IRTC PALAKKAD

WADI PROJECT

NABARD-TDF

A Sustainable Livelihood Support Program for Tribal Families

IRTC has a track record in working at the science and technology – agriculture – and society interface with a focus on local livelihoods and rural development over the past three decades. Among the novel efforts of IRTC the latest of it is planned in the hills of Attappadi. 

 

Attappadi is well known for its deeper level of deprivation and poverty. In-spite of all the efforts made and all the multi faced project success ballads sung, the tribes’ living standards of Attappadi remains to be problematic. Irrespective of the other tribal communities in India many of the tribal families in Attappadi owns their own land. They live together in a common land and their own land is kept in the community ownership namely “ooru bhumi” which means community owned land. In this context IRTC along with NABARD is introducing the WADI project in Attappadi as a lively hood program. WADI in Gujarthi language means small horticulture garden. Utilizing the tribal development fund NABARD came forward with this project to develop 1 acre horticulture garden for each tribal family in Attappadi. IRTC is functioning as the Project Implementing Agency PIA. NABARD associated this project for 400 tribal families coming in the hamlets CHEERAKADAVU, PALOOR, BOMMIYAMPADI, ANAKKALLU, VEETTIYUR, KALPETTY and DHANYAM in Pudur Grama Panchayath of Attappadi block, Palakkad district, Kerala.

The first step in project implementation is the detailed project report DPR preparation. As part of this oorukootam was conducted in each hamlets and Project Implementation Committees were elected so as to ensure the democratic and equal participation of the beneficiaries in decision making. PIC was given orientation on the concept of WADI project and a volunteer team for conducting plot to plot survey was selected. This team was given three days training on DPR preparation at IRTC. Along with tribal volunteers KSSP yuvasamithi activists and MSW students participated in the survey.

The survey started on Feb. 1 and ended on 12th of February. The DPR was submitted to NABARD for approval on the 16TH of February. The project implementation will start on receiving sanction from NABARD.