Rayalaseema Water Initiative is a program funded by Azim Premji Foundation to be implemented by nine (9) NGOs APMAS, AF Ecology Centre, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, The Timbaktu Collective, WASSAN India, Jana Jagruti, REDS, RIDS & Foundation For Ecological Security (FES) over the next four (4) years covering over 32,000 small & marginal farmers in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh.
The overall Goal of the program is “Adoption of sustainable water management and natural farming practices in 231 habitations of 69 GPs in 15 blocks of three districts (Annamayya, Ananthapur & Sri Satya Sai) Andhra Pradesh to develop resilience to droughts; Enhance crop security; bring current fallow lands into cultivation; increase crop intensity; and productivity stabilization of irrigation potential across all small and marginal farmers”.
Water and Crop Security:
- • All small and marginal farmers have secured crops on their ~21.8K ha of land ( ~24.6K farmers)
- • Of these, farmers who depend on rainfall will be able to withstand dry spells and have secured Kharif crop on their ~17.3K ha of land (~16.3K farmers)
- • Of these, farmers who have intermittent irrigation through their borewells, have stabilized irrigation and have Kharif and Rabi crops on their ~10.5K ha of land (~10.3K farmers)
- • Of these, 50% of total fallow land (~8K ha) is brought into cultivation (~3.8K ha of land)
Programme Interventions :
- • Renovation of tanks, feeder channels, check dams,, farm ponds; construction of mini check dams, farm ponds, rockfill dams, stone boulders & trenches, water measuring equipments
- • Borewell recharge, pooling of borewells (water sharing), protective irrigation – sprinkler and drip units
- • Drinking water facilities