywhere in the health centre as well as Anganwadi due to fear of legal repercussions against her. Right to healthcare is a fundamental right but the health workers refused to provide her with any service fearing legal punishment. We convinced them to get her MCP (Mother and Child Protection) Card. While the PHC still did not register her as a mother, she was referred to Manav Seva Sangh, an NGO working for orphan children and less privileged mothers. She was able to get some check-ups and necessary medications were provided. 

AROEHAN activist Sujata Ayarkar, who has worked with such cases before, along with Dhanashree went to the police station to intervene with this situation. Initially, the police officer was flipping tables and getting angry over the tribal community for “encouraging” such cases. The police dismissed the case speaking of the prevention, but what when the case has already occurred? After some time we received an off-the-record tip that if the parents of both the minors agree with the cohabitation, the case would be registered under Medico Legal Case and legal repercussions could be prevented against the minors and people helping her.

Pallavi was underage, anaemic, underweight, and an at-risk mother, which meant there were high chances of premature childbirth. She gave birth at Dahanu cottage but it was necessary to transfer her to a hospital with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit facilities. She was transferred to a government hospital with adequate facilities in Silvassa, which is a union territory inside Gujarat state. Our activists were behind her and ensured no legal actions were taken against her and the mother was able to deliver in a safe environment.

As per NIH, one out of every five adolescent girls becomes a mother before turning 18 in India. While we may have progressed in some areas, there are still vulnerable areas which need to be nurtured with proper education and development interventions. In this process, if there were cases of pregnancies, it would be inhumane and unjust of us to refuse them the health services and it also goes against our fundamental rights. We do not promote teenage pregnancies but we believe in every human’s right to safe healthcare.

विज्ञान आणि तंत्रज्ञानाने गेल्या काही वर्षात अनेक प्रगती केली आहे. या तंत्रज्ञानाचा वापर जगातील प्रत्येक व्यक्ती आपल्या रोजच्या जीवनात करत आहे. विज्ञानाचा सर्वात मोठा अविष्कार म्हणजे वीज निर्मिती. माणसाने कोळशापासून पाण्यापासून, सूर्याच्या ऊर्जेपासून, वाऱ्यापासून विजेची निर्मिती करत आहे. परंतु जगातील काही भाग हा ह्या विजेचा अतिरिक्त वापर करतना दिसून येतो, तर काही लोकांनी वीज कशाला म्हणतात हे देखील पाहिले नाही. 

भारतासारख्या प्रगतीशील देशात सुद्धा उच्च वर्गीय आणि शहरी भागात राहणारा माणूस आज विजेचा अतिरक्त वापर करत आहे, परंतु भारतातील ग्रामीण भागात राहणारा व्यक्ती अजूनही विजेच्या प्रतिक्षेत आहे. काही गावात विजेच्या चोरीचे प्रकार सर्रास दिसून येतात, तर काही ठिकाणी विजेचे मीटर दिले आहेत पण जोडणी न करता बिल पाठवत आहे. अशीच एक गोष्ट आहे, चांदवड गावातील काठे पाड्याच्या मधल्या गावकऱ्यांची विजेची पंचाईत!! 

डहाणू तालुक्यातील चांदवड गावातील सुमारे ४० घरे आणि २०० लोकसंख्या असलेलं काठेपाडा. गावचे प्रश्न सोडवण्यासाठी आरोहन संस्थेने काठेपाडा मध्ये पाडा समिती स्थापन केली. पाडा समितीने आपण प्रत्येक महिन्यात आपली गावची सभा घेऊन गावातील समस्या एकत्रित येऊन सोडवल्या पाहिजे असे सर्वांचे मत झाले. तशीच एकदा एप्रिल (२०२३) महिन्यात पाडा समितीने गावाची सभा घेतली. त्या सभेत गावातील लोकांनी आपल्या गावातील विजेच्या प्रश्न बाबत चर्चा केली. चर्चा करताना असे समजले की, तालुक्याच्या महावितरण विभागाने १२ कुटुंबांसाठी हे विजेची जोडणी होणार होती ती जोडणी होण्यापूर्वीच ह्या कुटुंबाना विजेचे बिल येत होते. ह्या बिलांची रक्कम तर त्यांच्या आवाक्याबाहेर होती. ह्या कुटुंबात जास्त विजेची उपकरणे पण नाहीये तरी त्यांना साधारण ९०० ते ३००० रुपयेपर्यंत चे बिल आकारण्यात आले.तसेच विजेचे पोल हि गावात आणून ठेवले आणि जोडणी केली नव्हती. सभेत हा मुद्दा घेण्यात आला, आणि तो सोडवण्यासाठी पाडा समिती आणि सभेत जमलेल्या लोकांनी ग्रामपंचायत ला पत्र देण्याचे ठरवले. ग्रामपंचायत मधून सांगण्यात आले की, आम्ही आमच्या पातळीवर हा मुद्दा सोडवण्यासाठी प्रयत्न करू. एक महिना झाल्यानंतर काही तोडगा निघाला नाही, म्हणून सर्व पाडा समिती सदस्य यांनी जवळच्या MSEB कार्यालयात भेट देण्याचे ठरवले. जून महिन्याच्या १८ तारखेला आशागड च्या MSEB कार्यालयातून विजेचे मीटर देण्यात आले आणि आकडेवारी पहायाला सांगितले. तरीही आकडेवारीनुसार विजेचे बिल हे जास्त येत होते. म्हणून जून महिन्यात (२७ तारखेला) पुन्हा एकदा ग्रामपंचायत ला अर्ज देण्यात आला. ग्रामपंचायतने या अर्जासोबत कार्यालयीन कॅव्हरिंग लेटर जोडून महावितरण च्या आशागड, डहाणू आणि पालघर कार्यालयात पत्र पाठवले तसेच त्याची एक प्रत स्थानिक आमदार यांना पण देण्यात आली. प्रत्येक आठवड्याला पाडा समिती चे सदस्य आणि गावकरी आशागड च्या MSEB च्या कार्यालयात भेटी द्यायचे पण प्रत्येक वेळी बिल रीतसर येईल असे तिथले अधिकारी सांगत होते. 

पाऊस आणि शेतीच्या कामामुळे तिकडे थोडे दुर्लक्ष झाले, पण तरीही पाडा समितीने पाठपुरावा करणे चालूच ठेवले. नोव्हेंबर महिन्यात पुन्हा एकदा तालुका पातळीवरील MSEBच्या कार्यालयात भेट दिली आणि तिथल्या उप कार्यकारी अभियंता यांच्याशी बोलणे झाले. बिलाच्या रकमेच्या काही प्रमाण कमी करून वीज बिल भरायाला सांगितले (उदा. एका कुटुंबाचे बिल हे २४३० इतके होते तर त्यांना १९१० रुपये इतके भरण्यास सांगितले). कुणाचीही वीज जोडणी न करता जास्त बिल आले कसे, यावर त्यांनी काही न बोलता, स्थानिक अभियंताला संपर्क करून लवकरात लवकर विजेची जोडणी करावी असे सांगितले. वरिष्ठ अधिकारी यांनी सांगितले की तांत्रिक कारणांमुळे बिल जास्त येत होते, आता दुरुस्ती करून मीटर वर येणाऱ्या आकड्यानुसार वीज बिल येईल असे समजावून सांगितले. डिसेंबर महिन्यात आरोहन चे कार्यकर्ते यांनी पुन्हा एकदा काठेपाड्यात भेट दिली, आणि ज्या कुटुंबांचे बिल जास्त येत होते, त्यांचे ह्या महिन्यातील बिल तपासले असता, मीटरच्या आकड्यानुसार बिल येत आहे. तर अश्या प्रकारे, मीटर सुरु ही झाले आणि नियमित बिल हि यायला लागले.

Nalini Mole from Brahmangaon in Ase Gram Panchayat was part of a Self Help Group. She joined the AROEHAN initiated committee Pada Samiti and got herself trained on the various roles as a pada samiti member can play. She understood the issues of water scarcity in her village, she raised her voice for availing water schemes, however there was no response. Nalini encouraged people in her village towards demanding for their basic needs and also protested at Gram Panchayat. Her efforts have bore results and Nalini has received water in her vicinity. Nalini took a step further and contested for Gram Panchayat elections. She is now part of Gram Panchayat and takes care of issues faced by the villagers in Ase Gram Panchayat.

Water scarcity is an issue in Mokhada taluka for decades. Despite the heavy rainfalls, the water does not get contained in the ground due to steep hilly terrains and the light soil. This has led to migration of families after monsoon season for income opportunities in towns and cities. An Adivasi farmer Prakash was concerned about their generational tradition of migrating as he had 8 people in his family including his mother, wife, and 6 children. Although he owned 13 acres of agricultural land, the land was becoming barren. With his family, he started growing rice, finger millet and similar paddy crops in monsoon. Just like other farmers, he had to migrate with his family for around 7-8 months to earn wages as labourers. He managed to secure further employment for his family by working in a brick kiln. While both Prakash and his wife worked at these kilns, the health and education of their children was getting neglected. 

In the year 2020-21, Prakash started to participate in AROEHAN’s initiatives for village development. Prakash not only looked out for himself and his family but also motivated other people in village to participate in health, education, good administration, water, and agriculture programs organised by AROEHAN.  Prakash had a penchant for enabling the tribals, who were dependent on traditional agriculture labour, to cultivate perennial crops in their own land. Prakash and other farmers got to witness the vegetable and orchard cultivation by farmers from other villages in Mokhada through the farmer study tour conducted by AROEHAN in 2021. 

This served as inspiration for Prakash and 13 other farmers of Dolhara for orchard planting under the guidance of AROEHAN. A small farm pond was excavated in the field of each of these farmers pre-monsoon to solve the water issue after orchard planting. It was then covered in plastic, allowing the rainwater to collect there and irrigate the fruit trees over the following 7-8 months. The farmers were provided with orchard plants and cultivation kits by AROEHAN. Although, this was not sufficient to prevent migration all together. There was a need for a sustainable water resource throughout the year. A dam was constructed at the time near the village but since the construction was new, local’s use was prohibited. Prakash pursued to resolve this matter with the help of AROEHAN’s activists and local farmers. This matter was taken to the district level and with regular follow up, they got the permission in March 2022 to draw the water. With the help of AROEHAN, water was lifted with the help of a 7.5 HP pump by constructing a solar system of 10 KW capacity at that place under the ASHA project. Water was taken from the dam to a high hill with the help of a pipeline and water was delivered to the fields of all 15 farmers through a distribution tank. 

After the water reached the farm, Prakash started cultivating different crops in his farm, including fruit trees, beans, vegetables. Prakash got Rs 30000 in just 4 months from vegetable income in the first year of cultivation. Prakash decided to build a house on the farm as he noticed the prevalence of stray animals while farming. The most expensive part of house construction was buying bricks. Prakash made 50,000 bricks in the month of December to February by building a brick kiln on the farm with the help of his family using the water that came through the pipeline on the farm. Out of these 17000 bricks were used for his own house and the remaining 33000 bricks were sold in the village, from which Prakash got an income of Rs 2,10,000. Prakash bought other necessary things for the house with the money received.

Along with other landless women in the village, Prakash’s wife established a self-help group. For this people to start a business Prakash gave half acre of land on his farm. The land was used for turmeric cultivation and mango grafting under AROEHAN’s guidance. Revenue of Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 7000 were generated from turmeric and mango grafts respectively. The group’s female members are pleased that the landless families are obtaining respectable employment in the village itself as a result of Prakash’s admirable desire to work with everyone.