TMI assists formation of Farmers’ Clubs and capacity building of water user groups in rural Sikkim

GANGTOK, 17 Feb: As part of the project, “Provision of safe domestic water through sustainable development and management of water sources in rural areas of East and South Sikkim”, which began in February 2010, and funded by Arghyam Bangalore, TMI-India organized a meeting cum workshop of Water Users Groups at Panchayat Prashashan Kendra for Farmers Club formations of Bering in East Sikkim on 13 February, informs a press release.

GR Guragai and TR Sapkota of Gram Vikash Sangathan, Pendam, were invited to sensitize the farmers of Linkey-Tareythang on the scope and formation of a Farmers Club in the village. More than 60 individuals, mostly of farmers from across the GPU, were present in the programme.
Program Manager, TMI-India, Dr. Ghanashyam Sharma, highlighting the decline in agricultural production due to lack of technical know-how, detailed new farming practices and stressed on the need of a collaborative effort of the local farmers to raise the agricultural production by adopting new technologies.
He also mentioned the issue of disappearance of indigenous varieties of foodgrains, especially rice, and the problem of crop infestation.  He stressed the formation of Farmers Clubs citing successful examples of the same in Pendam in East Sikkim which was the initiative of “Gram Vikash Sangathan”.
Next, Mr. Guragai gave an overview of Farmers Clubs, providing an insight into the origin, development and prosperity of Farmers’ Club in Pendam. The criteria and process for the formation of Farmers Club was then detailed by Mr. Sapkota.
This was followed by an extensive group discussion on the formation of a Farmers’ Club in the Linkey-Tareythang area. The farmers of Lower Bering formed a Farmers’ Club which was named “Barbotay Farmers Club”, informs the release. Two more farmers’ clubs were formed by the women farmers and farmers of Upper Bering.
The following day, TMI-India organized a meeting of Water Users Groups in Saraswati Library Hall, Tareythang. The primary objective of the programme was the strengthening and capacity-building of the Water Users Groups in Upper and Lower Tareythang, the release adds. The meeting had the participation of more than 50 local Water Users and farmers.
Several water related issues were raised during the meeting like disruption/ breakage of pipelines and lack of technical manpower for repair and maintenance of these pipelines, water related conflicts among the villagers and lack of cooperation between the upstream and downstream population.
The elder members acknowledged the active functioning of Water Management Committee which existed 12 years back in Tareythang, which is now non-existent.
A group discussion resulted in the formation of a Water Management Committee which would foresee the functioning of Water Users Groups at the ward level and raise fund to resolve water related issues in the area, the release further informs.
The committee also decided to levy minimal tax on drinking water to every household which would be utilized in the repair and maintenance of disrupted/broken pipelines.
It may be mentioned here that Linkey-Tareythang is a Gram Panchayat Unit under Rhenock block in East Sikkim. The primary sources of domestic water are springs and small streams. However, the area has been reeling under acute drinking water shortage due to various reasons: lack of proper water management system/governing body, disruption/breakage of pipelines which transport drinking water to the households and lack of technical manpower for repair and maintenance of these pipelines, water related conflicts among the villagers and lack of cooperation between the upstream and downstream population.
Also, the area has been witnessing a sharp decline in agricultural production due to outdated farming practices and lack of knowledge among the farmers on new farming techniques and equipments.