Community Environmental Management Study in Haryana Villages

COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
STUDY IN HARYANA VILLAGES
Final Report
Haryana Community Forestry Project

Panchkula, Haryana
Atul Kansal, Paolo Mori, O.N. Kaul, Bharti Solanky
Institute for Sustainable Development

New Delhi
June 2001
11.1
Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP
CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Preface
Abbreviations
Glossary
Executive Summary
i
ii
v
viii
Background
Introduction
2.1
2.2
Community Environmental Management Study
Approach and Methodology
3.1
Study Outputs
3.2
Study Area
3.3
Study Approach
3.4
Study Methodology
3.5
Report Structure
Air Environment
4.1
Sources of Air Pollution
4.2
Industrial Pollution
4.3
Dust Pollution
4.4
Energy Consumption
4.5
Odour Pollution
4.6
Global Warming Potential
Water Environment
5.1
Water for Domestic Use
5.2
Water Quality
5.3
Water for Livestock
5.4
Water for Agriculture
Waste Management and Sanitation
6.1
Domestic Solid Waste
6.2
Domestic Liquid waste
6.3
Livestock Waste
6.4
Agriculture Waste
6.5
Other Wastes
Energy
7.1
Domestic Energy
7.2
Agriculture Energy
7.3
Rural Industries
7.4
Other Energy Requirements
7.5
Energy Efficient Devices
7.6
Indoor Air Pollution
Land Environment
8.1
Soil Erosion
8.2
Problem Soils
8.3
Shifting Sands
8.4
Soil and Ground Water Contamination
8.5
Wildlife Damage
8.6
Termite Damage
1.1
2.1
2.1
2.4
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.3
3.6
3.12
4.1
4.2
4.2
4.14
4.15
4.15
4.15
5.1
5.1
5.15
5.22
5.23
6.1
6.1
6.5
6.13
6.14
6.15
7.1
7.2
7.8
7.8
7.8
7.9
7.10
8.1
8.2
8.5
8.8
8.10
8.13
8.14
11.2
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Livestock
9.1
Livestock Holding
9.2
Livestock as a Resource
9.3
Water Requirements of Livestock
9.4
Fodder Requirements of Livestock
Environmental Impact Assessment of Village Natural Resource Plans
10.1
Methodology
10.2
Results of EIA and Recommendations
Recommendations for adjusting HCFP Activities
11.1
Model 1 Village Woodlots
11.2
Planting Panchayat Land Used for Agriculture
11.3
Model 2 Sand Dune Fixation
11.4
Model 3 Tree Groves
11.5
Model 4 Farm Forestry
11.6
Model 5 Poplar Planting
11.7
Geographical Areas of Intervention
Institutional and Community Capacity Building Initiatives on Strengthening Village
Environmental Management
12.1
Strengthening Local Management Capabilities
12.2
Facilitating Practical Application of Participatory Methodologies
12.3
Development and Transfer of New Technologies for Environmental Improvement
12.4
Involvement of NGOs
12.5
Selection of NGOs
12.6
Communication and Awareness Campaigns
Annexure 1: Terms of Reference
Annexure 2: List of NGOs Operating in Haryana Contacted by Mail During the Study
Annexure 3: Profile of NGOs and Institutions Visited
Summary of Findings and Recommendations
13.1
Air Environment
13.2
Water Environment
13.3
13.4
Energy
13.5
Land Environment
13.6
Livestock
13.7
Assessment of Village Resource Management Microplans
13.8
13.9
Recommendations for Adjusting HCFP Activities
13.10 Institutional and Community Capacity Building Initiatives
References
Appendix 1: Environmental Baseline Data
Appendix 2: Environmental Baseline Data (Averages)
Appendix 3: Check List of Environmental Issues
Appendix 4: Village Environmental Assessment Report
11.3
9.1
9.1
9.2
9.6
9.6
10.1
10.1
10.2
11.1
11.1
11.4
11.5
11.6
11.7
11.9
11.10
12.1
12.1
12.2
12.3
12.4
12.5
12.8
12.9
12.13
12.17
13.1
13.4
13.7
13.10
13.13
13.14
13.18
13.18
13.18
13.19
13.20
14.1
A.1
A.5
A.6
A.8
PREFACE
This document is the result of the Community Environmental Management Study
commissioned by the Haryana Community Forestry Project (HCFP), Forest Department,
Government of Haryana, in order to understand the environmental implications of the
activities planned under the Project and to suggest environmental interventions that
could be implemented in the project villages. The wider objective of the Study is village
institutional strengthening to facilitate sustainable community-based environmental
management in Haryana villages affected by environmental issues related to resource
depletion and degradation.
The Community Environmental Management Study was undertaken by the Institute for
Sustainable Development (ISD) with the help of an International Consultant (Mr. Paolo
Mori) in the 60 first selected target villages covering 10 civil districts and five project
divisions of the State representing various agro-ecological zones of the Project
intervention area. The field work for the Study was jointly carried out by the members of
the ISD team and the International Consultant. The ISD team consisted of the following
members.
Mr. O.N. Kaul
Mr. Atul Kansal
Ms. Bharti Solanky
Mr. Sanjay Gupta
Mr. Shashikar Bharadwaj

Mr. Purushottam Pathak
Mr. Neeraj Sharma
Mr. Suraj Bhan
Mr. Jagdish Sharma
While the ISD team focused on (i) preparation of base line environmental assessment of
the 60 first project villages and to identify specific environmental issues in the project
area, (ii) assessing the extent to which environmental concerns have been included in
the Village Resource Management Microplans (VRMMs), and (iii) developing
environmental improvement interventions to enhance environmental benefits of HCFP;
Mr. Mori dealt with (i) conducting Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the
microprojects selected by the communities for implementation under the HCFP, (ii)
recommending adjustments in HCFP activities to reduce the adverse environmental
impacts, if any, and to enhance the positive impacts, and (iii) identifying and assessing
local environmental NGOs for their potential involvement in community training on
environment related aspects and prepare Terms of Reference (TOR) for NGO
intervention in institutional and community strengthening to support environmental
actions in the project villages.
Accordingly, the members of the ISD team have contributed Sections 1 to 9 and
Sections 13 to 14 of this document, whereas Mr. Mori has authored Sections 10 to 12.
The document is, therefore, a joint effort of the ISD and the International Consultant, Mr.
Paolo Mori.
I have great pleasure in submitting this report for consideration and implementation by
the HCFP.
New Delhi
O.N. Kaul
11.4
June 30, 2001
Executive Director
New Delhi
ABBREVIATIONS
AFPRO
BDO
BHC
CAPART
CAPs
CD
CFL
CH4
CO
CO2
CPCB
CPRs
CSSRI
DA
DAHD
DAINET
DAP
DAs
DC
DDT
DOST
EEG
EIA
EOP
EPA
ERC
EU
FAO
FYM
777FGDs
FEW
FFA
FPC
GHGs
GI
GOH
GOI
gm
GWP
HAU
HC
HCFP
HFD
HNYKS
Action for Food Production

Block Development Officer
Benzene Hexa-Chloride
Council for Advancement of Peoples Action and Rural
Technologies
Corrective Action Plans
Community Development
Compact Fluorescent Lamp
Methane
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon Dioxide
Central Pollution Control Board
Common Property Resources
Central Soil Salinity Research Institute
Development Alternatives
Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
Development Alternatives Information Network
Diammonium Phosphate
Draught Animals
Deputy Commissioner
Dioxy-Dicholoro-Triethane
Development Organisation for Sustainable Transformation
Energy Environment Group
Environmental Impact Assessment
End of the Project
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
Energy Research Centre
European Union
Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations
Farm Yard Manure
Focus Group Discussions
Fuelwood Equivalent
Farm Forestry Association
Forest Protection Committee
Green House Gase(s)
Galvanised Iron
Government of Haryana
Government of India
gram
Haryana Agricultural University
Hydrocarbons
Haryana Forest Department
Haryana Nav Yuvak Kala Sangam
11.5
HRMS
HSPCB
IGAs
IPM
ISD
JFM
LUPs
l
lpcd
LPG
MNES
MITC
MOEF
MRL
MS
g
mg
MW
NA
NAAQS
NAAQMS
NGOs
ng
Nm3
NO
NO2
NOx
NPIC
NWFP
PA
PAH
PAU
PFA
PIC
PIDT
PM10
POPs
ppm
PVC
qt
RA
RCC
RSPM
SC
SFD
SHG
SO2
SPCB
SPM
SPACE
SRETA
Hill Resource Management Society

Haryana State Pollution Control Board
Income Generating Activities
Integrated Pest Management
Joint Forest Management
Land Use Plans
litre
Litres per capita per day
Liquefied Petroleum Gas
Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources
Minor Irrigation Tubewell Corporation
Ministry of Environment and Forests
Maximum Residue Limit
Mild Steel
microgram
milligram
Megawatt
Not Applicable
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations
Non-Governmental Organisations
Nanogram
Normal meter cube
Nitric Oxide
Nitrogen Dioxide
Oxides of Nitrogen
National Programme on Improved Chulha
Non-Wood Forest Products
Participatory Assessment
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Panjab Agricultural University
Poultry Farmers Association
Products of Incomplete Combustion
Peoples Institute for Development and Training
Particulate Matter less than 10 m size
Persistent Organochlorine Pesticides
Parts per million
Poly-Vinyl Chloride
Quintal
Rapid Appraisal
Reinforced Cement Concrete
Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter
Scheduled Caste
State Forest Department
Self-Help Groups
Sulphur Dioxide
State Pollution Control Board
Suspended Particulate Matter
society for Protection and Conservation of Environment
Society for Rural Economy and Technology Advancement
11.6
SVPK
TERI
TBS
TOR
UNICEF
VDCs
VE
VLUPs
VRMC
VRMMs
WWF
Samaj Vikas Prayatan Kendra

Tata Energy Research Institute
Tarun Bharat Sangh
Terms of Reference
United Nations Childrens Fund
Village Development Committees
Village Entry
Village Land Use Plans
Village Resource Management Committee
Village Resource Management Microplans
World Wild Fund for Nature
GLOSSARY
Aanganwadi
Aara
Aawas
Anwla
Arhar
Awal
Bajra
Bajre-Ki-Toori
Barseen
Bathua
Ber
Bhabbar
Bhida
Bhusa
Bitodas/Gohars
Cheri
Chos
Choti Elaichi
Chowkidar
Chulhas
Dhoob/Dabra
Datun
Desi Aam
Desi Bhatta
Dilla
Doyum
Drumstick
Eucalyptus
Frash
Gajrela
Ganne-Ka-Patta- Aur-Chilka
Gaudaan
Gaumutra
A village level institution concerned with pre-primary

education and health of women, infants and children
Local sawmill
Small country kilns for baking of earthen pots
Emblica officinalis
Pigeon pea
First grade bricks
Millet
Bajra straw
Egyptian clover
Weed in agriculture fields
Zizyphus
Eulaliopsis binata
A convex lid placed as a cover on a Kund/Diggi,
traditionally made from Phog wood and plastered with
mud
Wheat straw
Temporary stores for storage of dung cakes during
monsoon
Maize grown as a fodder crop
Hill torrents characterised by flash flows and swift
currents
Small cardamom
Watchman
Cookstoves
Cynodon dactylon
Branch cutting of Neem used for cleaning of teeth
Local variety of grafted mango
Family brick Kiln
Second grade bricks
Moringa oleifera
Eucalyptus hybrid (E. tereticornis)
Tamrix
Sugar cane leaves and bark
Donating a cow
Cow urine
11.7
Gehoon-Aur-Jau-Ka-Atta
Gobar
Gauchar/Gocharan/ Gaucharan Guar
Gulli danda
Hadda Rodi
Hamam
Hodhis
Jaamun
Jal
Jal Ghar
Jamadar
Jami
Jamindar
Jayi
Jhanti
Jhoond
Johad
Jowar
Jungali Jayi
Kabariwala
Kaga roti
Kanyadaan
Kareer/Della
Karnal grass
Khail
Khala
Khoya
Khur Galna
Kikar
Kodhra
Kuchcha
Kuis
Kumhar
Kunds/Diggis
Kurdi
Laxmi
Maddhi
Mixed wheat and barley flour

Dung
Common grazing land
Bean
An area set aside in a village, for disposal of carcasses
of dead animals, generally outside the habitation
A local device for heating water
Underground cemented tanks meant for collecting and
storing rainwater for drinking.
Syzygium cumini
Salvadora persica
Water Works
A person who carries waste from households to Kurdis.
Fodder crop
Landowner
Prosopis cineraria
Saccharum spontaneum
Johads are basically embankments to arrest rainwater
during the monsoon season. In some areas of India, the
Johad bed is later used to cultivate crops. These
community structures serve multiple purposes - meet
domestic water requirements of the villagers, meet
drinking and other water requirements of the livestock
population, and help in groundwater recharge.
Sorghum
Local scrap dealer
Giving a daughter in marriage to her future husband
generally by the father of the bride
Capparis aphylla
Leptochloa fusca
A concrete water tank provided with a number of taps
for domestic use of the villagers.
A cemented drain connecting a canal to Jal Ghar
Concentrated milk used for making sweets
Foot-and-Month disease
Acacia nilotica
Temporary
A well located next to a river with diameter and depth
smaller than a normal dug well
Potter
Underground storage system of rainwater harvesting
in the villages, where water is used for drinking
An area earmarked for waste disposal in a village
Goddess of prosperity
Temple
11.8
Mahila Mandal
Makki-Ki-Roti
Marla
Matter bail
Mavatha
Medhs
Mesquite
Mohalla
Nallah
Nambardaar
Narma-Ka-Patta
Neem
Nilgai
Nimbu
Nirmali
Panchayat
Parali
Phirni
Phog
Pradhan
Pucca
Rann
Rehras
Rohida
Sag
Samities
Sarpanch
Sarson-Ka-Patta
Sarson-Ke-Toori
Semi-pucca
Seyam
Shaal
Shamak
Shamlat
Shamshan Ghat
Shatta
Shisham
Shora
Takhadia
Talls
Tanda
Tasla
Toori
A village level institution concerned with socioeconomic development of women in rural society
Bread made out of maize flour
A measure of land - 160 Marlas make one acre
Cultivation on sand dunes of a monsoon crop and
wherever possible, a winter crop too, generally gram
Cement structures resembling a large wash basin ment
for drinking of water by cattle.
Prosopis Juliflora
Locality
Stream
A Government official at the village level
Leaves of a variety of cotton
Azadirachta indica
Blue bull
Lemon
Strychnos potatorum
An institution of self-government at the village level
Also called Gram Panchayat
Paddy straw
Village ring road within which most of the habited
area of the village is located
Calligonum polygonoides
Chairman, Village Resource Management Committee
Permanent
Alkali/saline patches
Locally made carts generally pulled by donkeys or
horses
Tecomella undulata
Mustard leaves
Societies
Head of the Village Panchayat
Mustard leaves
Mustard leaves
Semi-permanent
Third grade bricks
Common land owned by a group of families in a
village, to whom tenurial rights are inheritable
Cremation ground
Dalbergia sissoo
Saline land
Depots
Agriculture residues (mainly stalks) of various crops
A broad and shallow pan-shaped container
Dry fodder
11.9
11.10
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The State of Haryana, with a total land area of 43,910 sq. km and a population of over 16
million (1991 census), is one of the smallest states of the Indian Union. Over the years, the
State has experienced major forms of natural resource depletion and environmental
degradation through soil erosion, depletion and degradation of forest cover and water
resources, decline in land fertility and productivity, poor drainage and increasing salinity and
alkalinity, encroachment of common lands, atmospheric pollution, and climate change.
Consequently, Government of Haryana (GOH) is very concerned about the existing state of
affairs and its attendant social, economic, and ecological/environmental repercussions. It is
strongly felt that these environmental effects call for a major intervention by the Government,
the private sector, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), and the local communities.
In this context and with financial assistance from the European Union (EU), the Haryana
Forest Department (HFD) is currently implementing the Haryana Community Forestry Project
(HCFP) in 300 villages located in 43 Community Development (CD) Blocks in ten districts of
the State, targeting a population of about 606,000 (estimates for 1999). The overall objective of
the Project is capacity building of the local communities to improve the natural environment
and to preserve land fertility by sustainable management of natural resources through
activities undertaken in a participatory manner.
It is now widely acknowledged that the benefits to be realised from the States natural
resources and the environment must be optimised for the present and future generations. To
address this issue, the State Government is ensuring that appropriate interventions are made in
the development planning process, both at the micro- as well as at macro- levels.
With the above background, the HCFP felt it necessary to undertake a "Community
Environmental Management Study" in order to understand the environmental implications of
the activities planned under the Project and to develop environmental improvement microprojects for the project villages. The Study has a wider objective of village institutional
strengthening to facilitate sustainable community-based environmental management in
Haryana villages affected by environmental issues related to resource depletion and
degradation. The Study will assist the Project in formulating a Community Capability
Enhancement Initiative for strengthening environmental management in its target villages
through implementation of environmental improvement micro-projects.
This document is an output of the above Study undertaken by the Institute for Sustainable
Development (ISD) New Delhi, in the 60 first selected target villages spread over 10 civil
districts and five project forest divisions of the State, representing various agro-ecological
zones, of the Project intervention area.
The present report is structured in thirteen sections. While Sections 1 and 2 give the necessary
background and a brief introduction to the Study, Section 3 describes the approach and
methodology adopted for carrying out the Study. Sections 4 to 9 deal with Environmental
Baseline Assessment and details of Suggested Environmental Interventions; Sections 10 to 12
discuss the EIA of village natural resource plans, Recommendations for adjusting HCFP
activities, and Institutional and community capacity building initiatives. Section 13 is a
summary of findings and proposed interventions/recommendation, some of which are
mentioned hereafter.
11.11
A detailed account of baseline environmental assessment for projects villages has been
presented. For each of the environmental components, major issues have been discussed
along with case studies from the villages.
A compilation of environmental issues is presented in Table 13.1 and Figure 13.1. For
each environmental issue, the level of its intensity has been marked. The indicated level of
intensity is based on combined assessment of the villagers and the ISD team. The ten most
important environmental issues (presented in a descending order) are as follows. The
figures in brackets indicate the total number of villages that reported High, Medium and
Low intensity of a specific issue:
Damages by blue bulls (29, 16, 12)

Pollution of Johads (15, 11, 8)
Drainage of domestic wastewater (5, 16, 11)
Dying of trees due to termite attack or other diseases (2, 13, 13)
Dust storms (3, 7, 17)
Wastage of domestic wastewater (2, 11, 12)
Pollution from garbage collection/Hadda Rodis (3, 12, 6)
Quality of drinking water (3, 10, 8)
Fuelwood pressure on forest resources (3, 8, 8)
Lowering of the groundwater table (2, 6, 9)
For all significant environmental issues, environmental interventions that could be taken
up either by HCFP or other State and Central agencies have been suggested which are
detailed under respective Sections and the Summary in Section 13. These pertain to Air
(Section 4), Water (Section 5), Waste Management (Section 6), Energy (Section 7), Land
(Section 8), and Livestock (Section 9). As all suggested interventions do not directly come
under the framework of activities that are planned under HCFP, it would be necessary to
involve other agencies in implementation of corrective actions for some of the
environmental problems. These agencies have been indicated in the respective
interventions. Depending on the availability of technical and financial resources, HCFPs
role in the process could be defined. Before full-scale implementation of the suggested
interventions, it may be necessary to conduct a detailed feasibility to develop specific
environmental micro-projects for each of project villages. These micro-projects could then
be integrated into the overall project framework of HCFP.
A review of the 60 Village Resource Management Microplans (VRMMs) revealed that

though they were quite comprehensive with respect to other parameters, their coverage of
environmental issues such as water supply, wastewater disposal, drainage, solid waste
management, pollution control, energy sources and consumption, local industrial
activities, etc. were not adequately covered in all the reports. However, in some villages,
environmental issues had been addressed as the local community had expressed their
interest to develop some environmental improvement microprojects.
A sample of forty-five Village Natural Resource Plans was analysed to assess the
plantation patterns set by the communities and individual farmers, followed by an EIA
carried out on the basis of 18 indicators related to forest cover, land, water and air. The
results show that: (1) village woodlots have been proposed on 60% of the total Panchayat
land, (2) most of the available land within and around villages has been earmarked for tree
planting, (3) Farm Forestry has been planned on approximately 16% of the total private
11.12
farmlands, and farmers prefer low-tree-density agro-forestry systems rather than block
plantations, (4) the degree of biodiversity of the proposed plantations is generally good,
(5) Eucalyptus woodlots in the project villages do not show negative environmental impacts
related to soil and water conservation, (6) medium positive impact is generally expected on
degraded areas; as for eroded lands, the intensity of erosion is often such that plantations
alone are not deemed sufficient, (7) increasing the availability of dung for FYM, which is
one of the expected benefits of the plantation programme, is likely to be modest, and (8)
unsustainable pressure on common forest resources might not decrease as expected.
A gap analysis was carried out to compare with the HCFP plantation models, both the
plantation patterns and the results of the EIA, keeping in mind the need to enhance
community participation as mentioned under institutional and community capacity
building initiatives. The results suggest that HCFP should consider adjusting the standard
plantation models on different aspects, which, depending on the model, should include
diversification into sub-models, refining the approach, and/or revision of targets.
In terms of geographical areas of intervention, priority should be given to the three

southern and western project divisions of Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana, and to
Yamunanagar District in the north.
The study team contacted several NGOs based in Haryana and Delhi, and prepared a
framework for the involvement of NGOs on institutional and community capacity building
to facilitate community-based environmental management in the HCFP villages. It is
suggested that the Project select an experienced NGO who could be involved mainly to: (1)
assist local NGOs in implementing the environmental programmes outlined, (2) assist
project field implementers in the general process of grassroots institutional and community
capacity building, and (3) provide methodological assistance to HFD field staff on various
aspects of Community Forestry.
It is recommended that the Project concentrate efforts on pilot village clusters affected by
high degree of environmental degradation. The aim is to promote implementation of best
environmental management practices through integration of project mainstream activities
with new initiatives designed to address specific issues.
It is suggested that the Project should support establishment of a network of schools and
environmental clubs in the Project villages to promote awareness campaigns on various
environmental and resource management issues. It is reported that GOH has decided to
set-up Eco-Clubs in at least 100 selected schools of each district to create awareness about
clean environment. These clubs would help in spreading environmental awareness and
also carry out action-based programmes for protection and improvement of the
environment. This is a welcome step for the Project.
11.13
1.
BACKGROUND
The Haryana Forest Department (HFD), with financial assistance from the European Union (EU)
is currently implementing the Haryana Community Forestry Project (HCFP) in ten districts of the
State targeting 300 villages. The overall objective of the project is capacity building of the local
communities to improve the natural environment and to preserve land fertility by sustainable
management of natural resources through activities undertaken in a participatory manner.
Over the years, the State has experienced major forms of natural resource depletion and
environmental degradation. These include soil erosion (by wind and water), depletion and
degradation of forest cover and water resources, decline in land fertility and productivity, poor
drainage and increasing salinity and alkalinity on irrigated lands, loss of common lands due to
encroachments, atmospheric pollution caused by rural agri-industries, and climate change.
Government of Haryana (GOH) is very concerned about the deterioration of the States natural
resources and the environment and all the economic losses associated with this degradation. The
State Government strongly believe that this environmental impact represents a substantial income
loss to the State and calls for a major intervention by the Government, the private sector, NonGovernment Organisations (NGOs), and the local communities.
The main causes of environmental degradation and resources depletion are believed to be (1)
emphasis on rural production enhancement by farmers, (2) high rate of poverty1 (3) low literacy
rate2, and (4) lack of information and awareness on environmental issues.
Analysis of historical environmental management initiatives in the State reveals that one of the
major problems has been that local communities are not sufficiently involved in environmental
management activities. This has happened mainly because of the following:
Communities are generally reluctant to carry out environmental management activities,

preferring to support social infrastructure projects and economic activities whenever possible;
Technical support for environmental management by communities is limited, and technical

service agencies lack resources to operate effectively and widely, and NGOs and the private
sector are not sufficiently strong to fill the development vacuum at the local level;
Access to funds for environmental projects is limited. The banking system emphasises loans
for production and enterprises oriented projects;
District, block and village level institutions are not well enough established to promote
environmental management; and
Environmental education and awareness levels are limited at community level, exacerbated
by low literacy levels and the limitations to environmental management information delivery
systems.
Therefore, it is now strongly believed that the benefits to be realised from the States natural
resources and the environment must be maximized for the present and the future generations. To
1
In the year 1996, about 28% of the States population was below the poverty line and 20-45% of village households
were landless.
2
The literacy rate in the State was 55.33% as of 1991 (69% for men and 41% for women).
11.14
address this issue, the State Government is ensuring that appropriate interventions are made in the
development planning process, both at the micro- as well as at macro- levels.
It is in the above background that the HCFP felt it necessary to undertake a "Community
Environmental Management Study" in order to understand the environmental implications of
activities planned under the Project and to develop environmental improvement micro-projects
for the project villages.
Accordingly the HCFP Commissioned the services of the Institute for Sustainable Development
(ISD), New Delhi, to undertake the above Study to assess the Baseline Environmental Conditions
in the 60 first villages selected by the Project. The Study has a wider objective of village
institutional strengthening to facilitate sustainable community-based environmental management
in Haryana villages, affected by environmental issues related to resource depletion and
degradation. The Study will assist the Project in formulating a Community Capability
Enhancement Initiative for strengthening environmental management in its target villages through
implementation of environmental improvement micro-projects.
This report is an output of the above Study that was carried out by the ISD in the 60 first selected
target villages spread over 10 civil districts and five project forest divisions of the State
representing the various agro-ecological zones, of the Project intervention area.
11.15
2.
INTRODUCTION
Environment includes the basic natural resources of water, land, air, vegetation and the interrelationship that exists among them and all living creatures, be they humans, animals, plants, or
microorganisms. The developmental processes usually produce stresses on the natural resourcebase, which are reflected in the depletion of resources and degradation of the environment. While
the traditional lifestyle in rural areas was often in harmony with the surrounding environment,
increasing human and livestock population and acceleration of developmental processes, often
unplanned for historical, demographic, and even cultural reasons have led to serious ecological
repercussions. There were, of course, environmental issues even in the past, but people had
developed systems to deal with them. There are many examples of traditional systems of
management replaced by modern systems that do not provide solutions to the problems. As
people are caught in the middle between a traditional lifestyle not adapted to modern conditions,
and a new lifestyle that is not sustainable, there is need to develop new eco-friendly strategies
which promote innovations based on traditional knowledge.
The institutional and technical interventions to be suggested in this Study necessarily need to fit
into the overall framework of HCFP. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the activities that are
planned under the Project and what kind of interventions for environmental improvements would
be possible. The objectives of the HCFP, project components and expected key results are
presented hereafter.
2.1
The HCFP is being implemented by the HFD in 300 villages located in 43 Community
Development (CD) Blocks in ten districts of the State, targeting a population of about 606,000
(estimates for the year 1999). The districts included are: Panchku1a, Ambala, Yamunanagar and
Kurukshetra in the north; Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hissar in the west and Bhiwani (Siwani, Loharu
and Bhiwani CD Blocks), Mahendragarh (Kanina CD Block), and Rewari (Jatusana and Nahar
CD Blocks) in the southwest and south (Figure 2.1). The project intervention zone excludes the
area covered under the Aravalli Project and districts with sodic and salt affected land. The Project
became operational on 30th November 1998 and would be implemented through 30th June 2008.
The developmental objective of the HCFP is to build the capacity of rural communities to
improve the natural environment and maintain land fertility through sustainable management of
natural resources undertaken in a participatory manner, with the expected results of increased
wood production, improved productivity of common and private lands and greater involvement of
project stakeholders, including women, in planning and management of Common Property
Resources (CPRs). The immediate objectives of the Project are:
Improved capabilities of village communities to undertake a process of self directed

community development, especially through greater involvement and empowerment of
disadvantaged groups in village decision making;
Improved and sustainable management of CPRs that have previously been degraded by loss
of biomass and top soil and/or by moving sand;
Increase in the number of sustainable forestry and agro-forestry interventions in farming
systems;
Increase in the number of market-led environmentally friendly and energy efficient
technologies introduced in the villages.
11.16
FIGURE 2.1
11.17
The Various HCFP components that are aimed at meeting the above objectives and reversing the
process of environment and land degradation through restoring vegetal cover mainly focus on the
degraded wastelands, village common lands, farmlands, homestead plots, institutional lands,
riverbanks and areas unsuited for agriculture including private lands. With specific emphasis on
plantations and their management, the project deals holistically with the inter-related elements of
land, water, trees, crops, livestock and livelihood systems of people. The project therefore, also
focuses on meeting the needs of the rural communities for fuel, fodder, timber, fruit and nonwood forest products (NWFP) on a sustainable basis. The project components are as under:
Village Woodlots: Establishment of villages woodlots over 7,400 ha of Panchayat lands,

village common land, institutional lands and riverbanks.
Sand Dune Fixation: Planting of 9,300 ha of moving sand dunes, both on common and
private lands.
Tree Groves: Establishment of 200 ha of tree groves at 2,500 sites.
Water Harvesting Dams: Development of micro-watersheds through construction of 18

water-harvesting dams.
Farm Forestry: Farm forestry plantations over 5,300 ha of private farmland belonging to
small and marginal farmers.
Poplar Planting: Planting of poplar on 5,000 ha of prime agricultural land in four

northeastern districts (i.e. Ambala, Kurukshetra, Panchku1a and Yamunanagar).
Kitchen Gardens/Homestead Plots: Establishment of 36,000 Kitchen Gardens over an

approximate area of 180 ha. The Project also targets for establishment of 100 cluster nurseries
managed by women, at least one per cluster of 3-4 villages, besides 10 units of modern
nurseries and two nurseries for poplar planting.
Community Development: The project aims at strengthening the capacity of the community
through Participatory Assessment (PA), formation of Village Resource Management
Committees (VRMC)/Hill Resource Management Societies (HRMS)/Farm Forestry
Associations (FFA) and microplanning; creation of employment opportunities and support for
income generating activities (IGAs) for women, disadvantaged groups and the educated
unemployed; promotion of energy efficient technologies by developing and introducing
improved energy saving devices to ensure more efficient and reduced use of fuelwood and
dung for domestic cooking and in crematoria.
The key results of project activities are expected to be:
Disadvantaged groups, including women, scheduled castes, landless and marginal/small

farmers, are empowered and better equipped to be involved in village decision making and
have enhanced capabilities to sustain development activities unassisted;
Village organisations, such as VRMCs, HRMS, FFA, are developed with capabilities in
sustainable management of village forest/rural resources;
11.18
Arid and semi-arid areas affected by sand dunes and wind erosion are rehabilitated and again
made productive;
Panchayat, Shamlat and institutional land are rehabilitated and are again productive;
Micro-watersheds in the Shiwaliks Hills are managed to provide water supplies to various
users;
Wastelands within the villages are converted into community tree groves for amenity
purposes;
Multi-species agro-forestry cropping patterns are introduced on marginal and small farms;
Poplar plantations are established on prime agricultural land;
Households establish improved homestead plots and/or kitchen-gardens;
Alternative income generating micro-enterprises are undertaken by disadvantaged groups;
Energy efficient cooking stoves are introduced in villages;
Energy efficient crematoria are introduced in rural towns and their hinterlands.
It is clear that all the project components of HCFP have an impact on the village environmental
conditions including on land, water, trees, crops, livestock and livelihood systems of people.
Many of the project components have a localised affect and therefore, their impact is restricted to
the village alone. For example, one of the project components is conversion of the wastelands
within the villages into community tree groves for amenity purposes. This has a direct positive
impact on the specific village but has a limited regional impact. However, management of microwatersheds in the Shiwaliks Hills is more regional in nature and would lead to better water
availability in the region for all the users.
2.2
Community Environmental Management Study
The wider objective of this Community Environmental Management Study is village institutional
strengthening to facilitate sustainable community-based environmental management in Haryana
villages affected by environmental issues related to resource depletion and degradation. The basic
task to achieve this objective is to assess the village environmental conditions in the 60 project
villages for preparation of an Environmental Baseline Assessment Report, conduct a Gap
Analysis and to develop environmental improvement micro-projects.
The overall purpose of the study is to assist the project in formulating a Community Capability
Enhancement Initiative for strengthening environmental management in these 60 selected target
villages through implementation of the suggested environmental improvement micro-projects.
This would be achieved through institutional strengthening and training of rural communities by
local environmental NGOs to support environmental actions in the project villages.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is essentially studying the impact of project
activities on various aspects of the environment including land, water, forests, atmosphere etc. In
11.19
addition, the already existing activities (in the villages) are to be analysed from the point of view
of their environmental impacts and both positive as well as adverse impacts are to be considered.
The adverse impacts would need to be managed through corrective action plans (CAPs) and
positive impacts are to be enhanced to maximise the overall environmental benefits from the
Project. Both of these objectives would be achieved through (1) adjusting the HCFP activities,
and (2) implementation of environmental micro-projects that are suggested in this Study. The EIA
of HCFP activities and capacity building of rural communities in implementation of
environmental improvement micro-projects would enable the project authorities to maximise the
environmental benefits of the HCFP through community participation. The local environmental
NGOs are expected to play a key role in the success of this initiative.
An EIA requires comprehensive understanding of all the aspects of an activity i.e. social,
technical, financial, institutional and environmental. There are generally cross-sectoral impacts
(increased fuelwood availability leading to reduced use of cow dung for fuel and increased usage
as manure thereby preventing use of chemical fertilizers in the agricultural fields preventing longterm contamination of groundwater, etc.). Similarly impacts may be short-term or long-term and
local or regional or global. Also same activity may have different environmental impacts in
different ecological settings and depending on the baseline environmental conditions in the
villages.
The present study focuses on detailed analysis of baseline environmental conditions in the 60
project villages and EIA of the project components; developing environmental improvement
micro-projects and suggesting measures, including NGOs involvement, for capacity enhancement
of the rural communities to ensure sustainable environmental management.
11.20
3.
APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
The study approach and methodology has been developed to address the specific requirements of
the Terms of Reference (TOR) for this study and to meet the overall objectives. A study-outputs
based approach was adopted in order to execute the work in steps and to move on to the next step
with experience gained from the previous one.
3.1
Study Outputs
The specific outputs expected from the study are as follows:

Baseline Assessment of Village Environmental Conditions
A baseline assessment of the village environmental conditions in the 60 first HCFP villages,
including assessment of forest, water, soil, fish and animal resources, biodiversity,
atmosphere, human habitat, waste management/pollution, and climate change.
An assessment of the extent to which the Panchayat3 and VRMCs have included
environmental concerns in the Village Resource Management Microplans (VRMMs)
prepared with support from HCFP.
An assessment of the potential environmental impacts of the micro-projects selected by the

communities for implementation under the HCFP.
Identification of Local Environmental NGOs in Haryana
Identification and assessment of NGOs involved in community training with background in

social/ environmental/ forestry activities in each of the projects districts.
Preparation of TOR for NGO intervention in institutional and community strengthening to

support environmental actions in the project villages.
Recommendations for Adjusting HCFP Activities in the Light of the Study Findings.
3.2
Study Area
HCFP is being implemented in 300 villages of 43 CD Blocks in 10 districts of Haryana. This

study required environmental baseline assessment to be carried out in 70 first project villages.
However, during the first year of the Project, only 60 villages were selected for Village Entry
(VE) in 14 CD Blocks from 10 districts. These villages represent the environmental baseline for
the purposes of this report, and provide a 20% sample of all project villages. The aim has been to
have 4-5 villages in each CD Block, thus ensuring that representative villages were located in
each of the main agro-ecological zones within the project area. These villages with their locations
in different agro-ecological zones and CD Blocks are listed in Table 3.1.
An institution of selfgovernment at the village level Also called Gram/Village Panchayat
11.21
Table 3.1: Location of Sample Villages

Climatic
zone
Moist
Semi-Arid
Semi-Arid
Arid
Agro-ecological zone
CD block
Villages
Kandi Plateau
Bilaspur (5)
Loamy Central Plain

(mostly irrigated multi
species cropping
patterns)
Clayey Central Plain
(mostly doublecropping of irrigated
rice)
Sandy Western Plain
(mostly former sand
dune areas now under
irrigated agriculture)
Raipur Rani (9)
Nagli, Bhagwanpur, Ranjeetpur, Sultanpur,

Shergarh
Hangola, Hangoli, Kheri, Haripur, Natwal,
Tasrauli, Tabar, Rasidpur, Kakkar Majra
Nagla, Korwa Khurd, Dehar, Nagla
Rajputan, Baktua
Mukarpur, Bodla
Sanghaur
Naraingarh (5)
Ladwa (2)
Babain (1)
Jatusana (3)
Nahar (3)
Kanina (4)
Nathusari
Chopta (8)
Loharu (3)
Bhiwani (3)
Sand dune Plain

(mostly active sand
dunes with limited
irrigation)
Siwani (4)
Hissar II (6)
Bhattu Kalan
(4)
Purkhottampur, Baldhan Kalan, Babdoli

Lula Ahir, Bhurthala, Shyamnagar
Sundrah, Bewal, Bhalkhi, Mundain
Tarkanwali, Makhosarani, Kagdana,
Shakar Mandori, Bakarianwali, Nirwan,
Rupawas, Rupana Darba
Kudal, Alaudinpur, Kharkari
Prahladgarh, Dhana Ladanpur, Dhana
Narsan
Morka, Mithi, Mandoli Khurd, Garwa
Bandaheri, Sarsana, Gawar, Gorchi,
Balsammand, Rawalwas Kalan
Dhingsara, Kirdhan, Mehuwala, Banawali
Source: Villages PA Baseline Report, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, HCFP,

Panchkula
The Project area has about 3,000 villages of which 300 villages have to be selected for project
intervention, 60 of them having already been selected in the first project year. This selection is
based on a set of objective criteria conforming to the target groups and forestry model/area
specifications. The selection process is on the basis of the following parameters, in that the
villages:
have sufficient common land, or are affected by wind erosion from sand dunes, or are suitable
for water harvesting dams.
possess potential for community mobilisation i.e. the number of households ranges between
200 to 500 (most of the villages in Hissar are, however, larger. The largest being
Balsammand with 1,418 households).
are socially and economically backward as indicated by the percentage of scheduled castes
and agricultural labour to total population (percentage of 20 or more for each is deemed
sufficient and higher the percentage for these parameters, the greater the priority of a village
for selection).
11.22
are contiguous geographic clusters of three or more for logistic and administrative
convenience and for ease of knowledge sharing between villages.
Villages that meet all the above criteria are put to a Rapid Appraisal (RA) to confirm the
preliminary findings, to assess the willingness of the village community to participate in the
project and that necessary conditions for success exist. In villages with a positive appraisal,
community entry activities are initiated as a prelude to community development through PA,
microplanning and microproject formulation.
3.3
Study Approach
The overall participatory approach adopted by the Project implies development of and
strengthening the capacity of the community for collaborative action, identifying and analysing
their problems, setting goals and actively implementing microprojects.
The ISD study team has been working in most of these villages since 1999. Though the earlier
efforts had focused on Community Entry, Participatory Community Assessment, Community
Institution strengthening, Community Microplanning; Microproject Implementation processes
and Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation, the team had a basic understanding of the
environmental issues likely to be present in the villages. In fact, many of the environmental
issues were discussed in detail at that stage itself because the villagers were keen to include them
in the village development plans. In this Community Environmental Management Study also, the
same PA approach has been adopted and village level environmental issues have been identified
in project villages. In all the villages, major environmental issues and problems of the village
were first discussed in a village meeting followed by a field visit of the village. Though the local
community as a whole is the primary stakeholder in the Project, special attention was paid to the
needs and perspectives of the disadvantaged groups within the communities, namely women,
Scheduled Castes (SC), landless and resource poor farmers. Focus group discussions (FGDs)
were held depending on significance of specific environmental issues in the villages.
During the field visit to the village, all environmentally sensitive locations such as Johads, dug
wells, open wells, Jal Ghar, (Water Works), water taps, village drains, river banks, toilets, tree
groves, kurdis2, Chulhas (cookstoves) inside the kitchens, local industries (such as poultry farms,
brick kilns, stone crushers, etc.), areas affected by soil erosion, salinity, water logging, and
plantation areas, etc. were visited. The information exchange between villagers and the team
helped them to assess the village priorities with respect to potential environmental improvement
microprojects. These interactions also helped us in sensitising the villagers on environmental
impacts of their activities and discuss other relatively environmentally friendly alternatives (such
as vermi-composting rather than ordinary composting in Kurdis). The team essentially played the
role of a facilitator with most of the village level environmental information coming from the
villagers through PA exercise.
The fulfillment of the Project's overall objective to improve the natural environment goes well
beyond the scope of a sectoral forestry project, requiring an integrated approach to development.
An Indian village is a complex system (Figure 3.1) in which the land sub-system, the water subsystem, the livestock sub-system, the energy sub-system, all interact and support each other
(Figure 3.2). The entire village ecosystem is often held in a delicate ecological balance. Trees
2
An area earmarked for waste disposal is generally referred to as a Kurdi in Haryana villages. At some places this is in
the form of a pit and in others just the normal ground surface
11.23
provide firewood, which helps villagers to avoid the burning of cow dung and in turn helps them
to maintain productivity of their croplands through application of cowdung as manure.
Simultaneously, trees and crops help to complement the grasslands in the supply of fodder for
domestic animals. Grass is generally available from the grasslands during the monsoon period.
As grass availability declines with the onset of the dry months, crop residues obtained from
croplands and leaf fodder obtained from trees help animals to tide over the critical scarcity period.
However, it is not only the various components of the land sub-system that interact with each
other. Land sub-system interacts with the animal, water and energy sub-systems of the overall
village ecosystem and all these sub-systems interact with each other to sustain overall
productivity and extend economic and ecological stability.
11.24
Figure 3.1
FIGURE 3.1 : THE VILLAGE ECOSYSTEM

WATER
GROUND
WATER
ENERG
CROP
S
FOREST &
TREE
GRAZIN
G
LANDS
LAND
SURFAC
E
WATER
LIVESTOCK
11.25
Figure 3.2
FIGURE 3.2 : COMPONENTS OF A VILLAGE ECOSYSTEM

MANAGEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN
NATURAL
RESOURCE
BASE
BASIC
NEED
S
SOCIAL
STRUCTU
RE
COMMON RESOURCES
GRAZING
LAND
FOREST
LAND
FOOD
PRIVATE RESOURCES
POND
S
AND
FUEL
CROP
LAND
FODDER
ARTISANAL
RAW MATERIALS
HERBS
LARGE LAND
HOLDERS
SMALL AND
MARGINAL LAND
HOLDERS
11.26
LIVESTOCK
MANURE
DRINKING
WATER
LANDLESS
HOUSE
PRIVATE
TREES
WELLS
BUILDING
MATERIALS
IRRIGATION
WATER
MALE-FEMALE
RELATIONS
The purpose of this Community Environmental Management Study is to plan for a holistic
enrichment of the entire village ecosystem without destroying the synergy between the various
sub-systems. That is why EIA of HCFP activities are being conducted. Here, the holistic
enrichment means that an approach in which attempts are made to increase the productivity of all
the components of the village ecosystem from its crop lands to forest lands to grazing lands,
water systems, energy systems and animals and in a way that the enrichment is sustainable.
Many of the previous rural development efforts have failed because they were fragmented. For
instance, when ponds and tanks were built nothing was done getting an appropriate landuse
implemented in the village to protect the catchment of these tanks. Where animal husbandry or
promoting dairying operations were involved, little attention was paid to increasing fodder
supply. At the same time, there are many success stories (Ralegan Siddhi village, Maharashtra;
Sukhomajri village in Haryana; and water conservation efforts of Tarun Bharat Sangh near
Alwar, Rajasthan) where community participation and holistic approach to development played a
key role in economic and environmental regeneration.
In this background, the present study has been conducted with a holistic view of the environment
within a village ecosystem. Like other components of HCFP, the community development
process is an integral part of this study as well and project mandates the involvement of NGOs in
this component. For the purpose, NGOs have been identified for community training and capacity
building on environmental aspects. The initial list of environmental improvement microprojects
has also been prepared. However, this would require further improvements (before
implementation) based on specific Participatory Community Assessment, Participatory Resource
Planning, Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation, on-the-job training of project field staff, link
workers3and members of VRMCs.
3.4
Study Methodology
The overall study framework was divided into the following specific tasks to achieve the study
outputs mentioned in Para 3.1.
Task 1: Prepare Baseline Environmental Assessment of the 60 first project villages and identify
specific environmental issues in the project area.
Task 2: Assess the extent to which environmental concerns have been included in the VRMMs.
Task 3: Conduct EIA of the microprojects selected by the communities for implementation
under the HCFP.
Task 4: Develop environmental improvement micro-projects to enhance environmental benefits
of HCFP.
Task 5: Recommend adjustments in HCFP activities to reduce the adverse environmental
impacts, if any, and to enhance the positive impacts.
Link workers (to serve as para-extension staff) are selected from among the educated unemployed youth of the
village. Each village normally has one male and one female Link Worker. They serve as a link between the Project and
the community and render all assistance to build up their skills in collaborative development action. They work as the
channels for the project's monitoring and information needs at the micro-level and are paid by the Project for three
years.
11.27
Task 6: Identify and assess local environmental NGOs for their potential involvement in
community training on environment related aspects and prepare TOR for NGO
intervention in institutional and community strengthening to support environmental
actions in the project villages.
The study methodology for accomplishment of the above tasks is detailed below:
Task 1: Prepare Baseline Environmental Assessment of the Project Villages and Identify
Specific Environmental Issues in the Project Area
In order to assess the village environmental conditions and to gather baseline data on the status of
environmental resources (forests, water, soil, fish and animal resources, biodiversity, atmosphere,
human habitat, waste management/pollution, and climate change, etc.), a wide range of survey
and assessment techniques were employed during the course of the study. These included review
of existing information and reports of the HCFP and other relevant documents, stakeholder
consultations at all levels, village community meetings, field visits within the villages, checklist
surveys, demonstration of water quality tests using portable water monitoring kits, etc.
Review of existing reports
The village level information on socio-economic pattern, demographic data, housing, status of
land resources, status of surface and ground water resources, water supply, water harvesting
structures, forests and human resources, etc. was collected during the earlier phases of the project.
This data has been included in the VE reports, Village PA reports and VRMMs proposals for the
project villages. The study team reviewed these reports and other related documents with the
following objectives:
A sample of these reports were reviewed to evaluate the contents and to identify information
gaps with respect to the requirements of this study;
All the 60 VRMMs (45 in English and 15 in Hindi) were reviewed to assess the extent to
which the VRMCs had included environmental concerns in the these proposals;
During the course of the study, all the reports were reviewed prior to visiting the specific
villages so as to focus the community interactions on the key issues;
In the absence of microprojects village microplans (VRMMs) were reviewed to assess the
potential environmental impacts of the proposals made in these microplans.
All other relevant documents/reports were also reviewed in so far as they met the
requirements of this study.
A review of the above reports revealed that though they were quite comprehensive with respect to
other parameters, the coverage of environmental issues such as water supply, waste water
disposal, drainage, solid waste management, pollution control, energy sources and consumption,
local industrial activities, etc. were not adequately covered in all the reports. However, in some
villages, the environmental issues had also been addressed because the local community had
expressed their interest to develop some environmental improvement microprojects. Hence, the
primary and secondary information collected earlier was extensively used for the current study to
avoid any duplication of effort.
11.28
Preparation of survey tools and pre-testing

A checklist of issues to be covered in the environmental survey was developed and pre-tested in a
couple of villages. A copy of this checklist is placed at Appendix 1 and 2. Prior to field testing of
the checklist, two two-days train-the-trainers sessions were held in the ISD camp office at
Raipur Rani in the month of October 2000. The training focussed on the village environmental
resources and how they could be impacted by the project and local village activities. The village
ecosystem was dealt with in detail and possible interactions among village sub-systems and their
environmental impacts were also discussed.
Environmental awareness material dealing with sanitation, solid waste management, energy
conservation, vermi-composting, pollution control, soil erosion, water harvesting, soil and water
conservation measures, etc. was procured from various agencies, for use in the field surveys. The
low cost portable water monitoring kit44was procured from the Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB), New Delhi, who also trained our team in the use of this kit.
The field team was briefed and trained in the usage of designed formats, environmental
awareness material and water quality monitoring kits. The training focused on use of PA
techniques in village environmental resource assessment exercise.
Village meetings and reconnaissance surveys
Each of the 60 villages was surveyed by the ISD team to have first hand feel of environmental
conditions of the village and to identify environmental issues that would require attention either
in the short-term or long-term. The team selected for the study was the same that had previously
worked in these villages. The team members had therefore, already spent sufficient time with the
villagers and had good knowledge of the sensitive issues. As such, they were well received in the
villages during this study.
Main fieldwork comprised FGDs with the community along the lines of pre-tested checklist.
Depending on the sensitivities of issues and the social groups within a village, FGDs were held
separately with different stakeholders including landless labourers, women, SC, etc. in all the
villages. The village meetings were organised at a common place for the villagers at a time
convenient to them. The average size of the group in village meetings was around 30. These
meetings commenced with an explanation of the objectives of the study and its relevance to
HCFP activities. The villagers were informed that the study was being conducted to develop
environmental improvement microprojects that would help them improve village environmental
conditions. During discussions, care was taken to ensure that poorest and least articulate
members of the community are able to voice their concern regarding the environmental
conditions of their village. The principal areas of enquiries and assessment techniques are
presented in Table 3.2.
Table 3.2: Areas of Enquiry and Assessment Techniques
Area of enquiry
Stakeholders consulted
Research
and
assessment
For the purpose, the team used the Low Cost Water Testing Kit developed by Central Pollution Control Board. The
kit has been fabricated as a portable laboratory provided with the apparatus and reagents needed for the field-testing to
assess the quality of water under field conditions. The kit enables the user to assess the physical, chemical,
bacteriological and biological quality of water in the field.
11.29
Baseline natural resource

assessment
Inclusion of environmental
concerns in the action plans
Potential environmental impact
of the village activities
Separate informal groups of men,

women, landless, labourers, etc.
Separate informal groups of men and
women
Separate informal groups of men and
women
techniques
Reconnaissance survey, FGDs
and Case studies
FGDs and review of existing
reports
FGDs and review of existing
reports
The village meetings provided an overview of environmental problems in the village, historical
trends, experience of rural communities with other interventions such as improved Chulhas,
biogas plants, community toilets, etc.
Subsequently a reconnaissance survey of the village was carried out to assess the status of
environmental resources and to identify environmentally sensitive receptors. This visit also
provided the study team an opportunity to review previous attempts on environmental
improvement projects such as use of improved Chulhas, biogas plants, toilets, etc. At the same
time the study team briefed the villagers on various aspects of solid waste disposal, open drains,
need for safe and hygienic conditions, sanitation, health effects in children and women due to
exposure to kitchen smoke, water conservation, revival of traditional water harvesting systems,
rehabilitation of Johads5, etc. Based on the village reconnaissance survey, the village resource
map was updated to include the environmental resources and problem points for each of the
villages.
The study team prepared a comprehensive checklist of environmental issues and ranked them as
of low, medium and high intensities for each of the project villages surveyed. The ranking was
based on study teams assessment of villagers perception of the problem after thorough
discussions with them on all the issues. A copy of the format used for the purpose is enclosed at
Appendix 3. During these interactions villagers were also probed on their knowledge and attitude
towards environment and changes in their perceptions towards environmentally sustainable
village development over time.
Demonstration of low-cost water quality monitoring kits
In each of the project villages, a demonstration of the low cost water quality monitoring kit was
undertaken. As water is the most important resource within a village and as water quality has
been a major cause of concern in Indian villages, it was considered necessary to sensitise the
villagers to this aspect. Groundwater is the main source of water in the villages and hence water
quality testing was carried out in the villages analysing the samples collected from the
handpumps, taps and wells. This demonstration helped establish a need for scientific approach to
environmental management in the villages and stimulated debate and further discussions.
For the purpose, the study team used the Low Cost Water Testing Kit developed by the CPCB.
The kit has been fabricated as a portable laboratory provided with the apparatus and reagents
needed for field-testing to assess the quality of water under field conditions. It enables the user to
assess the physical, chemical, bacteriological and biological quality of water in the field. As it
was not practically possible to do complete analysis of all the parameters during the village visit
nor that was the objective of this exercise, a select list of parameters were chosen. These included
pH, fluorides, hardness, nitrates and calcium. These parameters are important from human health
point of view as well as good indicators of the water quality for other uses such as washing of
11.30
clothes, agricultural usage, etc. Also the analytical methods for these were colorimetric65having a
strong impact on the village community.
Preparation of baseline environmental assessment reports and case studies
Based on the information gathered, a baseline environmental assessment report was prepared for
each of the project villages. These reports include an assessment of water, land, air, agriculture,
forestry, livestock and energy resources and also an appraisement of waste disposal and
management practices and energy use in the villages. A Baseline Environmental Assessment
Report for village Rasidpur is placed at Appendix 4.
Specific case studies are included in this report to highlight the key problems in the villages and
to evaluate the best management practices for specific environmental issues so as to develop
environmental improvement micro-projects.
Task 2: Assess the Extent to Which Environmental Concerns have been Included in the
VRMMs.
This has been dealt with under Task 1 earlier in that all the VRMMs (45 in English and 15 in
Hindi) were examined to assess the extent of village environmental concerns included in these
plans.
Task 3: Conduct EIA of Microprojects Selected by the Communities for Implementation
Under the HCFP.
At the time of this study, microprojects for the project villages were not available. The lack of
micro projects means that the feasibility of the planned interventions is not known. It was
therefore, agreed that VRMMs be reviewed and assessed with respect to their environmental
impact. These plans essentially include only forestry and agro-forestry activities. All the VRMMs
available in English, from 45 villages, were analysed. The 45-village sample includes 8-10
villages from each Project division and represents 15% of the total number of villages that will be
involved in project activities.
The following indicators were selected to assess the potential environmental impacts of the
planned plantations and suggest adjustments of project models:
Impact on biological environment: quantity and quality of forest cover
Available common property lands planted with woodlots

Quality of forest cover improved
Greenery established within and around villages
Forest cover outside forest areas increased
Percentage of total Panchayat land brought, or maintained under forest cover
Percentage of nominal forest area per total village land
Johads are basically embankments to arrest rainwater during the monsoon season. In some areas of India, the Johad
bed is later used to cultivate crops. These community structures serve multiple purposes - meet domestic water
requirements of the villagers, meet drinking and other water requirements of the livestock population, and help in
groundwater recharge.
6
Colorimetric methods use change in color as an indicator of the concentration of specific parameter in the water
sample.
11.31
Forest biodiversity increased

Habitat for wildlife improved
Forests as sink for greenhouse gases
Impact on land environment: land degradation and erosion
Moving sand dunes on Panchayat and private lands stabilized

Riverbank and gully erosion decreased
Unsustainable exploitation of fodder and fuelwood resources decreased
Conservation of soil improved
Availability of dung for Farm Yard Manure (FYM) increased
Impact on water environment: water quantity and quality

Conservation of water on farmland soil improved
Conditions of the water table improved
Impact on air environment: air quality
Wind damage to crop decreased

Dust pollution decreased
Microclimatic conditions within the village improved.
Task 4: Develop Environmental Improvement Microprojects to Enhance Environmental

Benefits of HCFP.
Based on an assessment of the baseline environmental conditions in the villages and analysis of
planned HCFP activities, a number of environmental interventions are suggested.
Task 5: Recommend adjustments in HCFP activities to reduce the adverse environmental
impacts, if any, and to enhance the positive impacts.
Based on the EIA of HCFP activities carried out as part of this study and identification of
environmental issues in each of the project villages, appropriate recommendations have been
made to adjust HCFP activities in order to enhance their environmental benefits, as follows:
Adjustments in the existing components and models of plantations in use under HCFP;
New environmental improvement micro-projects have been suggested for inclusion in the
HCFP.
Task 6: Identify and Assess Local Environmental NGOs for their Potential Involvement in
Community Training on Environment Related Aspects and Prepare TOR for
NGO Intervention in Institutional and Community Strengthening to Support
Environmental Actions in the Project Villages.
The EIA of HCFP activities and capacity building of rural communities in implementation of
environmental improvement micro-projects would enable the project authorities to maximise the
11.32
environmental benefits of the HCFP through community participation. The local environmental
NGOs are expected to play a key role in the success of this initiative. NGOs, in fact, have a very
important role which begins with the project entry into a village and goes upto project exit stage.
The community training is an important aspect for sustainable resource management and NGOs
are the key players in this process. Even for the environmental improvement microprojects, there
is a need to enhance the community capacity to develop, implement, evaluate and monitor these
microprojects. The long-term success of these initiatives would depend on the ability of the
community to manage the development process without external assistance, resolving possible
conflicts, evolving methodologies for distribution of benefits, and sustaining resource use.
Traditionally, the culture of knowledge transfer and natural resource management has been part
of the daily routine activities of the villagers. Also, one could witness maximum extent of
resource recycling and reuse widely practised in village communities. However with time, the
situation has changed and the process of knowledge transfer has weakened. Also, it is important
for sustainable development that there is an exchange of information and views about
developmental initiatives taking place outside the village environment. This can be achieved
through a participatory approach of information exchange and sharing. This is where local NGOs
can play a major role. NGOs working in the surroundings have a much better understanding of
the local socio-economics, culture, values, customs and traditions and are therefore, most
effective in communicating the right messages to the communities. It is, therefore, imperative
that a right set of local NGOs is identified as part of this project who can
work with the project authorities to successfully implement the environmental improvement
microprojects. These NGOs should at a minimum have experience in community training with
background in social, environmental and forestry activities.
At the same time, the local NGOs sometimes may have the limitation of lack of exposure to
various national level initiatives in rural resources management and this may limit their ability to
deal with specific environmental issues in a village. It was therefore considered appropriate to
select NGOs at two levels: (1) At the local level within the state of Haryana, preferably in
proximity to the project area, (2) Specialist NGOs to work with the local NGOs and the village
communities, preferably close to the project area. As there are many national level, specialist
NGOs based in Delhi, and Delhi is in close proximity to the project area, a number of NGOs have
been identified for involvement in the project activities. The study team has also prepared a
framework TOR for these NGO interventions in institutional and community strengthening to
support environmental action in project villages.
3.5
Report Structure
The present report on Community Environmental Management Study is structured in thirteen

sections. Sections 1 to 9 deal with Environmental Baseline Assessment and details of Suggested
Environmental Interventions; essentially including outputs of Tasks 1, 3 and part of 4. Sections
10 to 12 deal with EIA of village natural resource plans, Recommendations for adjusting HCFP
activities, and Institutional and community capacity building initiatives; essentially including
outputs of Tasks 2, 5, 6 and part of 4. Section 13 gives a summary of findings and proposed
interventions. Brief contents of different Sections of the report are given below:
Section 1
Background
Section 2
Introduction.
Section 3
Study Approach and Methodology, includes approach to the study

and details of the methodology adopted.
11.33
Section 4
Air Environment, includes assessment of air quality problems in the

project villages, impact analysis of neighbouring activities on the village
air quality problems, and details of suggested environmental
interventions, etc.
Section 5
Water Environment, includes assessment of water resources in the

project villages, analysis of problems related to availability and quality
of water, review of traditional water harvesting systems in the villages,
and details of suggested environmental interventions, etc.
Section 6
Waste Management and Sanitation, includes assessment of solid waste

management, human wastes management, agricultural and livestock
waste management and industrial waste management in the project
villages, and details of suggested environmental interventions, etc.
Section 7
Energy, includes assessment of energy needs, sources of energy, fuel

choices, use of energy efficient devices, etc., and details of suggested
environmental interventions, etc.
Section 8
Land Environment, includes assessment of land related environmental

problems in project villages such as soil erosion, salinity, water logging,
etc., assessment of agricultural practices related environmental issues,
and details of suggested environmental interventions, etc.
Section 9
Livestock, includes assessment of livestock and cattle related

environmental issues in the project villages.
Section 10
EIA of village natural resource plans.
Section 11
Recommendation for adjusting HCFP activities.
Section 12
Institutional and Community Capacity Building Initiatives including

NGOs Involvement.
Section 13
Summary of Findings and Interventions/Recommendations, includes

summary of environmental issues across all the project villages and
suggested environmental interventions thereof.
Section 14
References.
11.34
4.
AIR ENVIRONMENT
The quality of air environment is defined by the ambient air quality of the region. The ambient air
quality of an area is mainly a function of (1) the background levels of air pollutants, (2) the
sources of air pollution in the area, and (2) the assimilative capacity of the environment to
neutralize air pollution. Air is meant to be polluted when the imbalance in the air quality is to
such an extent that it starts causing deleterious effects6.
Air pollution is primarily a problem of urban areas and ambient air quality in the urban centres of
India is a major environmental issue. Some of the Indian cities such as New Delhi, Calcutta and
Mumbai are among the worlds most polluted cities because of poor air quality. In Delhi alone,
about 80% of the children are estimated to be suffering from respiratory disorders as they are
forced to breathe polluted air. The situation is really serious in hundreds of other Class I and II
cities of India. Some of the major pollutants are particulate matter, sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides
of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), photochemical oxidants (e.g.
ozone), metals (e.g. lead) and other gases and vapours (hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, etc.)7. The
main sources of air pollution are the increasing number of vehicles on the roads, higher
background levels of dust i.e. suspended particulate matter (SPM) due to inadequate green areas
near the cities, uncontrolled emissions from industries, etc. At the same time, illegal felling of
forests and increasing use of fuelwood as an energy source is leading to loss of forest cover and
green areas, near and within cities, further limiting the assimilative capacity of the environment.
The overall situation, from the point of view of ambient air quality, is, however, not that alarming
in the rural environment and the situation is no different in the HCFP villages. The concentration
of air pollutants at a particular time is a function of the quantity and type of pollutant introduced
into the atmosphere and the ability of the atmosphere to disperse/absorb these and also on various
physico-chemical dissipation processes liable to remove air pollutants through self-purification.
The ambient air quality pattern, therefore, changes from location to location and with time of the
day, week and year. In most of the HCFP villages, there are only limited sources of air pollution
and there is still sufficient assimilative capacity in the village environment as not to allow buildup of concentrations of air pollutants. The environmental baseline assessment of the HCFP
villages, from the air quality perspective, is presented in this Section.
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) have been stipulated by the Ministry of Environment &
Forests (MOEF), Government of India (GOI), for different landuses including (1) rural and residential areas, (2)
industrial areas, and (3) sensitive areas.
SO2 is formed during combustion where sulphur present in fuel gets oxidized emitting SO2 with the exhaust gases.
SO2 is scavenged from the atmosphere due to sulphuric acid formation, conversion to sulphate salts and during
photochemical oxidation process.
NOX are generally recognized as sum of nitric oxides (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2); nitric oxides are formed during
combustion as a result of oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen, while NO2 is formed at low temperatures when nitric
oxide combines with excess oxygen in the combustion system. NOx are scavenged from the atmosphere through
formation of nitric acid, nitrics or nitrates and through their dry deposition.
CO is produced due to incomplete combustion of carbon from vehicles, coal combustion , fuel oil combustion, solid
waste disposal and refuse burning, etc.
11.35
4.1
Sources of Air Pollution
The main sources of air pollution in the HCFP villages include the following:
4.2
Industrial pollution due to rural agri-industries;

Dust pollution due to various activities;
Energy consumption within the villages;
Odour pollution due to various sources.
Industrial Pollution
Over the last two decades, many new rural industries have come up in the project area. The main
industrial development can be seen in Ambala Project Division where there has been a
proliferation of poultry farms and brick kilns. One stone crusher was also noted in the area. No
major industrial development is seen in other parts of the Project. The villages which are in the
proximity of these industries are obviously affected to a greater extent than the villages which are
further away. The problem is further aggravated in those villages which are located in the
predominantly downwind direction8.
4.2.1 Brick kilns

There are 129 brick kilns in Raipur Rani CD Block of Ambala Project Division. Many of these
are very close to HCFP villages and, therefore, have a direct socio-economic and environmental
impact on these villages. The villages most affected by this problem are Natwal and Kakkar
Majra. There are three kilns in Natwal and a total of 16 brick kilns in Kakkar Majra. In all other
divisions, relatively much less number of brick kilns were noticed but they are not perceived as
an environmental problem by the villagers. In Hissar Project Division, some small captive kilns
were seen, within the project villages, that are primarily used by villagers for making bricks for
their own use (these are described later in this section). No major commercial brick making
activity was noticed in other project divisions of the study area except Ambala.
The air quality trends fluctuate seasonally as well as annually in an area due to interplay of various factors viz.
release of air pollutants at source, transport, diffusion, dilution and scavenging of air pollutants in the environment in
which meteorological factors play a significant role. The seasonal variations in the air quality are caused by fluctuation
in seasonal conditions, diversity in physical and climatic conditions, meteorological conditions and turbulence in
atmosphere. The climatic factors such as moisture, temperature, sunlight and air movements influence the attack rate of
pollutants.
11.36
Box 4.1: Environmental Impacts of Brick Kilns - Kakkar Majra Village

Kakkar Majra village under Raipur Rani CD Block of Ambala Project Division is located on the main
Ambala-Naraingarh road approximately 10 km from Mouli village. Though the village economy is
largely agriculture based, a large number of villagers (about 70-80%) work in the nearby agri-industries
including brick kilns, poultry farms, etc., as labourers.
There are in all 16 brick kilns within the village, occupying about 50 acres of land (Photo 4.1). These
kilns started coming up around 1985 and the numbers have been growing since. The kiln owners take the
village land on lease at a rate of Rs. 40,000 to 45,000/- per acre per year. Generally the lease is for 10
years. The grafted mango trees were reported to be adversely affected in Kakkar Majra due to smoke
emissions from these kilns. Though villagers are well aware of the adverse environmental impacts of
brick kilns on their land and in the vicinity including health impacts, they lease the land for brick making
for the following reasons:
The villagers believe that this assures them better and safe monetary returns vis--vis agricultural
crops.
It also creates additional employment opportunities for other villagers.
Villagers who have land, but nobody in the family is interested in agriculture, consider this as a
better option.
Some of the villagers were forced to lease their lands for brick making as their neighbouring lands
had already been leased and it would have otherwise eroded.
The other direct and indirect environmental impacts of brick kilns on the village community are :
These kilns primarily use coal and firewood as fuel and, therefore, create additional demand for
fuelwood in the village, thus further straining the limited fuelwood resources.
Labourers who come to work in these kilns have their own fuelwood demand, which is essentially
met through nearby sources.
Water demand is also increased because of its requirement for brick making as also because of
additional requirements of labourers, etc.
Topsoil that is removed for brick making is loss of a valuable resource for the agriculture based
economy of the village.
The land under the chimney also becomes useless for any other purpose.
The depressions that are created after brick Kilns are closed, become aesthetically incompatible with
villagers natural landscape.
In a brick kiln operation, the main fuels are coal and fuelwood and a major source of air pollution
is the smoke that is a result of the combustion process. This contains particulate matter (dust),
Carbon Dioxide (CO2), CO, SO2 and HC. Till the year 1996, there were no stipulations to control
these emissions from brick kilns and, therefore, the kiln owners used to have movable type bulls
trench kilns badly designed with movable chimneys that had low heights. These kilns were
therefore ineffective in dispersion of the pollutants. As most of the brick kilns are generally
located in agricultural areas, this practice has severe impact on agricultural crops, fruits and even
health of the villagers9 in the nearby areas. After about five years of research on these aspects, the
CPCB notified the air emission standards for brick kilns in 1966. The Board's directives including
the latest amendments are as follows:
The health effect caused by air pollutants in exposed population depends not only on the ambient concentrations but is
rather based on doses of air pollutants received by the individual. Children, elderly, smokers and those with chronic
respiratory difficulties are the most vulnerable groups of population.
11.37
The use of movable type bulls trench kilns should be stopped by 30th June 2001 and no new
moving chimney kilns shall be allowed to come up;
The concentration of particulate matter emissions should be limited based on kiln capacity;
A minimum stack height should be provided for optimal dispersion of SO2.
The emission standards and stack height regulation for brick kilns of different capacities are given
below (Table 4.1 and 4.2).
Table 4.1: Brick Kilns - Emission Standards
Size
Kiln capacity
Small
Less than 15,000 bricks per day (less than 15 ft.

trench width)
15,000-30,000 bricks per day (15-22 ft. trench
width)
More than 30,000 bricks per day (more than 22 ft.
trench width)
Medium
Large
Maximum limit for the concentration

of particulate matter (mg/Nm3)
1,000
750
750
Table 4.2: Stack Height Regulation

Kiln Capacity
Less than 15,000 bricks per day
(less than 15 ft. trench width)
15,000-30,000 bricks per day
(15-22 ft. trench width)
More than 30,000 bricks per
day (more than 22 ft. trench
width)
Stack height
Minimum stack height of 22 m, or, induced draught fan operating with
minimum draught of 50 mm Water Gauge with 12 stack height.
Minimum stack height of 27 m with gravitational settling chamber
Or
Induced draught fan operating with minimum draught of 50 mm Water
Gauge with 15 m stack height.
Minimum stack height of 30 m with gravitational settling chamber
Or
Induced draught fan operating with minimum draught of 50 mm Water
Gauge with 17 m stack height.
Source: EPA [Environment (Protection) Act, 1986] Notification GSR No. 176(E), April 2, 1996
As a result of this environmental regulation, brick kiln owners were forced to have fixed type of
chimneys with a minimum height or to install specified pollution control equipment such as a
Gravitational Settling Chamber. As most of the kilns are located in rural areas where availability
of electric supply to these units is a problem, most of these kilns have opted for higher chimney
heights than installation of pollution control equipment. This has also reduced their operation and
maintenance costs. However, the ground situation is that most of the brick kilns are not
complying with the prescribed emission norms and neighbouring areas suffer from air pollution
problems. As per the notification of the MOEF, dated 6th February 2001, all non-complying brick
kiln units have been asked to furnish affidavits to their respective /State Pollution Control Boards
(SPCBs) to the effect that they shall comply with the prescribed emission standards by 30th June
2001 and no further extension shall be sought by them. The brick kiln owners have also been
asked to deposit a bank guarantee for a sum varying from Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 30,000/- (depending
on the size of the kiln) for completing the conversion or the amount shall be forfeited by the
SPCB.
11.38
Though air emissions have been controlled to some extent by these environmental regulations,
emissions are still reported to affect fruit and Kikar (Acacia nilotica) trees in Natwal and Kakkar
Majra villages. The problem is more serious during winter months when lower temperatures,
calm conditions, lower mixing height and temperature inversion, confine pollutant dispersion and
dispersal. Temperature inversion affects horizontal and vertical distribution of air pollutants,
during which temperature instead of falling increases with height above ground and therefore, air
pollutants stay in the lower atmosphere for longer durations.
The major effects form of emissions from the brick kilns are reported to be as follows and as
shown in Figure 4.1.
In Natwal village, Kikar trees were planted on 28 acres of Panchayat land. These trees have
registered no growth or flowering in the last 3-4 years (since 1997-98). Villagers attribute this
to the smoke from brick kilns in the adjoining areas.
Crops of Desi Aam (a local variety of grafted mango) are reported to be adversely affected in
both the villages and have almost disappeared. The overall growth of trees is retarded as dust
settles down on the leaves.
Smoke is also a health hazard for the villagers who have problems related to eye-sight and
respiratory disorders due to higher dust levels in the atmosphere. 10An exceptionally high
number of villagers in Natwal village are reported to be using spectacles due to eye-sight
problems.
Villagers have also reported reduction in land productivity in the neighbourhood of brick
kilns (due to thermal pollution) because of high temperatures that are necessary to be
maintained to bake the bricks.
In addition to the above, the other indirect effects from air quality point of view are:
Increase in the traffic of commercial vehicles on roads and in the vicinity of the villages,
thereby increasing transport related dust and gaseous pollution problems as well as emissions,
etc.11
The movement of trucks carrying heavy loads has damaged the village roads, resulting in pot
holes, etc.
The work force uses locally available fuelwood to meet its energy requirements, thereby
increasing the fuelwood demand in the area and also affecting the local ambient air quality
due to increased combustion related pollution.
10
Particulate matter has a direct effect on the respiratory system but a healthy human body has efficient mechanisms to
counteract penetration of particulates inside the respiratory system. The major health effect caused due to continuous
exposure and inhalation of particles causes respiratory symptoms, allergic exposure, bronchitis, pneumoconiosis,
systematic poisoning and sometimes cancer.
11
Health effects of CO are mainly due to greater affinity (240 times) of CO to blood haemoglobin than oxygen,
forming carboxyhaemoglobin. CO exposure may cause acute pulmonary effects, cardiovascular and behaviourial
effects, and development toxicity.
Exposure to NOX can cause decrement in lung function, pulmonary effects, airway reactivity, respiratory morbidity in
children, effects on immune system and continuous exposure may lead to chronic lung diseases.
Acute and chronic exposure to SO2 may cause respiratory effects like upper respiratory tract infection, cough, soar
throat and lung function decrement, bronchitis and several other respiratory diseases.
11.39
Figure 4.1
Figure 4.1 : Environmental Effects of Brick Kilns

Land
Productivity
Loss Due to
Impact on crop
Productivity in
Agricultural
Thermal
Impact
on
Impact on
Grafted
Health Impact
on
Human and
Thermal Impact
on
Increase in
Fuel wood
D
d
Increase in
Water
11.40
Suggested interventions
At the Project level, HCFP should request the Haryana State Pollution Control Board
(HSPCB) for strict implementation of the environmental regulations and emission standards
related to brick kilns. Particularly important is the provision of adequate stack height and
installation of pollution control equipment as per stipulated requirements.
At the village level, VRMC should educate the villagers about the ill-effects of air pollution
caused due to brick kilns. As villagers have already been affected by some of these
problems, the acceptance of VRMCs suggestions is expected to be better. Though the cash
incentive offered by the kiln owners supersedes all other considerations, it is likely that over a
period of time, villagers would feel discouraged to provide their lands for brick kilns. The
situation in some of the villages such as Natwal has reached a serious stage and demands
immediate intervention by the VRMC and project authorities.
As brick kilns have become an important source of employment for some of the villages, and
leases have already being given, it is necessary to establish a dialogue process between the
villagers (VRMCs) and the brick kiln owners. The owners would be made aware about the
problems of the villagers and asked to provide the stipulated pollution control equipment and
required stack heights, as envisaged under environmental regulations. As the leases go on
expiring, the villagers and the VRMCs should reconsider grant of further leases in the context
of adverse environmental impact of this industry.
4.2.2 Poultry farms

Poultry farms are a main source of pollution in several villages of Raipur Rani, Ladwa and
Naraingarh CD blocks (Haripur, Kheri, Natwal, Rasidpur, Makarpur and Kakkar Majra). Though
these poultry farms have been there since early 1990s, their number has increased significantly
since 1995-96 and so has the pollution due to them. The main problems of air pollution are flies
and foul smell. Besides, drainage of water and waste disposal are other major environmental
problems (these are discussed elsewhere in the report) associated with these farms. The number
of flies within the villages have increased dramatically, with fly infestation remaining high even
during the cold winter months, when this problem normally subsides. Both human and livestock
have no respite from flies, so much so that villagers are unable to even have food during summer
months. This is also becoming a social problem as young men have difficulties in finding brides
willing to move into their villages. Villagers also complain that their relatives do not like to visit
them. Reduction in milk production in cattle has also been reported, as flies irritate them day and
night. Spread of diseases is also facilitated and their incidence is believed to have increased over
the last five years due to these poultry farms.
Flies originate from storage of feed and poultry manure over long periods. A site visit to a poultry
unit in Kakkar Majra revealed that feed storage was not a problem (dry fish is kept in bags in
closed storerooms, away from flies), but the main problem was bird droppings, which remain in
the cages for quite sometime, till they are sold (prevailing rate is Rs. 4.00 per cft). The droppings
area is treated with insecticides once or twice a week, but this measure has failed to control
breeding of flies. In fact, poultry units also have walls made of nets but the wiremesh is not fine
enough to trap the flies inside (Photo 4.2).
11.41
Recent newspaper reports, however, indicate that a new initiative based on cooperation between
the poultry farmers and the villagers has, to a considerable extent, eliminated breeding of flies in
Barwala poultry complex, specially in the villages of Jaspur, Kakrali, Toda, Natwal and Mauli.
Backed by the Poultry Farmers Association (PFA), and the district administration, the endeavour
focuses on the community as a whole. Several poultry farmers have adopted villages in close
vicinity to their farms and implemented various control measures. Flyban was mixed with the
feed of the birds, which ensured that their excreta are free from the larvae of the flies thus
preventing them from multiplying. The PFM also ensured that the villages are sprayed with antifly-pesticide, Nuwan, the poultry farmers bearing the cost. Streets, sewage lines, the interior of
the houses, open pits, water bodies, and in fact all corners of the villages are being sprayed from
time to time. Thus, it seems that the main reasons for breeding of flies have been eliminated.
As poultry litter is considered a very good manure for agricultural purposes, villagers often buy it
from the poultry farms. This is either stored for some time or is used directly in the fields. This is
also a source of flies and mosquitoes within the villages.
The problem of odour pollution is within the vicinity of the poultry farms and is mainly because
of poor raw material handling and waste management practices. The raw material that is used as
feed is allowed to dry in the open and is grinded in feed mills whereby bad odour is generated.
Also waste streams such as wastewater drainage from the farm, dead chicken bodies, broken eggs
and pallets, etc. are all discharged into the nearby area and allowed to stagnate and decompose.
This decomposition also results in bad odours.
Box 4.2: Haripur-No Respite from Flies
Village Haripur is situated on the Raipur Rani-Panchkula road, at a distance of 4 km from Raipur Rani.
The village is seriously affected by the problem of flies due to its proximity to poultry farms, there being
8 to10 poultry farms located near the village. Though initially the land for the poultry farms was
leased/sold by the villagers only now, they seem to be repenting it because of continuous sufferings.
During PA conducted by the ISD (1999), villagers brought this issue to the attention of the team, who then
organised anti-flies sprays within the village through support of the PFA. Spraying was done every third
day in the village by the PFA with positive results, the number of flies and mosquitoes having reduced.
However, this was subsequently stopped as PFA started supplying only spray to the villagers. Due to lack
of interest both from the villagers and PFA alike, supply of spray to the villagers was also stopped.
Once the VRMC was formed towards the end of 1999, this was taken up as an important task. It was
decided that VRMC, Sarpanch (Head of the Panchayat) and Panchayat members would meet the PFA to
request them to spray the bird droppings area, so that there are no mosquitoes or flies. They also decided
not to allow movement of poultry farm vehicles. The villagers also met the Deputy Commissioner (DC)
and other responsible officers but nothing much happened after the ISD team withdrew from the village.
After a year of formation of the VRMC, the Pradhan (Chairman VRMC) himself started constructing a
poultry farm near the entrance of the village. This was resisted by the VRMC and they also tried to stop the
construction activity. The latest information is that the Pradhan has resigned from the VRMC and the
poultry farm building is constructed.
Another poultry farm is added to the list and there seems to be no respite for the villagers from the
menace of flies and mosquitoes. Recent reports, however, show that based on cooperation between the
poultry farmers and the villagers, breeding of flies has been eliminated, to a large extent, in the villages of
Jaspur, Kakrali, Toda, Natwal and Mauli. Several poultry farmers have adopted villages in close vicinity
to their farms and implemented the necessary control measures to free these villages from the menace of
flies and mosquitos.
11.42
11.43
At the project level, HCFP should write to the HSPCB to draw their attention to the
pollution caused by the poultry farm units. The Board should be persuaded to introduce
specific emission/effluent standards, environmental management practices and
operational guidelines for the poultry farms. It is also necessary that ultimately these
guidelines are strictly enforced by the Board and adhered to by the poultry farm units.
As poultry farm units have become an important source of income for some of the
villages, and many poultry farms are already operational, it is necessary to establish a
dialogue process between the villagers and the poultry farm owners. The VRMCs of the
respective villages should meet with the representatives of poultry farm units as also with
the PFA and appraise them of the environmental problems faced by the villagers as a
consequence of these farms. As a solution, it is possible that PFA gets insecticides
sprayed, at regular intervals, in the affected villages. PFA/farm owners should provide
the insecticides.
Poultry farmers could adopt villages in close proximity to their farms and undertake
various control measures to eliminate breeding of flies in the respective villages. These
measures would include mixing of Flyban with chicken feed and spraying of villages
with anti-fly-pesticide, Nuwan, at regular intervals, at their cost.
As villagers are also the consumers of poultry litter, an arrangement could be arrived at
between the villagers and the poultry farm units whereby the droppings could be removed
more frequently and stored at some designated locations, before their use as fertilizer.
The PFA should advise and encourage the poultry farm units to install the bird droppings
area with appropriate size of wire meshes to prevent mosquitoes and flies from going out
of the mesh. Also the PFA could have internal environmental guidelines (such as
provision of minimum level of effluent treatment before wastewater is discharged outside
the poultry farm units, etc.) to be complied with by all the poultry farm units. This would
also lead to improved working conditions within the poultry farm units and would better
overall productivity.
The villagers/VRMC should reconsider setting up of any poultry farms in the village
either by selling/leasing of individual holdings of the villagers.
4.2.3 Stone crushers

There is only one stone crusher located near one of the villages under study (Rasidpur), which
appears to have been severely affected by stone crushing operations. The main air pollutant from
stone crushing is SPM12. Stone crushing operations involve procurement of large boulders,
grinding them to required sizes, screening and sieving and transporting the crushed stones to
building material suppliers. Strategically these crushers have always been located next to the
12
The particles with aerodynamic diameter of 50 m and above that cannot be breathed with low suction pressure
generated during breathing are known as suspended particulate matter (SPM). The particles with diameter of 10 m
and below are susceptible to penetrate in respiratory system and are known as respirable suspended particulate matter
(RSPM or PM10).
11.44
roads, thereby facilitating easy movement of vehicles for transportation of large boulders and
crushed stones.
Box 4.3: Impact of the Stone Crusher in Rasidpur Village
The ISD team visited the stone crusher which is located approximately 3 km from Rasidpur village,
towards the east. The stone crusher was set up in 1998 and since then there are reports of increased
incidence of breathing problems among villagers, loose motions in cattle (dust settles on grass and cattle
are forced to eat the same), low crop productivity (dust settles on the agricultural fields preventing growth
of crops) and retarded growth of tree seedlings and trees (dust settles on leaves blocking their stomata to
effect the photosynthetic process). Though the village per se appears to be sufficiently away from the
stone crusher (to have any direct impact), the agricultural fields and common lands of the village are
located closer. As villagers spend significant amount of their time in the fields and grazing grounds are
also located nearby, it is likely that there has been some health impact of dust on human as well as cattle
population. The major environmental effects of stone crushing operations are reported to be:
Retarded growth of new plantations of Eucalyptus including even death of plants as dust settles on
their leaves;
Stunted growth of older plantations of Eucalyptus;
Reduction in crop productivity as the dust layer does not allow seedlings to grow;
The roads have been damaged due to frequent movement of heavy vehicles loaded with boulders.
The roads are not designed to carry this load. This has resulted in deep pot holes, thereby creating
problems during the rains.
Before 1990, stone crushing operations were not considered to contribute to

environmental problems and, therefore, no environmental permitting was required.
Emission standards were, however, stipulated for stone crushing units only in that year
(1990) and as per these standards, the SPM measured between 3 to 10 m from any
process equipment of a stone-crushing unit shall not exceed 600 g/m3.13 In addition the
following pollution control measures are to be adhered to:
Dust containment-cum-suppression equipment for the stone crushing units;

Construction of wind breaking walls;
Construction of metalled roads within the premises;
Regular cleaning and wetting of ground within the premises;
Growing of a green belt along the periphery of the stone crusher14.
It was noted that no pollution control or dust suppression measures were in place at the stone
crusher at the time of the site visit. No more specific information was available from the stone
crusher. The environmental impact issue, however, requires detailed investigation particularly
from the point of view of impact on crop productivity and growth retardation.
At the Project and village level, the HCFP and the VRMC should write to the HSPCB to
draw their attention to the pollution caused by stone crushers. As stone crushers are now
13
Source: EPA Notification GSR 742(E) dated 30th August 1990 and SO 8(E) dated 31st December 1990
Vegetation acts as an absorbent of air pollutants, filtering out dust, soot, smoke and many other fine particulates
present in air by absorption, detoxification, accumulation and/or metabolisation. The dust collection efficiency depends
on the structure of leaves and plants species.
14
11.45
regulated under the EPA, 1986, pollution control authorities should be persuaded to
strictly implement the stipulated emission standards and environmental management
guidelines.
11.46
The VRMC should organise a meeting between senior villagers and owners of the stonecrushing unit to make them aware about the hardships that the villagers are facing due to
their unit. Recognising the mutual benefits of such an initiative, this dialogue process
between the villagers and owners of the unit plus strict enforcement of regulations by the
HSPCB, may persuade the owners of the stone crushing unit to provide the stipulated
pollution control equipment and comply with the prescribed environmental norms.
4.2.4 Charcoal making

Charcoal is produced by heating wood in the absence of air in underground or other air-tight
conditions, often for several days. As a result, the volatile content is greatly reduced, leaving a
low-volatility solid. In the process of making charcoal, the particulates and other hydrocarbon
emissions are released and, thus, charcoal burning in kitchens is relatively much more cleaner
than fuelwood or dung cakes.
Charcoal is manufactured mainly for commercial purposes, i.e. sale in the nearby towns and
urban centres. Though it is a cleaner fuel (than fuelwood), villagers generally do not use the
same. Sultanpur, Nagla Rajputan, Kakkar Majra are the main villages where charcoal making
kilns were observed. Charcoal is made in egg shaped kilns made of unfired bricks. The diameter
of a typical kiln is 9 ft and the height is about 10 ft. Wood is charged from the front opening,
which is closed after charging. Small holes are made at the top for escape of flue gases.
Controlled air is supplied from the small opening at the base. Charcoal kilns are made in the
form of a battery with each battery consisting of 6-9 individual kilns. Depending on the
production level, the number of batteries at a location may vary. Capacity of each kiln ranges
from 20-40 quintals of wood. The time taken for conversion of wood to charcoal varies from 3638 hours for small sized wood to 3-7 days for larger sizes. Conversion time also varies with the
moisture content of wood, and so does the charcoal output. The output is less with wet wood as
compared to dry wood. Output of charcoal also varies with the season. For dry wood, output is
1/5th of the input in the hot season against 1/6th in the cold season. For financial viability, it is
important to have conversion efficiency of the kiln to be more than 18%. Due to inefficient
design of the kilns, a large number of kilns cannot achieve this efficiency and are, therefore, in
disuse in large parts of Haryana.
Charcoal kilns are a source of air pollution due to emissions of smoke and particulates (Photo
4.3). These are, however, localized sources and environmental impact is, therefore, limited to the
immediate area. As most of these kilns are located outside the habited area of the village and
emissions are at a low height, the dispersion is limited to few hundred metres. As a result there is
reported to be no health impact on the human and cattle population in the village, in general.
However, the plantations and agricultural crops that are located closer to the kilns have been
affected adversely. There are no emission standards for these kilns, nor there is any
environmental permitting requirement.
4.2.5 Village brick kilns

Some small captive kilns were observed within the villages, in Hissar Project Division, that are
primarily used by villagers for making bricks for their own use. The main fuels used in these kilns
are dungcakes and fuelwood [mainly Jhanti (Prosopis cineraria)]. These units are both energy
and labour intensive and consume a large quantity of biomass fuels such as cowdung. For
11.47
example, nearly 30-35 tons of cowdung is used for making 100,000 bricks. However, these also
serve a useful purpose in creating a large employment potential, especially during the slack
agriculture season. Contract labour at piece rate basis is employed for all these operations. Three
workers produce nearly 1,000 bricks per day, wage rate being Rs. 150/- per thousand moulded
bricks.
The technology used in these units is very simple and primitive. Local clay is used to produce
bricks. Digging of clay, mixing and moulding of the bricks are done manually. Bricks are sun
dried and then fired in a pit or a clamp kiln. The clamp is a round or rectangular structure made
by stacking the sun-dried bricks in such a manner that there are passages for the escape of flue
gases in the middle. Fuel is distributed evenly in the structure while stacking it. This structure is
then covered with animal dung. For initial firing and also for maintaining correct temperature
during the firing operation, wood is used in the fireboxes constructed at the bottom of the clamp
during stacking itself. In some cases, part of the mud stack is made underground in the pit so as
to reduce the effect of wind, etc. Such a kiln is known as a Pit Kiln.
Different qualities of bricks are obtained from different sections of the clamp due to variation in
temperature as a result of uneven and uncontrolled firing. Along the periphery of the clamp and
the floor, third grade bricks (seyam) are produced. Core is well fired and produces first quality
bricks (Awal). Between these two, the second grade bricks (doyam) are produced. In one charge,
only 60-70% of the bricks are of good grade because of under-firing or over-firing. Cold winds
also result in excessive breakage of bricks. That is the main reason for using these kilns in
summer months only. In the cottage level enterprises in Haryana, cowdung is the most widely
used fuel in this type of kilns. Village level enterprises (100,000 bricks), supplement cowdung
with coal or coal dust. Thermal efficiency of these clamp kilns is very low.
These kilns are a source of air pollution due to emissions of smoke and particulates. These are,
however, localized sources and environmental impact is, therefore, limited to the immediate area.
As most of these kilns are located outside the village habitation and emissions are at a low height,
the dispersion is limited to few hundred metres. As a result there are no reports of health impact
on human and cattle population in the village, in general. However, plantations and agricultural
crops that grow closer to the kilns are reported to have been affected adversely. There are no
emission standards for these kilns nor there is any environmental permitting requirement.
One way to reduce the environmental impact of these kilns is to increase their thermal
efficiencies. An improved thermal efficiency would automatically mean better combustion
efficiencies and reduction in emissions from these kilns. This could be achieved by introducing
changes in the fuel mix and design of the kiln. For example, by adding roofs to clamps, enclosing
these with permanent walls that are insulated with mud, increasing the height of the kiln and
using enclosed fire box with a grate. It has also been reported that fuel consumption can be
reduced by mixing rice husk or saw dust into the bricks while making these and placing the same
materials in between the bricks in the clamp.
4.2.6 Gur making units

Gur15 making units are another source of air pollution in some of the villages and mainly in
Sultanpur and Ranjeetpur (Bilaspur CD Block). In Sultanpur, two such units are located in the
15
Also called Jaggery
11.48
Nichalabaas hamlet of the village. Gur making operations involve crushing of sugarcane using
animal draught power or diesel engines, concentrating the sugarcane juice through boiling in wide
and shallow vessels, removing impurities by using some additives and cleaning agents, and
finally allowing the concentrated juice to cool down. These operations continue only in the peak
crushing period, for a few months in the winter (October-December). Villagers have reported air
pollution problems due to smoke emissions from these sugarcane-crushing units. The fuel used
for boiling purposes is bagasse16 and emissions from its combustion are mainly of particulate
matter. Both the crushers are located close to the road as well as village habitation. Further, the
crushers are operational in winters when the smoke and other emissions have a tendency to
remain in the lower environment for longer durations. All these factors have added to the
villagers perception of these Gur making units as an important source of air pollution in the
village.
4.2.7
Cotton refibring
Cotton fibre dust that is emitted during cotton refibring operations is a problem for the
neighbouring houses in Kakkar Majra. There are three such operating units in the village and at
least 10 households reported about it during the village meeting. The problem aggravates during
winter months when the demand for refibring is more.
4.2.8 Use of Aawas

Aawas are used for baking of earthen vessels and pots in the villages. These are seen in the
villages of Hangola (7) and Natwal (2) (Ambala Project Division), Rupana Khurd (1), Dhingsara
(4) and Makhosarani (2), (Hissar Project Division), and Kural (5) and Kharkari (3) villages of
Bhiwani Project Division. In Kurukshetra Project Division, Sanghaur village has one Aawa. One
distinguishing factor between the two regions is that the main fuel used in these Aawas in
Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions is dung cakes whereas in Bhiwani and Hissar Project
Divisions, fuelwood is also used along with dung cakes.
The designing of these Aawas is generally poor, resulting in inefficient burning of fuel and
increased air emissions. In Hangola, there are seven Aawas with a population of 15 Kumhar
(Potters) families dependent on them. Each Aawa is 3 ft deep, 10-15 ft in diameter, open, with no
cover on the top. One Aawa carries 250-300 pots for baking in one charge that lasts 3 days. As
slow baking is required in these Aawas, mostly dung cakes are used for the purpose; one charge
using about 9-10 quintals of dung cakes. About 25% of the fuel requirement of these Aawas is
met by the owners through their own sources while they have to purchase the remaining 75%.
These Aawas operate only for 5-6 months in a year and get water logged during rains. As the base
of the Aawas is kuchcha (temporary) and wet, only about 200-250 pots (of a total of about 1,000)
come out as good baked ones. In all about 4,000-5,000 pots are made over a period of 3-4
months. These are generally sold outside the village in cash, whereas within the village in kind
(in exchange for wheat, Bajara, (millet) etc.). To supplement their income, Kumhars also work as
farm labourers and some also pull carts.
Suggested intervention:
16
Solid waste leftover after the sugarcane is crushed.
11.49
The Project should consider improvements in the design of Aawas so as to reduce fuel
consumption per unit of the product. With better combustion efficiencies, the air emissions
would be reduced as well. Specific solutions may include the following:
Construction of a roof over the Aawas ;

Base should be made pucca (permanent)/brick lined;
Depth of Aawas should be increased;
The design of Aawas should be modified as per the recommendations of a specialist on fuel/
energy conservation.
The estimated cost of the work involved is approximately Rs. 25,000/-. The project authorities
could bear the cost of the materials whereas the labour costs could be borne by the village
community.
\
4.3
Dust Pollution
The background dust levels have been traditionally high in the Haryana villages mainly because
of the proximity to desert areas of Rajasthan and kuchcha roads within the villages. Another
problem is gradual shift of the landuse from agricultural to more commercially attractive landuses
such as for agri-industries (brick kilns, poultry farms, stone crushers). Changing landuse (Ambala
Project Division) is leading to problems of soil erosion including topsoil erosion in agricultural
fields (wind erosion), which makes more dust air-borne leading to air quality problems.
Increasing vehicular movement and proximity of the villages to the main roads has also
contributed to the problem of dust pollution. With the growth of agri-industries, the frequency of
vehicular movement (for transportation of raw materials as well as finished products) near and
through villages has increased. In Ambala Project Division, the villages of Natwal and Kakkar
Majra are located just next to the road, contributing to high levels of dust pollution in these
villages. Though Natwal is situated on a link road off the main road connecting Raipur Rani to
Ambala, the traffic movement is very high on this road. Balsammand village in Hissar Project
Division is also next to the main road connecting Sarsana to Adampur.
The problem of dust storms has been reported in a number of villages mostly in the Hissar Forest
Division. These include Rupawas, Bakrianwali, Kirdhan, Shakarmandori and Bandaheri. The
problem is more serious in summer months because dust storms occur more frequently due to
turbulence and frequent changes in wind direction, building up high SPM levels in the ambient
air. The major effects are reported to be as follows:
Villages of Rupawas, Bakrianwali and Bandaheri have reported crop loss due to dust storms.
As dust settles on the growing seedlings of cotton, Guar (beans), and wheat, the growth is
retarded and overall survival rate is significantly reduced. In general, chemical nature of air
pollutants, their concentration and duration of exposure create effects on plant species which
may be demonstrated by qualitative and quantitative changes in solar radiation input on the
leaf surface, decrease in chlorophyll, increase in gaseous exchange process, dust induced
alterations, etc. The pollutants demonstrate a wide range of effects, which may include
chlorosis, necrosis, lesion formation and even death of plants.
The problems of food contamination due to air borne dust and respiratory disorders are also
reported in the villages of Rupawas, Bakrianwali, Kirdhan and Shakar Mandori.
11.50
In Bandaheri village, Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) and Kikar trees are reported to be broken
during these dust storms.
The excessive presence of particulates results in impairment of atmospheric visibility,
causing haze, thereby affecting movement of villagers within the village.
Most of the farmers have now started using harvesters (Combine) for harvesting. The agricultural
residues left in the fields after harvesting/thrashing are either burnt in the fields or left there to be
mixed with the soil during ploughing. Though villagers reported air pollution problems due to use
of thrashers and burning in the fields (smoke emissions, eye irritations, respiratory problems,
etc.), the efficiency advantage of the thrashers was the driving factor. This problem was mainly
reported in the villages of Kheri, Rupawas, Nagla Rajputan, Haripur, Mundain and Natwal.
4.4
Energy Consumption
From an air quality perspective, energy consumption within the villages is important in two ways
(1) indoor air pollution due to fuel combustion for meeting domestic energy requirements, and (2)
localized air pollution due to use of agriculture machinery or other equipment for meeting any
specific requirements of the village households. These have been dealt with in Section 7 on
Energy.
4.5
Odour Pollution
Many local sources of odour pollution were noticed within and around the villages. These are
primarily a problem for the village households that are located closeby.
In addition to Kurdis that are designated for waste disposal, there are some other locations in
each village where waste is disposed off. These locations inadvertently become a problem
because waste spreads all over. Also, waste degrades resulting in bad odour as well as
breeding of flies and mosquitoes. This problem was observed in the villages of Nagla
Rajputan, Babdoli, Bhurthala, Sundrah, Baldhan Kalan and Parkhottampur.
Wastewater disposal and drainage practices were also seen to be inadequate in many of the
project villages. Stagnant water in the village drains is a source of bad odour, flies and
mosquitoes. This problem was noted in the villages of Ranjeetpur, Kheri, Nagli, Korwa
Khurd, Kakkar Majra, Tabar, Natwal, Babdoli, Bhurthala, Sundrah and Parkhotampur.
In some of the villages (Korwa Khurd), wastewater from some of the toilets in the village
households was directly going into the village drainage system. This has resulted in bad
odour and sanitation problem in the vicinity.
4.6
In all project villages, there is a designated area earmarked for disposal of carcasses of dead
animals, generally outside the habitation, and locally known as Hadda Rodi. These carcasses
are either picked up by the contractors and taken away for skin and bone removal or are left
to degrade. After few days, as the body decomposes, the flesh is eaten away by the dogs and
bones are finally removed by the contractors. This practice obviously leads to severe odour
problems and sometimes dogs even carry the flesh and bone pieces into the villages creating
further sanitation problems. In Hissar Project Division, the practice is to bury the carcasses in
the same area.
11.51
The two major rural activities that are considered for the analysis of Global Warming Potential
(GWP) of village activities are:
Biofuels combustion in the rural households; and

Decomposition of organic wastes.
4.6.1 Biofuels combustion

Although, CO2 the principal gas produced by biomass combustion is the known greenhouse gas
(GHG), it is by no means the only one. Essentially all the Products of Incomplete Combustion
(PIC) produced in biomass fires with less than 100% combustion efficiency are also GHGs.
These include methane (CH4), CO, and non-methane hydrocarbons, which are all even more
powerful GHGs per gram of carbon emitted than CO2. Indeed, CO2 is about the least damaging
form of carbon from fuel combustion.
Unfortunately, combustion efficiency of traditional biomass fuels in simple stoves is usually
much less than 100%. It is not uncommon, for example, for considerably more than 10% of the
carbon to be released as PIC rather than CO2, which would be the only product if combustion
were complete. It is these PIC, mostly in the form of CO2, particulates, and gaseous organic
compounds, that comprise the chief health-threatening materials in biomass smoke. As PIC, on
average, have higher GWP than CO2, the total greenhouse impact of biofuels combustion in rural
households is substantially higher than indicated by an evaluation based on CO2 alone. Also, the
reduction of GWP, due to an improved cook-stoves programme, may be much larger than
estimated by considering CO2 only. This depends, however, on the degree to which the improved
stoves actually improve combustion efficiency, rather than just heat-transfer efficiency. Just from
the GWP point of view, it looks likely that there may be substantial GWP benefits to be derived
by switching from various kinds of biomass stoves to modern fuels such as kerosene and
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Although these fossil fuels produce significant GWP, the
overall GWP impact may be lower because of the high emissions of PIC from some types of
biomass stoves.
4.6.2 Decomposition of organic wastes

The major organic wastes in a village environment that must be considered for their GWP are (1)
human wastes, (2) waste from cattle population, and (3) decomposition of other organic wastes.
As detailed separately in this report (Para 6.2.2), most of the rural households do not use toilets
and prefer to use open fields for defecation. The waste decomposition is, therefore, very scattered
and largely aerobic in nature. The gaseous products of decomposition (such as CO2, CH4, which
are also GHGs) escape directly into the atmosphere. No centralized treatment can be provided in
such a case and emissions of GHGs can, therefore, not be controlled or prevented unless a
centralized human waste treatment facility such as a toilet block with provision for generating
biogas is provided. Such centralized facilities have been provided at many locations in India and
biogas has been used for supplementing lighting, heating and electrical energy requirements.
As regards wastes from cattle population, it is not a waste but a major resource for the villagers.
The animal dung also decomposes and has a significant GWP. However, most of the dung in
villages is either used for making dung cakes or for producing biogas in biogas plants. Biogas
11.52
plants provide an opportunity to let the animal dung decompose and to use the products of
decomposition as a source of energy and the slurry as a fertilizer. The use of biogas plants is,
however, very limited in the project villages. The only villages that have biogas plants are Kakkar
Majra (1, non-functional) and Nagla Rajputan (three, only one operational) in Ambala Project
Division; Bakrianwali (50 non-functional) and Dhingsara (one operational) in Hissar Project
Division; and Bodla in Kurukshetra Project Division with two operational biogas plants.
The GHG emissions also take place due to decomposition of other organic wastes in the villages
like in Kurdis. However, these emissions are minimal and the end product of decomposition is
manure, which is used in the agricultural fields. Therefore, this is probably the best alternative,
although the efficiency of composting in Kurdis could definitely be increased by appropriate
techniques such as vermi-composting, discussed elsewhere in this report.
11.53
Photo 4.1 and 4.2
11.54
Photo 4.3
11.55
5.
WATER ENVIRONMENT
Within the village environment, water is an important resource for domestic as well as
agricultural requirements of the villagers. In fact, the village economy is quite directly dependent
on availability of good quality water. Traditionally, villages have been dependent on groundwater
and nearby surface water sources, as there were no piped water supplies to the villages in India.
However, over the last three decades the situation has changed significantly and most of the
villages are now covered by Government water supply schemes. Similarly irrigation, which used
to be mostly rain fed, is now supplemented with tubewells and canals.
This section presents a baseline assessment of water resources in HCFP villages with respect to
availability and quality of water for various enduses within the village ecosystem. In case of
water, the quality of the water available is perhaps as important an issue as the quantity of water
itself. For each of the enduses discussed in this section, the impact of village activities17 on water
quality is also discussed. Within a village ecosystem various enduses of water include the
following:
Water for domestic use

Water for livestock
Water for agriculture
5.1
Water for Domestic Use
Domestic use of water includes water requirements for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing,
etc. The quantity of water required for use depends mainly on the habits, social status, climatic
conditions and customs of the people. As per IS:1172-198318, the minimum requirement of water
for domestic consumption is about 200 litres per capita per day (lpcd) which includes 45 lpcd for
the flushing system. For rural environment, the domestic consumption could, therefore, be
considered as approximately 150 lpcd. The main sources for domestic water supply in the study
area include piped water supply, hand pumps19 and traditional water harvesting systems.
5.1.1
Piped water supply
Government piped water supply exists in all the HCFP villages in all the project Divisions. This
supply through Jal Ghars is managed in all villages by the Public Health Department, GOH. In
Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions, on an average, one Jal Ghar supplies water to
neighbouring 2-4 villages.
17
For example, soil and groundwater contamination due to excessive use of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides in
agriculture.
18
The Standard issued by Bureau of Indian Standards, Government of India. This standard defines the minimum
requirements of water for domestic consumption.
19
A hand pump is a simple hand operated reciprocating pump which is widely used in Indian towns and villages where
the first water-bearing stratum is within reasonable depth (upto about 6.0 m or so) from the ground surface.
11.56
The Jal Ghars get water through tubewells20, which is then pumped into an overhead tank. After
treatment of water (mainly chlorination), it is supplied to the villages through a piped water
supply system and a network of taps placed along the lanes in the village. Water is generally
supplied every day, for two hours each in the mornings and evenings. In some villages, supply is
on alternate days, depending on the availability of water and electricity. Tap water supply, though
important from health and other aspects, is reported to be erratic due to frequent power cuts in the
village and is, therefore, inadequate in meeting the domestic water requirements of the villagers.
Table 5.1 lists villages with inadequate water supply i.e. with less number of water taps and not
enough water pressure.
Table 5.1: Villages with Inadequate Piped Water Supply

S.No.
1.
Village
Rupana Khurd
Division
Hissar
2.
Bakarianwali
Hissar
3.
Allaudinpur
Bhiwani
4.
Sundrah
Bhiwani
5.
Nagli
Kurukshetra
6.
Shergarh
Kurukshetra
7.
Tasrauli
Ambala
Remarks
There are 50 taps in the village where water comes from
Water Works located in Ludesar village. Villagers have
installed pumps to have enough pressure in water. They also
bring water from Sheranwali canal to meet their
requirements.
There are a total of 500 taps in the village. In part of the
village the pressure is very low and villagers have installed
pumps on the main water pipes.
Water supply to the village is from Jal Ghar located in Dhana
Laxman village. There are only 4-5 taps in the village and
they also do not get water due to a broken pipeline.
Water supply to the village is from Koka village Water
Works. There are only 10-12 taps in the village, which do not
supply enough water.
The village is located approximately 60 ft. above the level of
the Jal Ghar and water supply is, therefore, at very low
pressure and not enough. Villagers have to traverse a distance
of 4 km to get drinking water.
There are 4 taps in the village, which get water from Jal Ghar
of Bhattuwala village. The number of taps is far too less for
the village.
Village gets water from Jal Ghar of Dhanana village. The
number of taps is reported to be insufficient for the village.
At the same time, in most of the villages there are taps without bibcocks or damaged bibcocks
and water runs from such taps whenever there is a flow in the pipes. Water runs freely even after
the villagers have completed their chores, resulting in wastage and drainage problems (Photo
5.1).
In Bhiwani and Hissar Project Divisions, there are two sources of water for Jal Ghars. Some of
these get water from deep borewells (also known as tubewells) and some get canal water. Each
Jal Ghar supplies water to neighbouring 5-6 villages. After treatment of water (mainly
chlorination) at the Jal Ghar, water is supplied to the villages through a pipe system and a
20
Tube wells are essentially borewells. A bore is drilled into the permeable layers and a pipe is inserted to tap the
ground water. Tubewells are useful for obtaining water from shallow as well as deep aquifers. Tube wells draw out a
large quantity of water from one or more pervious strata. The tube of a bored well is drilled in such a manner that blind
pipes face the impervious strata and strainer pipes face pervious strata to attract the yield from the aquifer.
11.57
network of taps. In addition, water tanks have been provided at a number of locations within the
village. These tanks, locally known as Khails, are concrete structures provided with a number of
taps (for domestic use of villagers) and Medhs21. The number of Khails in a village depends on
the size of the village and varies from three in Bhurthala (Jatusana Project Division) to 20 in
Kural village22 (Bhiwani Project Division).
Water is supplied to every village depending on its availability and electricity supply. Jal Ghars
with borewells are reported to be inadequate and inefficient because they are generally located at
a far off distance (sometimes as far as 6 km) from the villages. For example, water supply to
Kural village (Bhiwani Project Division) is from a Jal Ghar located in Lalas village at a distance
of more than 6 km. Though there are 20 Khails in this village, water from Lalas village generally
reaches only 7 of them. Further, due to erratic power supply, sometimes the taps work only for
15-20 minutes in a day. By the time the borewell starts pumping water and water reaches the
villages, the power goes off. In village Dhana Narsan, water is supplied from the village Dhana
Ladanpur which is about 2 km away. There are some 100 taps in the village but the supply is very
irregular. Water is supplied once in 2-3 days and that too only for 20-25 minutes. This is grossly
inadequate for the village. Therefore, in these two villages (Kural and Dhana Narsan) the
Panchayat has constructed additional Khails for domestic water supply. Water supply to these
additional Khails is through tubewells installed within the villages using Panchayat funds.
Box 5.1: We Have to Purchase Water - Prahladgarh Villagers!!
Prahladgarh village, nearly 110 years old, is situated on the Charkhi-Dadri main road at a distance of 10
km from Bhiwani. There are 409 households in the village with a population of 2,194. There is no
irrigation facility within the village and it is fully dependent on rainfall. Though there are three canals
(Juiwala, Butanawala and Indira canals) in the village, no water is available in these canals. Butanawala
canal is not supplying any water for last 20 years. The wells in the village have saline water. For
domestic water requirements, the village gets water supply from Dheerana Water Works. This is,
however, available only for 15-16 days in a month. Most of the villagers have to purchase water from
Bhiwani at Rs. 40/- per tanker plus Rs. 20/- for transportation.
Water collection and supply system is different in those Jal Ghars, which get water from the
canals. Generally water is conveyed from the canal to the water tanks of the Jal Ghar through a
Khala23. These water tanks are underground, lined tanks, open to the atmosphere. Water from
these tanks is pumped to the overhead tank of the Jal Ghar and is then supplied to the villages
after preliminary treatment such as chlorination. Jal Ghars dependent on canal water are in
Morka and Mithi villages (Bhiwani Project Division) and in Kirdhan, Rupawas, Makhosarani,
Bakarianwali, Dhingsara, Gawar, Bandaheri, Gorchi, Balsammand and Nirwan villages of Hissar
Project Division. In some of these Jal Ghars, there are significant losses of water, further limiting
the water availability at the Jal Ghar for supply to the villages. In Mithi village (Bhiwani Project
Division), for example, Khalas are damaged at a number of places, leading to water losses.
Further, the lining of the water tanks is also damaged, leading to leakage of water. As a result the
tanks go dry within just 4-5 days.
21
Medhs are cement structures resembling a large wash basin meant for cattles drinking water requirements.
The number of Khails in other villages are 6 each in Baldhan Kalan and Bewal, 7 each in Sundrah and Mundayan, 5
in Shyam Nagar, 3 in Bhurthala (all in Jatusana Project Division); 20 in Kural, 4 in Dhana Ladanpur (all in Bhiwani
Project Division)
23
Khala is a cemented drain connecting the canal to Jal Ghar.
22
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5.1.2
Handpumps and dug wells
The other sources of water in the villages are the hand pumps24 (Photo 5.2) and dug wells25. Hand
pumps are the most widely used source for domestic water requirements of the villagers as they
are of relatively low cost, fairly flexible in operation and independent. Apart from public hand
pumps, rich and affluent households have installed their own hand pumps. The depth varies from
50 ft. in Ambala to 100 ft. in Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions. In contrast to the
villages in Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions, villages in the other study area have fewer
hand pumps, as the water table is very low. Secondly, there is no assurance that even at the depth
of 100 ft. water would be sweet and potable.
Dug wells have been traditionally used as the main source of water in all the Project Divisions of
the study area. However, with the advent of piped water supply, the utility of these wells has
diminished. In most villages, wells have been abandoned, villagers have stopped maintaining
these and, with time, the condition of wells has deteriorated and most are completely defunct
now. For example, there are three wells in the Bandaheri village (Hissar Project Division) which
were closed in the year 1991 due to incidences of cholera and diarrhoea after consumption of well
water.
Box 5.2: Wells Getting Contaminated From the Village Waste Itself !!
In Bhurthala village, of Nahar CD block, there are eight wells in the village, of which seven have already
gone dry. The eighth is badly contaminated thus limiting water availability for the villagers. The main
cause of contamination is the drainage system of the village.
The drainage system in the village is very inadequate and there is no proper outfall for wastewater
discharges. The drains have been provided in the middle of the village lanes with wastewater flowing into
them from both the sides. However, as they are blocked, clogged and damaged at many places,
wastewater gets collected in the middle of the lanes in almost the entire village (Photo 5.3). The outfall of
this drainage has been provided in a well, which has become a major source of groundwater
contamination. The well is not in use since more than twenty years.
Box 5.3: Our Kuis Never Dry Nagli Villagers!!

In Nagli village of Ambala Project Division, villagers have addressed their problem of drinking water
scarcity by constructing two Kuis just next to the Nagliwali river. These are called Kuis because their
diameter and depth are smaller than a normal dug well. As these Kuis are located next to the river, they
never dry up and provide water to the villagers throughout the year.
24
A hand pump essentially consists of a strainer, suction pipe, gunmetal cylinder, piston, piston rod and a set of valves.
The piston or plunger moves up and down by means of a handle. When the piston is raised up, vacuum gets created in
the cylinder below the piston, thereby opening the check valve and water enters the cylinder. When the piston is
lowered, the valve automatically closes and water enters in the space above the piston through the other valve. In this
way with each down ward stroke, the water enters above the piston and with each upward stroke it moves up and starts
flowing through the spout fixed for this purpose. This pump can give continuous supply of water, which is sucked,
from the ground through strainer, which removes, sand, clay and other impurity upto a reasonable limit.
25
Dug wells are ordinary wells with steining extending from 3-5 m below and to some height above the ground. The
depth and diameter depend on the quantity of seepage water to be intercepted. The diameter varies from 1-4 m. The
bottom of the well is generally taken to a level below the summer water table.
11.59
Another reason for villagers not using dug wells is that taps and hand pumps are considered less
troublesome because they involve little physical work. Many of the wells have been lost due to
natural causes. One well in Dhana Narsan (Bhiwani Project Division) had problems of brackish
water intrusion after the floods in the year 1995. Subsequently its use was stopped. Two wells in
the same village were completely broken in the same flood and are also no more in use. In
Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions, the water available in most of the wells is saline
and, therefore, not in use.
5.1.3
Traditional water harvesting systems
Water harvesting systems, or to be more precise, rainwater harvesting systems have been
traditionally used in villages all over India including Haryana. The basic principle in all these
systems is to catch rainwater where it falls and not to allow it as runoff. There are various forms
of water harvesting systems in use for meeting different requirements. As the quality and quantity
requirements for specific uses are different, accordingly specific water harvesting systems have
been developed. For example, water quality requirements for irrigation water are different from
those for human consumption. At the same time, the quantity of water for meeting agricultural
requirements is many times more than domestic water requirements. Therefore, a water
harvesting system for irrigation has to meet different requirements than a system for domestic
consumption. Also, the design of a particular water harvesting system depends on the topography,
rainfall pattern, groundwater availability and locally available construction materials, etc. The
following types of traditional water harvesting systems have been used, for domestic
consumption in the villages under study.
Johads;
Hodhis;
Kunds or Diggis;
Water tanks.
However, factors such as increasing population and fostering of greater dependence on

centralised water supply schemes have contributed to erosion of traditional systems. Most of
traditional water harvesting and storage structures are defunct in the study area, unless the
prevailing situation has forced the villagers to continue with the traditional systems. These have
been thrown into disuse and are in fact used as waste dumpsites in many of the villages. A brief
description of the existing water harvesting structures in HCFP villages is presented below.
Johads
Traditionally, villagers used to build Johads to store rainwater and then to use them for meeting
all water requirements of the village. There used to be different Johads for different enduses.
Basically, there were three types of Johads, (1) for domestic water consumption, (2) for water
requirements of livestock, and (3) for wastewater discharges of the village. A very elaborate
community-managed system had been evolved for the upkeep of these Johads. Strict control was
exercised for the economic use of water and to ensure that it does not get dirty or polluted. For
example, construction of Johads, meant exclusively for drinking water, had to be done in such a
way so as to keep animals away. In such cases, the Johad was dug deep enough with nearly
straight kuchcha or stone pucca walls and steep stone steps leading to the water about 6 m below.
Community leadership ensured a clean catchment for Johads that were used for meeting drinking
water requirements. Similarly, there used to be separate Johads for collection of wastewater and
other drainage from the village. Construction and regular repair of Johads were through voluntary
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labour. However, with modernization and erosion of community participation, the Johad system
became redundant and most of the Johads in the area today are in a state of utter neglect and
disuse.
While there were designated Johads for wastewater disposal earlier, now practically all Johads
are being used for draining of wastewater in most of the villages. With increasing population and
spreading villages, just one Johad for wastewater was not sufficient in a village. As people had
lost interest in drinking water Johads, they allowed wastewater of the village to drain into them.
This meant that all Johads in the village became 'wastewater Johads. High silt deposits (and
waste deposition) have greatly reduced their storage capacity. With the advent of pucca brick
houses, a rural womans need for the Johads silt to mudwash her house has lessened and as a
result, this need-driven desilting of Johads is coming to an end. Johads, being open structures, get
silted with time especially in areas prone to sand storms. This lessens their water storage capacity
and necessitates periodic desiltation. Unfortunately, village institutions, which organised annual
desilting through voluntary labour and guarded the ponds against pollution, have since collapsed.
New institutions like elected Panchayats have had their limitations in terms of community
leadership.
Within the HCFP area, the number of Johads in Hissar Project Division is higher than in other
divisions because villages are big, area and population wise. Also, villagers have built more
Johads so that water (of desired quality) would be available in at least some. However, the
Johads are not used much in this Division because:
Johads do not have adequate water because of infrequent monsoons;

Johads dry very fast because of sandy soil and high evaporation losses;
Johads could also be filled up with water from the nearby canal. However, as the availability
of canal water is limited and timing erratic, this has generally not been possible;
Waterlogging due to brackish water has also lead to Johads becoming useless.
In all the five project Divisions, many of the Johads are not functional because of seepage; their
bottoms being sandy. A list of such Johads is given in Table 5.2. It is observed that many of
project villages have a problem of seepage in all their Johads.
Table 5.2: List of Johads with Seepage Problem

S. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Village name
Natwal
Korwa Khurd
Nagli
Shergarh
Ranjeetpur
Sultanpur
Rupawas
Kagdana
Sarsana
Gorchi
Mithi
Division
Ambala
Ambala
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Hissar
Hissar
Hissar
Hissar
Bhiwani
Total Johads
3
4
3
1
1
3
5
5
10
2
2
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Johads with seepage problem

1
2
1
1
1
2
2
3
7
2
2
S. No.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
Village name
Division
Total Johads
Johads with seepage problem
Dhana Narsan
Alauddin pur
Garwa
Bewal
Bhurthala
Babdoli
Sundrah
Mundayan
Lula Ahir
Baldhankalan
Shyam Nagar
Morka
Mandoli Khurd
Bhiwani
Bhiwani
Bhiwani
Bhiwani
Jatusana
Jatusana
Jatusana
Jatusana
Jatusana
Jatusana
Jatusana
Jatusana
Jatusana
5
6
1
1
2
3
3
1
3
3
3
3
9
5
6
1
1
2
2
3
1
3
3
3
3
9
Hodhis
Hodhis are rainwater-harvesting structures most commonly used in Bhiwani and Jatusana Project
Divisions. As groundwater level in these Divisions is low, groundwater is saline and piped water
supply is irregular, most of the villagers in these two Divisions have Hodhis in their houses.
Hodhis are essentially underground cemented tanks meant for collecting and storing rainwater for
drinking and are so located in the house that rainwater from rooftops is conveyed into these tanks
through pipes. They are cleaned every year before the monsoon and some households use
chlorine tablets and bleaching powder for purifying the stored water.
Box 5.4: Hodhis are Our Ultimate Source For Drinking Water - Bandaheri Villagers!!
Bandaheri is a 250 years old village on the Rajasthan border located on the Hissar-Bhadra main road
(Hissar-II CD Block). The village is spread over 4,500 acres with 599 households and a population of
3,517.
Historically, the village only had rain-fed agriculture. However, since 1967, villagers started using
irrigation water from Budak Minor. There are three Johads in the village, which were earlier used for
meeting the irrigation and domestic water requirements of the villagers. In the year 1997, a Jal Ghar
was constructed, from which two more villages, Budak and Chaudhriwali, are also supplied water.
Water supply is for two hours each in the morning and evening. As the Jal Ghar supplies water to three
villages, supply is always inadequate due to either erratic power supply or water availability. Some of
the households have their private hand pumps, but water in these is saline and not fit for drinking. Even
occasional use of these hand pumps has led to health problems and as such their use has been
completely stopped. As water supply from the Jal Ghar is also inadequate, villagers have started
storing rainwater in Hodhis. This water is mostly used for cooking and drinking purposes only. These
Hodhis are cleaned once a year (also using bleaching powder) and have a slab cover. At present, there
are 3-4 Hodhis in the village mainly with the landed families. Villagers consider rainwater harvesting
as important and have expressed interest in building similar Hodhis. A Hodhi of about 1,000-litre
capacity costs approximately Rs. 10,000/-.
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Box No. 5.5: There are 350 Hodhis in Mithi Village!

Village Mithi located in Siwani CD block (Bhiwani Project Division), has 437 households and a
population of 2,326. The main sources of water in the village are two dug wells, three handpumps and
more than 350 Hodhis. The villagers use two wells and two of the three handpumps for drinking water.
The water from the third handpump is reported to be saline, hence not used. As these sources are not
enough to meet the water requirements of the village, more than 350 households have Hodhis in their
houses. As the rainfall is erratic and enough rainwater is not there for storage in Hodhis, villagers also
fill their Hodhis from the water of Mithi Minor using camel carts and tractor trolleys. Mithi Minor is
just next to the village and gets water once a month. Hodhi water is used only for drinking and is
cleaned at least once every year.
Kunds or Diggis
Some villages in Hissar Project division use rainwater-harvesting structures that are locally
known as Kunds or Diggis. Three villages that have Kunds are Tarkanwali, Nirwan and Rupana
Khurd.
Kunds or Diggis are underground storage systems of rainwater harvested in the rainy season.
(Photo 5.4). During monsoons, rainwater gets collected into these Diggis from within their
catchment area. This water is used for drinking purposes in the water scarce summer months. The
catchment area of a Diggi could be just a naturally sloping ground towards the Diggi or a lined
surface with slope towards the Diggi. A main requirement is that the catchment should be kept
very clean so that a minimum amount of impurities is able to get inside the Diggi with the
rainwater. This necessitates that the soil is first cleared of all vegetation and the catchment area
given a slope of 3-4 percent towards the Diggi. A number of inlets are provided into the Diggi
and these entry points have simple screens to prevent inflow of debris and other waste material.
On an average, a Diggi measuring 5 m deep and 2.5 m in diameter takes 25 days to build and
costs about Rs. 12,000/-. After construction is complete, a convex lid, locally called Bhida, is
placed as a cover. Traditionally this was made from the easily available Phog (Calligonum
polygonoides) wood and plastered with mud. These Kunds could be owned either privately or be
community structures.
In earlier days, in all those areas where ground water was saline and not potable, water was stored
in these Diggis and was considered a precious commodity. However, with the growth of
centralized water distribution systems, the utility of these Diggis has diminished and many of
them are not used at all. In some of these structures the quality of water also gets adversely
affected and, therefore, cannot be used. In Rupana Khurd (Hissar Project Division) there are three
Diggis, which are filled up with canal water. Villagers use this water for washing clothes and
utensils and for bathing, but not for drinking. Villagers confirmed that due to water logging
problem water in the Diggi gets saline and is therefore not potable.
Tanks
Tanks are another form of rainwater harvesting structures that collect surface runoff from within a
catchment. These are much larger in size than Diggis and are mainly used for domestic purposes
(Photo 5.5). They were essentially constructed using locally available construction material and
used to be below ground level with parapet walls all around to prevent inflow of debris and other
waste material into the tank. These tanks had water inlets from two sides. The third side was
closed and the fourth side had steps for people to go down to fetch water. The number of water
11.63
inlets depended on the specific location of the tank (and rainwater flow pattern in the village) and
in some cases more than two inlets were also made. The inlets were provided with simple screens
to prevent debris and other wastes to find their way into the tank. Water used to get collected in
the tanks during monsoons and was used for domestic purposes during summer months. The
catchment areas of these tanks were also kept clean so that a minimum amount of impurities is
able to get inside with the rainwater. These water harvesting devices are community structures
and are generally located on Panchayat lands.
In earlier days, water stored in these tanks was considered a precious commodity because ground
water is otherwise saline and not potable. However, with the growth of centralized water
distribution systems, the utility of these tanks diminished and many of them are not used at all.
In many villages, the traditional systems of water harvesting have been irretrievably destroyed. A
sustainable water supply system should ideally be a mix of small, traditional and decentralised
systems along with large, modern and centralised systems. Social and economic conditions of
Haryana villages are such that only such a mixed system would be appropriate. Even the villagers
have realised that complete dependence on Government water supply is not realistic and,
therefore, traditional systems should be preserved and, in fact, improved upon. Incidental
intangible benefits of traditional rainwater harvesting systems such as soil and water conservation
also make them an attractive proposition for the villagers. However, to promote revival of
traditional water harvesting systems, it is necessary that villagers be made aware of the
importance of these systems.
Pollution of Johads is a serious environmental issue in many villages. The traditional system,
which is based on keeping three types of Johads for different purposes such as drinking water,
livestock and drainage of wastewater, has now been mostly lost. On the one hand drinking water
Johads are not needed any more due to construction of waterworks, on the other several livestock
Johads have been encroached by private farmers. Although there is an increasing trend to bath
cattle in the homesteads, most of the animals still go to Johads for drinking or bathing. Provision
of bibcocks for the taps, which has been taken up by the Project among the entry point activities,
in some cases, should be coupled with awareness veterinary campaigns on the dangers posed by
polluted water to livestock.
Under the awareness generation programme, experiences of other places should also be shared
with the villagers. The Project should study the feasibility to replicate the experience of Tarun
Bharat Sangh (TBS) (an NGO) on water harvesting in Alwar District (Rajasthan), bordering
Haryana. TBS has done commendable work in this regard and has supported and facilitated the
villagers of the district in the revival of traditional water sources (Box 5.6). It will be useful to
solicit support of such NGOs in generating awareness. This experience could provide useful
orientation for the HCFP Dam Construction Programme, on aspects related to ensuring enhanced
participation such as sharing the cost of the infrastructure with villagers, operation and
maintenance, and treatment of catchment areas.
11.64
Box 5.6: A Regenerated Environment Means Economic Growth - Johad Rehabilitation

Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) of Alwar, a voluntary organisation set up in 1975, is well known for its
work on reviving traditions of water harvesting. TBS has supported approximately 500 villages in
the rehabilitation or construction of almost 2,500 water bodies, mostly Johads. Before the villagers
lost rights over their common lands and forests, the people of the area had a rich tradition of building
Johads, small earthen check dams that capture and conserve rainwater, improving percolation and
groundwater recharge. However, in the 1930s, the then Maharaja of Alwar took away community
ownership of forests and sold them out to contractors to obtain timber for the railroad. TBS set up its
Ashram in Bheekampura and started promoting Johads again. In the face of tremendous odds, TBS
expanded its reach. It is a spectacular effort that has reverted a trend of desertification in an area
affected by frequent droughts and lowering of the groundwater table. At the same time it has also
demonstrated economic advantages of water harvesting structures it has built and promoted in
villages. For every Rs. 100/- invested in small earthen check-dams known as Johads, the economic
production in villages has risen by more than Rs. 400/-. And all this prosperity has come through the
use of only 3% of the total rainwater. Five rivers now flow perennially, a result of the 20% additional
ground water recharge.
Just a few facts about the programme in Alwar.
Average cost per water structure was about Rs. 60,000/Average cost-sharing was as follows:
Villagers shared 70% of the total cost, in the form of unskilled labour, tractor support,
locally available stones and mud, and cash
TBS contributed the remaining 30% to pay for skilled labour, diesel for the tractor, and
concrete material whenever necessary.
All operation and maintenance costs are supported by the villagers.
Efforts of the village and TBS have regenerated 6,500 sq. km. of land in 650 villages;
Villagers are now protecting forests and there is a ban on stray grazing.
Milk production has gone up more than 8-10 times. In 1985, there were only 11 shops in Alwar
District that were selling milk-cake, a product for which this region is famous. There are now
100 of them.
Agriculture has become productive and self-sustaining. Due to increased availability of fodder,
cattle rearing has again picked up. Higher water levels have meant less money spent on diesel for
pumps. Farmers who were spending Rs.1,500/- per month on diesel are now spending a mere Rs.
500/- per month.
In 1985, the average rate of cultivation was 20 per cent of the total agriculture land of the village.
Now, it is 100 per cent. In many villages, people have started cultivating sugarcane and wheat,
which are water intensive. In the early 1990s, the villagers sold their surplus grains in the market
for the first time in recent years.
Success rate is very high and most of the water structures are still in use.
There are not many conflicts over the use and maintenance of the structures;
Small water structures are more cost-effective than larger ones, and can better integrate in the
land use pattern.
Besides providing a direct source of water, the structures have great impact on the groundwater
status and availability of water in wells; the impact of even a single structure is quite visible.
Success is higher in villages that are socially homogeneous; the main communities in Alwar
districts are Gujjar and Meena.
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Some of the suggested interventions with regard to rehabilitation of Johads are as follows:
The village community in some villages has taken up the task of maintenance of Johads.
There are three Johads in Bodla, village of Ladwa CD Block, which were not being used
because of pollution. The village Panchayat decided to take up one of these Johads spread
over an area of two acres for improvement. It was allowed to dry up by diverting all the
wastewater of the village to agricultural fields. The plan is to divide it into two portions, one
as wastewater Johad where all the village wastewater would be allowed to drain and another
as a source of water for the village livestock. The latter would be initially filled up with
rainwater. This initiative should be extended to other villages under HCFP.
In some villages, Johads are also being used for pisciculture (Sanghaur village in Babain CD
Block). The Johad in this village is leased at Rs. 15000/- per year for 10 years for
pisciculture. A related programme that could be considered is "Rehabilitation of Johadscum-Pisciculture". Sulabh International Social Service Organisation has developed a
technology for converting Johads contaminated with organic pollutants into pisciculture
ponds. The technology is based on a weed (duckweed) which grows very fast in polluted
water and is then harvested to feed fish. The Johads should be divided into two or three
parts to allow for decontamination of water and fish breeding. Sulabh is now implementing
this program in 29 villages of Punjab, at an average cost of Rs. 250,000/- per village, which
comprises building the infrastructure and establishing pisciculture on a 0.5 ha pond area.
This could also be tried in some of the HCFP villages depending on villagers interest and
suitability of Johads for the purpose.
Restoration essentially means restoration of the entire traditional system of Johads wherein
there are different Johads for different end uses. As the villages are now more spread out, it
would also mean that possibilities of digging new Johads are explored by the VRMC
wherever necessary. Digging up new wastewater Johads is contingent upon land availability
and hence would require discussions with the villagers. Restoration of Johads would also
help in better ground water recharge, thereby improving the ground water table.
Heavy silt has eroded the water storing capacity of Johads. Lack of desiltation and kuchcha
embankments have contributed to siltation to a large extent. Restoration of Johads would,
therefore, require desiltation and making pucca retaining walls. The desilted alluvium
deposits can be used along the embankment for creating a productive bed for plantation.
This activity can be initiated under HCFP with the help of the villagers. Restoration of
Johads would also generate employment, for the local villagers, as it is labour intensive. In
addition, the Executive Body of the VRMC can solicit contributions from the village cash
or kind (in the form of free labour). Some shade and fruit bearing trees can be planted on
the Johad embankment. This, if managed well by the VRMC, can be a source of income for
the village.
In some villages, a few Johads are irretrievable. They cannot be revived due to heavy silt
and stagnation of dirty water. For instance, in Hangoli village, one Johad located right in
the middle of the habitation is filled with brackish foul smelling water and has become a
breeding ground for mosquitoes. The villagers have made a number of representations to the
Block Development Officer (BDO) for getting the said Johad filled up. Such Johads have
no utility and their desiltation and revival would be an effort-taking task. Therefore, it is
considered best to close these Johads.
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Some interventions regarding rainwater harvesting are suggested below.

Within a village ecosystem, rainwater can essentially be harvested for two purposes:
Stored for ready use in containers above ground or below ground;

Charged into soil for withdrawal later (groundwater recharging).
Whether the harvested water is used for direct usage or for recharging the groundwater, it is of
utmost importance to ensure that the rainwater collected is free of any pollutants that might be
added to rainwater from the atmosphere or the catchment. While polluted water directly used for
consumption would have an immediate impact on health, polluted water recharged into the
groundwater would cause long-term problems of aquifer pollution. Damage done to aquifers by
recharging polluted water is irreversible.
Storing rainwater for direct use: Hodhis used in the villages of Hissar Project Division are a
good example of rooftop rainwater harvesting. In this system rainwater is stored for direct use.
The quantity of water stored depends on the size of the catchment area10 and the size of the
storage tank, which has to be designed according to water requirements, rainfall and catchment
availability. Generally, runoff from only paved surfaces is used for storing, as it is relatively free
of bacteriological contamination. Drainpipes11 that collect water from the catchment (rooftop) are
diverted to the storage container. Figure 5.1 shows a typical rainwater harvesting system for
underground storage. To prevent leaves and debris from entering the system, mesh filters are
provided at the mouth of the drain pipe. Further, a first-flush device is provided in the conduit
before it connects to the storage tank. If the stored water is to be used for drinking purposes, a
suitable filter is also provided. An underground reinforced cement concrete (RCC)/masonry tank
can be used for storage of rainwater. The tank can be made inside the basement of a building or
outside the building and its capacity has to be designed for the dry period, i.e. the period between
the two consecutive rainy seasons. With a monsoon extending over four months, the dry season is
245 days. Pre-fabricated tanks such as of poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) can even be installed above
the ground. Each tank must have an overflow system for excess flow of water, which can be
connected to the drainage system.
As regards quality of stored water, rainwater collected from rooftops is free of mineral pollutants
like fluorides and calcium salts, which are generally found in groundwater. But, it is likely to be
contaminated with (1) air pollutants, and (2) surface contaminants (e.g. silt, dust). This
contamination can be prevented to a large extent by ensuring that the runoff from the first 10-20
minutes of rainfall is flushed off through the first flush device. Most of the debris carried by the
water from the rooftop like leaves, plastic bags and paper pieces, is arrested by the grill at the
terrace outlet for rainwater. Remaining contaminants like silt and blow dirt can be removed by
sedimentation (settlement) and filtration. Contrary to popular belief, water quality improves over
time during storage in the tank because impurities settle in the tank if the water is not disturbed.
Even pathogenic (harmful) organisms gradually die out due to storage. Additionally, biological
contamination can be removed by disinfecting the water. Many simple methods of disinfection
are available which can be carried out at a domestic level.
10
The catchment of a water harvesting system is the surface, which receives rainfall directly and contributes the water to the system.
It can be a paved area like a terrace or the courtyard of a building, or an unpaved area like a lawn or an open ground. Temporary
structures like sloping sheds can also act as catchment.
11
Drainpipes carry rainwater from the catchment or rooftop to the harvesting system. These pipes may be of any material like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), asbestos or galvanized iron (GI).
11.67
Fig. 5.1: Rainwater Harvesting for Water Storage Facility
Figure
Rainwater Harvesting for a Water Storage

Chan
Collecti
ng
Downta
Downta
ke
Plug is
removed to
allow runoff
from
Storage
Undergro
und
A Simple First-Flush Device Used
Rainwater Storage in Underground
Rainwater Harvesting for a Recharge

Run
Run
Filtratio
n
Filter
Filter
Recharge
Recharge Assembly For Dugwell With Rooftop
11.68
Perforated
Recha
rge
Recharge Assembly For Dugwell With

Runoff
Storing rainwater for recharging groundwater aquifers: Alternative to storing, rainwater may be
charged into the groundwater aquifers. Various kinds of recharge structures are possible, which
can ensure that rainwater percolates to the ground instead of draining away from the surface.
These include dug wells, borewells, recharge trenches and recharge pits. While some structures
promote percolation of water through soil strata at a shallower depth (e.g. recharge trenches,
permeable pavements), others conduct water to greater depths from where it joins the
groundwater (e.g. recharge wells). At many locations, existing features like wells, pits and tanks
can be modified to be used as recharge structures, eliminating the need to construct any structures
afresh. Figure 5.1 shows a typical system of recharging wells directly with rooftop runoff.
Rainwater that is collected on the rooftop is diverted by drainpipes to a settlement or filtration
tank, from which it flows into the recharge well (borewell or dug well). If a borewell is used for
recharging, then the casing (outer pipe) of the borewell should preferably be a slotted or
perforated pipe so that more surface area is available for the water to percolate. Developing a
borewell would increase its recharging capacity (developing is the process where water or air is
forced into the well under pressure to loosen the soil strata surrounding the bore to make it more
permeable). If a dug well is used for recharge, the well lining should have openings (weep-holes)
at regular intervals to allow seepage of water through the sides. Dug wells should be covered to
prevent mosquito breeding and entry of leaves and debris. The bottom of recharge dug wells
should be desilted annually to maintain the intake capacity.
Precautions should be taken to ensure that physical matter in the runoff like silt and floating
debris does not enter the well as it may cause clogging of the recharge structure. It is preferred
that the dug well or borewell used for recharging be shallower than the water table. This ensures
that the water recharged through the well has sufficient thickness of soil medium through which it
has to pass before it joins the groundwater. Any old well, which has become defunct, can be used
for recharging since the depth of such wells is above the ground water level.
Soakaways: A soakaway is a bored hole of up to 30 cm diameter drilled in the ground to a depth
of 3 to 10 m. It can be drilled with a manual auger unless hard rock is found at a shallow depth.
The borehole can be left unlined if a stable soil formation like clay is present. In such a case, the
soakaway may be filled up with filter media like brickbats. ln unstable formations like sand, the
soakaway should be lined with a PVC or mild steel (MS) pipe to prevent collapse of the vertical
sides. The pipe may be slotted/perforated to promote percolation through the sides. A small sump
is built at the top end of the soakaway, where some amount of runoff can be retained before it
infiltrates through the soakaway.
Recharge trenches: Recharging through recharge trenches, recharge pits and soakaways is
simpler compared to recharge through wells. Fewer precautions have to be taken to maintain the
quality of the rainfall runoff. For these type of structures, there is no restriction on the type of
catchment from which water is to be harvested, i.e. both paved and unpaved catchments can be
tapped. A recharge trench is simply a continuous trench excavated in the ground and refilled with
porous media like pebbles, boulders or brickbats. This trench can be 0.5 m to 1 m wide and 1 m
to 1.5 m deep and its length is decided as per the amount of runoff expected. The recharge trench
should be periodically cleaned of accumulated debris to maintain the intake capacity. In terms of
recharge rates, recharge trenches are relatively less effective since the soil strata at a depth of
about 1.5 m is less permeable.
11.69
Permeable surfaces: Unpaved surfaces have a greater capacity of retaining rainwater on the
surface. A patch of grass would retain a large proportion of the rainwater falling on it, yielding
only 10-15 per cent as runoff. A considerable amount of water retained on such a surface will
naturally percolate in the ground. Such surfaces contribute to the natural recharge of groundwater.
If paving of ground surfaces is unavoidable, one may use pavements, which retain rainwater and
allow it to percolate into the ground.
5.2
Water Quality
The main criteria for safe water for domestic purposes is that it should be clear, transparent,
colourless, odourless and free from microorganisms. Earlier, groundwater which was the main
source for the villagers, used to be potable and considered fit for human consumption even
without any treatment. In some cases the quality of available water (both surface as well as
ground) is not potable for natural reasons. For example, in Bhiwani and Jatusana Project
Divisions, most of the wells have saline water and are not fit for human consumption. Surface
water is generally softer and less concentrated than groundwater and often shows variations in its
characteristics, whereas groundwater is characterised by essentially constant composition.
However, both the surface and groundwater resources are also liable to be contaminated due to
excessive usage or discharges of polluted streams into them. The main causes of surface water
pollution are discharges from industrial, domestic and municipal wastes and agricultural run-off
waters. Groundwater may be polluted by agricultural water like irrigation return flow, animal
wastes, fertilizers, crop residues, dead animals, pesticide residues, disposal of municipal and
industrial wastes, sewer leakage, septic tanks and cess pools. Saline water intrusion also
contributes to groundwater pollution.
Generally, the water quality in HCFP villages is considered to be acceptable for all the water
sources and villagers reported no major water borne diseases. The quality of water supplied from
Jal Ghars is considered to be relatively better than in dug wells because they get water from
deeper aquifers. However, in some of the villages, some water sources were noted to be
contaminated and causes of diseases among human and livestock population. (Table 5.3.). An
exceptional case of surface water pollution due to industrial wastewater discharges is in Dehar
and Nagla Rajputan villages in Naraingarh CD Block. The Markandya river, which flows through
these villages, is severely contaminated due to effluent discharges from upstream industrial units
(mainly pulp and paper units) operating in Kala Amb in Himachal Pradesh.
Table 5.3: Environmental Health Impacts of Contaminated Water Supply in
Villages
S.No
.
Village Name
Division
Remarks
11.70
1.
Dehar
Ambala
2.
Nagla Rajputan
Ambala
As mentioned above Markandya river, which passes through

the village, is severely contaminated due to effluent
discharges. The grazing ground of the village is located on
the other side of the river, and cattle drink the contaminated
water of the river, while crossing it to go the grazing ground.
This has led to a decline in the milk yield over the years
(from 12 litres (l) per day to 7-8 l). As crossing the river is
almost necessary for the human and cattle population alike,
the incidence of skin diseases are frequent, including Khur
Galna (Foot-and-Mouth disease) in animals. The drinking
water quality is also being affected. The villagers have also
reported bad odour problem from the wastewater.
Same as above.
11.71
S.No
.
3.
Village Name
Division
Sultanpur
Kurukshetra
4.
Bandaheri
Hissar
5.
Makhosarani
Hissar
6.
Rupawas
Hissar
7.
Morka
Bhiwani
Remarks
There are private handpumps in the village, which have
slightly saline water. During monsoons, handpump water
gets further contaminated with worms and is usable only
after filtration. Therefore, tap water is the main source of
water for the village.
There are three wells in the village, which were closed in
year 1991 due to incidences of cholera and diarrhoea after
consumption of well water.
Water supply to the Jal Ghar is through a canal. The Khala
connecting the canal to the Jal Ghar is open and is
occasionally used by villagers for defecation. As the water
tanks of the Jal Ghar are at a lower level, even the Saim
water (water logging) gets mixed up.
There is a Jal Ghar in the village that gets supply from the
canal through a Khala. This Khala is about 2 km long and is
damaged at a number of places. There are sand dunes near
the Khala and during summer months water gets
contaminated by sand. Villagers seem to always suffer from
stomach problems (mainly diarrhoea) with water from the
Jal Ghar.
Water from hand pumps and dugwells is contaminated and
causes stomach problems in human as well as livestock
population. Villagers also complained of their hairs getting
greyed, mottling of teeth and pains in the joints.
In order to create awareness among the villagers on water quality issues, the study team
demonstrated a Low Cost Water Testing Kit with an objective that this could also become a
Low Cost Water Testing Facility with the villagers. This kit enables the user to assess the
physical, chemical, bacteriological and biological quality of water in the field. The kit provides
information on whether the pollutants are above or below the permissible limits based on
quantitative as well as qualitative analysis. It has been developed by the CPCB, as a portable
laboratory provided with the apparatus and reagents needed for field-testing to assess the quality
of water under field conditions.
As hand pumps and taps are the most extensively used sources of water in the villages, water
samples from these two sources were collected and analysed. In some villages, well water
samples were also analysed on specific request of the villagers. The field analysis was done for a
limited number of parameters that were considered to be important from drinking water quality
point of view. These included pH, calcium, hardness, fluorides and nitrates. Brief information on
these parameters and results of the water quality testing conducted in the villages is provided in
Table 5.4.
11.72
Table 5.4: Results of Water Quality Testing

S.
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Village Name
Sample
pH
Permissible
12
(Desirable)
6.5-8.5
Ambala Division
Dehar
Nagla
Bakhtua
HP
Well
Well
HP(30)
Hangola
HP(45)
HP(41)
Hangoli
HP
Haripur
HP
Well
Kheri
HP
Well
Kakkar Majra
HP(65)
Tabar
HP(25)
Well
Tasrauli
HP(70)
Rasidpur
HP(70)
HP(90)
Nagla Rajputan
HP(45)
Korwa Khurd
HP(100)
HP(35)
Natwal
HP(35)
Kurukshetra Division
Shergarh
Well (50)
HP (30)
Bhagwanpur
Well(100)
Ranjeetpur
Well (30)
HP (50)
Sultanpur
HP (50)
HP (20)
Nagli
Well (45)
Bodla
HP (105)
Mukarpur
TW
Sanghaur
HP
Hissar Division
Sarsana
Well (55)
Gorchi
TW
Balsamand
TW
Gawar
HP
6.5
9.5
7.5
5.5
9.0
10.0
9.5
9.0
7.5
8.5
8.5
9.0
8.5
9.5
8.5
9.5
8.5
7.0
8.0
7.0
8.5
3.5
6.5
8.5
9.0
8.0
7.5
7.5
9.0
7.5
7.5
8.5
6.5
6.5
Nitrate
mg / l
100
(45)
10.0
10.0
25.0
25.0
50.0
100.0
15.0
100.0
100.0
50.0
25.0
37.5
25.0
100.0
25.0
25.0
25.0
2.0
16.0
100.0
50.0
Hardness
mg / l
600
(300)
Calcium
mg / l
200
(75)
1.5
2.0
2.0
1.5
3.0
3.0
1.5
28.4
109.8
80.0
83.2
105.6
112.0
96.0
224.0
320.0
224.0
256.0
96.0
137.6
96.0
227.2
24.5
457.6
32.0
128.0
0.8
10.0
100.0
25.0
25.0
208.0
216.0
224.0
160.0
168.0
128.0
136.0
144.0
176.0
272.0
152.0
1.0
1.5
1.7
1.5
2.0
1.5
1.5
1.5
2.0
1.0
3.0
83.2
86.4
89.6
84.0
67.2
51.2
54.4
57.6
70.4
108.0
60.8
120.0
968.0
176.0
-
2.0
2.0
1.5
2.0
48.0
387.2
-
50.0
25.0
3.5
-
712.0
256.0
275.0
200.0
208.0
264.0
280.0
240.0
556.0
800.0
560.0
640.0
240.0
344.0
240.0
568.0
136.0
1,144.0
80.0
320.0
160.0
Flouride
mg / l
1.5
(1.0)
2.0
2.0
1.5
2.0
3.0
2.0
1.5
1.5
3.0
3.0
2.0
1.5
-
12
As per the Indian Drinking Water Quality Standard - IS 10500-1991. Desirable limit is the Requirement as per the
standard whereas Permissible limit states what is permitted in the absence of an alternate source. Grey shaded cells
indicate values outside Permissible levels.
11.73
S.
No.
27
Village Name
Banawali
28
Sample
pH
7.5
Nitrate
Mg / l
100
(45)
35.0
Permissible
(desirable)
HP (20)
6.5-8.5
Hardness
mg / l
600
(300)
400.0
Flouride
mg / l
1.5
(1.0)
2.0
Calcium
mg / l
200
(75)
-
TW
7.5
168.0
1.5
67.2
HP (50)
HP
Tape
HP
HP
TW
HP
HP
HP (20)
TW
HP
HP
HP
7.5
9.5
6.5
7.5 9.8
6.5
7.5
7.5
7.5
7.5
8.5
7.5
6.5
100.0
-
2.0
2.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
1.5
2.0
1.5
100.0
50.0
37.5
37.5
800.0
256.0
128.0
640.0
192.0
720.0
160.0
304.0
360.0
288.0
104.0
3.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
102.0
51.2
256.0
76.8
288.0
64.0
121.6
144.0
195.2
41.6
Well
TW
Well (300)
HP
TW (400)
TW (300)
TW
TW
TW (125)
TW
9.5
3.0
5.2
9.5
9.5
7.5
5.0
5.0
5.0
3.0
500.0
500.0
25.0
500.0
50.0
100.0
250.0
400.0
1,040.0
1,024.0
240.0
416.0
300.0
1,096.0
680.0
520.0
760.0
2.0
1.0
1.0
3.0
2.0
3.0
1.5
3.0
1.0
3.0
160.0
456.0
409.6
96.0
166.4
438.4
252.0
208.0
304.0
TW
TW (300)
TW
TW
TW
TW
TW (300)
HP
TW
TW
7.5
7.5
2.5
5.0
8.5
5.0
8.0
7.0
7.5
8.5
100.0
25.0
50.0
100.0
25.0
10.0
50.0
25.0
25.0
100.0
224.0
104.0
200.0
270.0
260.0
192.0
352.0
240.0
240.0
504.0
2.0
3.0
2.5
2.0
2.0
1.5
3.0
1.5
2.0
1.5
89.6
41.6
140.8
96.0
-
Kagdana
29 Rupawas
30 Rupana Darba
31 Rawalwas Kalan
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Nirwan
Bakrianwali
Tarkanwali
Bandaheri
Mehuwala
Shakar Mandori
Kirdhan
Dhingsara
Makhosarani
Bhiwani Division
Dhana Ladanpur
Dhana Narsan
Prahladgarh
Kural
Kharkari
Allaudinpur
Garwa
Morka
Mithi
Mandoli Khurd
Jatusana Division
Bhurthala
Bhalki
Bewal
Sundrah
Shyam Nagar
Baldhan Kalan
Mundain
Purkhotam Pur
Lula Ahir
Babdoli
Note :
TW : Tubewell
HP : Handpump
W : Well
HP(50) TW(400) Well(300) -
100.0
Handpump(Depth in feet)
Tubewell(Depth in feet)
Well(Depth in feet)
11.74
pH Value: pH of a water sample is indicative of its acidity or alkalinity. Acidity in water (pH
value less than 7) is caused by mineral acids, free carbon dioxide, sulphates of iron and
magnesium, etc. Alkalinity (pH value greater than 7) is caused by bicarbonates or hydroxides of
sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The pH of healthy rivers is usually around neutral
(pH value equal to 7) or ranging between 6.5 to 8.5.
The results of water quality testing for pH indicate that in:
Ambala, Kurukshetra and Hissar Project Divisions, water quality is alkaline (more than
permissible) in 12 of the 40 villages; in some villages going as high as 10 (Hangola). Lower
than permissible levels (high acidity levels) are observed in Bakhtua (handpump sample) and
Bhagwanpur (dugwell sample) villages; Bhagwanpur well sample is highly acidic (pH 3.5).
Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions, water quality is acidic (less than permissible) in 9 of
the 20 villages and in some villages going as low as 2.5 (Bewal). Higher than permissible
levels (high alkalinity levels) are seen in Dhana Ladanpur (well sample), Kural (handpump
sample) and Kharkari (tubewell sample), all values being 9.5.
Nitrates: Nitrogen in water occurs in various forms like nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and organic
nitrogen. All these forms of nitrogen, as well as nitrogen gas are biologically interconvertible and
are components of the nitrogen cycle. Nitrates in water is the end product of decomposition of
organic wastes. This shows that the organic matter is fully oxidized and is not harmful anymore.
Nitrate generally occurs in trace quantities in surface water but may attain high levels in ground
water. Sewage contamination and fertilizer runoff water from crop fields are the main sources of
nitrate contamination. For potable water, nitrates should not exceed 45 mg/litre (Desirable limit).
Excessive intake of water with higher nitrate content leads to a disease called
methaemoglobinaemia in children (popularly known as blue baby).
The results of water quality testing for nitrates reflects that in:
None of the villages of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Hissar and Jatusana Project Divisions, nitrate
levels are higher than the permissible (100 mg/l) limits. However, 12 of the 50 villages have
values equal to permissible limits.
In Bhiwani Project Division, 4 villages have indicated higher than permissible levels, being
as high as 500 mg/l in 3 of the 10 villages (Dhana Narsan, Prahladgarh and Garwa).
Hardness: Hardness of water is the term used to indicate the capacity of water to give lather with
soap. Hard water does not produce lather with soap. Hardness may be temporary or permanent.
Temporary hardness is due to the bicarbonates of calcium or magnesium and can be removed by
simple boiling and filtering of water. Permanent hardness is due to the presence of chlorides,
sulphates and nitrates of calcium and magnesium and causes consumption of more soap, scale
formation and food to become tasteless. Hardness of natural water may range from ten to
hundreds of mg/l in terms of calcium carbonate depending on the source of water.
The results of water quality testing for hardness indicates that in:
Kurukshetra and Jatusana Project Divisions, hardness levels are reported to be within the
permissible limits (600 mg/l) in all the villages.
Ambala, Hissar and Bhiwani Project Divisions, hardness levels are more than permissible in
13 of the 42 villages. Highest levels (> 1000 mg/l) are observed in Nagla Rajputan, Dhana
Narsan and Prahladgarh villages.
11.75
Flourides: Flourides are generally considered to be beneficial in water if present in small

concentrations upto 1 ppm. Such water improves dental health and prevents the formation of
dental caries. Excessive fluorides in drinking water may cause mottling of teeth or dental
fluorosis, which results in discoloration of enamel and chipping of teeth in children, in severe
cases. With levels exceeding 1.0 mg/l, bone fluorosis or crippling effects are also observed. In
groundwater, this may be present because of sub-surface geological formations.
The results of water quality testing for flourides shows that in:
All the five Divisions, 42 out of 60 villages have higher than permissible levels of flourides;
the highest reported level being 3.0 mg/l (in as many as 12 villages). No village in the HCFP
study area has less than Desirable levels of fluorides, however, there are five villages with
less than permissible levels.
Calcium: The presence of calcium (5th among elements in order of abundance) in water results
from passage through or over deposits of limestone, gypsum and gypsiferous scale. Calcium
content may range from 0 to several hundred mg/litre depending on the source and treatment of
water. Small concentrations of calcium carbonate combat corrosion of metal pieces. Calcium
precipitates on heating to form scale in boilers, pipes and cooking utensils.
The results of water quality testing for calcium show that in:
Kurukshetra and Jatusana Project Divisions, calcium levels are reported to be within the
permissible limits (200 mg/l) in all the villages;
Ambala, Hissar and Bhiwani Project Divisions, calcium levels are more than permissible in
15 of the 42 villages. Six of the 10 villages in Bhiwani Project division have higher than
permissible calcium levels; highest levels (> 400 mg/l) being observed in Dhana Narsan,
Prahladgarh and Garwa villages.
Agricultural runoff and improper agricultural practices seem to have led to deterioration of water
quality in some of the villages. As presented in Table 5.4, nitrate levels in water were beyond
permissible limits (100 mg/l) in some villages (Dhana Narsan, Prahladgarh and Garwa) (Bhiwani
Project Division). As regards comparison with desirable levels (45 mg/l), in 25 of the 60 villages,
values are higher. This could be due to traces of agricultural contaminants such as fertilisers and
pesticides being washed into the nearest water bodies at the onset of the monsoon or whenever
there are heavy showers. It has been observed that the use of urea as fertilizer is substantial and is
being increased with each year to enhance productivity.
The environmental awareness programme in the villages should include a module on safe
drinking water. Safe drinking water can be ensured by a number of preventive and mitigatory
measures. Preventive measures essentially focus on prevention of contamination of water
sources. These include the following:
To check pollution of drinking water sources such as open wells and shallow hand
pumps, etc. in the village, it is necessary that the toilet pits are located at safe distances
from these sources. In fine soils (effective size 0.2 mm or less) the toilets should be
located at a minimum distance of 3 m, provided ground water table throughout the year is
2 m or more below the bottom of pit; if water table is higher, the distance should be
11.76
increased to 10 m. In coarser soils (effective size more than 0.2 mm), the same safe
distances can be maintained by providing 500 mm layer of 0.2 mm thick sand all around
the pit and sealing the pit bottom by some impervious material like puddle clay,
polythene sheet, lean cement concrete or cement stabilised soil.
The surroundings of water sources should be free from feacal contamination and other
sources of pollution.
Unprotected water collection may get contaminated by humans or animals, leading to
gastro-intestinal infections. These water bodies become breeding places for mosquitoes.
Apart from all this, it may even cause accidents as someone might slip and fall in the
dirty pool of water and small children may even get drowned. Formation of such
unprotected water bodies has to be avoided;
There should be a parapet wall of about 1 m height surrounding the mouth of the wells.
There should also be cemented platforms of about 2 m around the wells, sloping down
and outwards from it, to avoid wastes getting into the well;
Villagers should not be allowed to wash clothes or take bath near the wells;
In hand-pumps, pipe should be sunk in the second stratum of water layer (about more
than 70 ft. deep);
The breeding of mosquitoes must be prevented by spraying kerosene and antimosquito
sprays in drains and water stagnation places;
To prevent the spread of diseases like cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea, which spread
through contaminated water collections, water should be stored in clean, covered
containers and should be drawn from these containers using a tap or ladle with a long
handle.
Drinking water quality can be considered safe after application of any of the following
methods depending on specific requirement:
Natural coagulants like Nirmali (Strychnos potatorum) seeds containing strychnos

potatorum have the capacity to clean muddy water by coagulating the suspended
particles, which settle at the bottom, leaving crystal clear water at the top. Choti Elaichi
(small cardamom) leaves, drumstick (Moringa oleifera) seeds, and many other herbs and
roots have also been traditionally used for this purpose.
Boiling is a very effective method of purification and very simple to carry out. Boiling
water for 10 to 20 minutes is enough to remove all biological contaminants and is
especially important at the start of the monsoon.
Water can be filtered using a simple cloth filter; or using a pitcher with a filter bed of
alum, coal and sand13; or by ceramic filters in a commercial water filter.
Chlorination14 is the best method for periodic disinfection of vulnerable sources of water
like wells, canals and water tanks. Chlorination is done with stabilised bleaching powder
(calcium hypochlorite) which is a mixture of chlorine and lime. Chlorination can kill all
types of bacteria by releasing chlorine and thus preventing water-borne diseases. About 1
gm (approximately 1/4 tea spoon) of bleaching powder is sufficient to treat 200 Litres of
water. For example, for chlorination of a well, the calculated amount of bleaching powder
(depending on the water in the well) is made into a paste and put in a bucket inside the
well, and shaken thoroughly to ensure good mixing. Other methods are as follows:
13
These filters can be employed treatment of water to effectively remove turbidity (suspended particles like silt and
clay), colour and microorganisms from the water.
14
The principle of chlorination is to achieve residual chorine content in the water of 0.5 ppm, after being in the
container for about 30 minutes.
11.77
5.3
Seven holes each about 0.6 cm in diameter are made in an earthen pitcher. Its lower
part is filled with small stones and gravel. Over this, add a mixture of 1.5 kg
bleaching powder + 3 kg coarse sand + 75 gm sodium hexametaphosphate. Rest of
the pot is filled with gravel. Keeping its mouth open, the pitcher is suspended in the
well, a metre below the water level. The process is repeated once a week. To ensure
better results, metal pitchers should not be used.
As regards the use of liquid and tablets, a safe dose of 2 to 3 gm/l is suggested. This
is equivalent to 1 to 2 drops of bleaching liquid with 3% available chlorine for each
litre of water. The chlorine tablet or liquid should be added to the water in the pitcher
at night and the disinfected water would be ready for consumption in the morning.
The tablet should be pulverised before use. A chlorine tablet of 0.5 gm is enough to
disinfect 20 litres (a bucketful) of water.
Water for Livestock
Traditionally, Johads in the village were mainly used for meeting the water requirements of
livestock, both for drinking as well as bathing purposes. However, over time use of Johads for
these purposes has declined and most of them have become defunct as villagers have stopped
maintaining them. With the advent of centralised water supply systems and change in cattle
feeding practices (from open grazing to stall feeding), Johads have lost their utility. Currently,
Johads are mainly used for bathing of livestock. As regards drinking water for the livestock, the
present practice in most of the villages is to provide water to cattle at the house itself in taslas
(broad and shallow pan-shaped containers) or buckets. The source of this water is either hand
pumps or water taps. Medhs are yet another drinking water source for cattle in all villages of the
five project Divisions. Medhs have been provided in Khails in Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana
Project Divisions and in the wells in Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions.
In Kurukshetra and Ambala Project Divisions, there are adequate number of water sources (wells,
taps, hand pumps, etc.) within the villages and, therefore, dependence on Johads is minimum
even for bathing and drinking water requirements of the livestock. The village livestock are
provided water either from the handpumps or wells, at the house itself. Villagers are also
reluctant to send their cattle to polluted Johads, though at times they are compelled to do so. In
Rashidpur village (Naraingarh CD Block) the Johad meant for livestock is now encroached and
access restricted. The village buffaloes, therefore, have to use the wastewater Johad for their
bathing and drinking water requirements (Photo 5.6).
Farmers are aware that calves up to six months should avoid drinking contaminated water, but for
adult animals a certain level of contamination is good to build up their resistance to diseases.
Reportedly, livestock have developed illnesses after consuming water from polluted Johads. In
village Bodla (Ladwa CD Block), there have been incidences of livestock suffering from Footand-Mouth disease, at times leading to their death. In the traditional system, the Johads used to
dry out every year, resulting in control of snail population and snail-borne diseases. Now that
there is more wastewater reaching the Johads because of increased water supply at the household
level and waste from other community water sources, the Johads do not dry out completely and
the snail population builds up. However, there is no authentic data for all the villages to attribute
the incidence of skin or gastric diseases in livestock to consumption of polluted water.
5.4
Water for Agriculture
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The main source of water for irrigation is groundwater. In most villages in Ambala, Government
tubewells have been installed under Minor Irrigation Tubewell Corporation (MITC). In addition,
there are privately owned tubewells as well. Well water tubewells are more common in villages
of Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions. Over the last few years, tubewell installations in
villages have increased especially in Hissar and Bhiwani. With a spurt in the number of
tubewells, the water table has constantly lowered at an approximate rate of 5-6 ft every year;
especially so in the last 3-4 years of low rainfall which witnessed consistently high withdrawals
of water with very little replenishment or recharge. In order to conserve water and avoid overexploitation of groundwater, in many of the villages (e.g. Mithi in Bhiwani Project Division)
farmers are using sprinkler irrigation (Photo 5.7 and 5.8).
Though tubewells have been extensively used for irrigation, in many villages of Hissar, Bhiwani
and Jatusana Divisions, water from the tubewells is saline and can only be used after mixing it
with canal water. Besides tubewells, the wastewater from the village is also used for irrigation
because this water is considered good for crops.
Box 5.7: Water Quality Determines Cropping Pattern in Shyam Nagar Village!!
Shyam Nagar village, Nahar CD Block, is spread over an area of 340 acres, with 307 households and a
population of 1,715. Nearly 280 acres is under agriculture and is fully irrigated. There are 70 tubewells
(with an average depth of 150 ft.) in the village, mainly used for irrigation. However, because of saline
water from these tubewells, the soil is also becoming saline, and there has been no crop of gram for
the last two years. Villagers are, therefore, forced to change their cropping pattern frequently. Mustard
and Guar are considered to be suitable crops for saline soils. Consequently villagers follow a crop
cycle: wheat after Guar, and Bajra after mustard. These saline soils are treated with gypsum at the
rate of 500 kg per acre for their improvement and increased productively. Currently gypsum is being
applied to about 40 acres. It is reported that there has been an increase of one quintal per acre in yield
by the above treatment. Villagers also experience lack of zinc in irrigation water and therefore use 4
kg urea and 1 kg zinc per acre.
The other major source of irrigation is water from canals. All the project villages under study,
except those in Ambala District, are covered by a network of irrigation canals. However, water
supply through canals is erratic at times and does not meet the requirements of the farmers. In
many villages, the land is periodically affected by water logging with soils getting saline because
of seepage from the canals, which accumulates in low lying farming areas. In Tarkanwali village
(Hissar Project Division), approximately 300 acres of land is waterlogged during the rains with 6
acres being permanently under waterlogging. Table 5.5 indicates the study villages that are
mainly dependent on canal water to meet their irrigation water requirements.
Table 5.5: Villages Dependent on Canal Water for Irrigation Water
S.
No.
1.
2.
Village
Name of canal
Rawalwas Kalan
Gorchi Minor
Rupawas
Kutana, Barwali,
Bhakhra
Remarks
Canal water is the main source for irrigation. There are
110 tubewells in the village of which 100 have saline
water; Canal water is mixed with tubewell water for
irrigation.
There are 200 private tubewells in the village of which
150 have saline water; Canal water is mixed with
tubewell water for irrigation.
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3.
Kirdhan
Kheri, Fatehabad
Minor
4.
Shakar Mandori
Kutana, Gigorani, and

Pili Mandori Minor
5.
Bandaheri
Budak Minor
6.
Rupana Khurd
Barwali, Sheranwali
7.
S.
No.
8.
Dhingsara
Village
Ding Minor
Name of canal
Allaudinpur
Laadwas
9.
10.
Kharkari
Mithi
Sheranwali
Mithi Minor
11.
Gawar
Gawar Minor
12.
Bakarianwali
Sheranwali, Barwali
Minor
13
Makhosarani
Barwali Minor,
Kutiyana Branch
There are 120 tubewells in the village of which 60-70

have saline water; Canal water is mixed with tubewell
water for irrigation. Villagers believe that productivity
is better with this mixed water than with just canal
water.
60% of the tubewells (total 135) have saline water;
Canal water is mixed with tubewell water for
irrigation.
There are 250 tubewells in the village all of which have
saline water. Canal water is mixed with tubewell water
for irrigation. There were 3 wells in the village which
were closed due to incidences of cholera and diarrhoea.
There are 50 tubewells in the village of which 30 have
saline water; Canal water is mixed with tubewell water
for irrigation.
A total of 2,500 acres is irrigated through Ding minor.
Remarks
There is no specific time for water supply in the canal;
sometimes there is no water for 15 days to 6 months.
There is water only for 10 days in a month in the canal.
There are 60 tubewells in the village of which 30 have
saline water; tubewells next to the canal have good
quality water.
17 have saline water; Canal water is mixed with
tubewell water for irrigation.
1,200 acres of land is fully irrigated through canal
water. There are 300 tubewells in the village of which
240 have saline water. Water of both the canals is
mixed with tubewell water for irrigation.
only 30-40 have good quality water. Canal water is
mixed with water from other tubewells, for irrigation.
Water harvesting structures are yet another source of irrigation water in the Shiwalik hills of
Haryana, since the early 1980s, when a Joint Forest Management (JFM) Programme for peoples
participation in the sustainable management of forests was initiated in the State. The basic
philosophy underlying the programme was to link the economic interests of the rural
communities living in and around forests with sustainable management of these areas and
environmental stability. The primary objective of the programme was the systematic integration
of participatory forest management within the policies, programmes, procedures and operations
of the State Forest Department (SFD) and at the same time secure the willing participation of the
local population (including women) to protect and manage these forests for their sustainable
development, increased biomass production and conservation of the environment.
Among some of the main strategies and incentive mechanisms adopted for implementation of the
programme and to elicit community participation for voluntary protection (social fencing) and
sustainable forest management, were, (1) organising village communities, in each village, into a
registered society to be called Hill Resource Management Society (HRMS), and (2) construction
of water harvesting structures, i.e. construction of soil conservation-cum-water harvesting
systems by the HFD, through erection of a series of small check dams in the upper hilly
11.80
catchment and construction of earthen water harvesting dams at suitable sites to provide irrigation
water to the villagers for enhancing their agricultural productivity.
Within the study villages, water harvesting structures have been constructed by the Government
in only two villages of Bhagwanpur and Nagli (Kurukshetra Project Division), for irrigation
purposes. There are five earthen water-harvesting dams in Bhagwanpur, which were constructed
between 1983 and 1995, by the HFD. They irrigate a total area of 406 acres. Village Nagli has
three water harvesting structures of which one is non-functional. HFD and the State Agriculture
Department, between 1995 and 1997, constructed these structures. The total area irrigated by the
two functional dams is 62 acres.
Construction of these water harvesting structures has been a major breakthrough in the
involvement of local communities (including women) in the programme, leading to increased
agricultural production, regeneration and management of degraded forests, more water
availability, decreased runoff and soil erosion, increased production levels of Bhabber grass
resulting in better fodder availability for the villagers and more revenues for the HRMS besides
overall improvement of the environment and the quality of life of the villagers. An important
lesson here is that once a small harvesting system has been built, the village community
immediately sees the benefits of protecting the catchment from biotic influences and over-use of
resources. Once people start managing the village ecosystem, basic problems of survival and
growth are solved as a matter of course. The common belief is that If dams are full of water, the
villagers stomachs are also full for years.
There is, however, a word of caution. As resource availability started improving in the villages,
HRMSs started becoming inactive. Though some afforestation was undertaken, excessive silting
of dams caused due to soil erosion in the hills is a cause of serious concern. The water retention
capacities of Bhai Singhwala dam and Bhabberwala dam in Bhagwanpur village have reduced
significantly due to excessive siltation. The situation has come to a point where these two dams
are able to irrigate only 5 and 41 acres respectively. Other dams are also following the same
trend. The spillway of Naliwala dam, constructed in 1997, was damaged in 1999 but has not been
repaired so far. The Panchayats are also not giving enough attention to this issue. It is estimated
that within the next few years, these dams will be lost for ever after getting completely filled up,
thus depriving villagers of an important water resource for their irrigation requirements.
11.81
Photo 5.1 and 5.2
11.82
Photo 5.3 and 5.4
11.83
Photo 5.5 and 5.6
11.84
Photo 5.7 and 5.8
11.85
6.
WASTE MANAGEMENT AND SANITATION
Rural communities are generally resource conscious and the amount of waste generated in
villages is, therefore, much less than in urban centres. Also the nature and composition of waste is
different in villages from that of cities. Most of the waste generated in villages is from individual
households, whereas in urban areas, commercial establishments and institutions are also an
important source of waste. At the same time, the organic proportion of waste in village
households is much higher than that in the cities. This is mainly because of different life styles,
consumption patterns, food habits, etc.
Traditionally, the village communities never considered anything as waste and had well-managed
waste management systems which allowed for maximum recycling and reuse of waste. However,
with increase in population, the quantities of waste have increased severalfold, whereas the
resources available for its management (such as land availability for composting of organic
waste) have diminished over time. These wastes are, therefore, now dumped in the open and are
managed unscientifically, leading to problems of environmental sanitation. The objective of this
section is to highlight the current status of waste management practices in the HCFP villages,
environmental problems associated with the current practices, and their solutions.
The various streams of waste generation within the village ecosystem can be grouped as follows:
6.1
Domestic waste broadly grouped into (1) Solid waste, and (2) Liquid waste
Livestock waste
Agricultural waste
Other waste
Domestic Solid Waste
Solid wastes generated in village households comprise biodegradable and non-biodegradable

wastes. Biodegradabale wastes include all organic wastes such as fruit and vegetable wastes, left
over food, ashes26, fodder residues, etc., whereas non-biodegradable wastes include metals (iron,
tin, brass, etc.), broken glass, packaging waste, plastic waste, etc. Most of the waste is
recycled/reused within the village resource management system. For example, most of the
metallic waste is collected by the household and is sold to a Kabariwala.27 Similarly the plastics
and paper wastes are also sold to Kabariwalas in exchange of either money or household goods.
The survey team organised a focus group discussion with women who informed that in a family
of 5 members, approximately 6-8 kg of waste is generated every day.
As regards the biodegradable waste, the villagers consider it more as a resource than a waste.
Most of the biodegradable wastes of a household are first collected within the household in a
tasla and then taken to the Kurdi where it is composted to be used as manure (Photo 6.1).
The Gram Panchayats started allocating land to each family in their respective villages for use as
Kurdis. Generally these Kurdis were located outside the village Phirni28 so that the village
remains clean and the villages other resources such as soil and groundwater, etc. are not
26
Left over from burning fuelwood and dung cakes, in the cookstoves.
27
The local scrap dealer who exchanges this waste for either money or household goods made of glass or plastics.
28
The village ring road inside which most of the habited area of the village is located.
11.86
contaminated. However, with growing families and increasing pressure on land, agricultural land
across the Phirni is being used for residential purposes and, therefore, in some of the villages,
Kurdis are no more outside the main village. In some villages, the Kurdi land itself has been used
by villagers for making their houses. With no fresh common land available for allocation as
Kurdis, the space available for waste disposal within a village is generally not sufficient. Also,
lack of shade and water facility near these Kurdis makes impossible the task of preparing goodquality compost. As a result, most families have their own Kurdis outside their homesteads. For
instance, in Tasrauli village (Ambala Project Division), Kurdis of 5 families are right in the
middle of the village. The manure is removed from these Kurdis every 5 to 6 months and is
either sold to an outside contractor or to landowners within the village or is used in the
agricultural fields. Approximately two tractor-trolleys of organic manure per annum per
household are produced. The rate varies between Rs. 300/- to Rs. 400/- per trolley load of manure
in Ambala region. In Hissar the rate is Rs. 40/- to Rs. 50/- per load of camel cart. Plastics are
segregated not at the beginning, but mostly after composting, from the manure and are either
thrown away or burnt (e.g. in Allaudinpur village, Jatusana Project Division) separately. The
Kurdis then become available again for the next cycle of composting. Following villages are
noted to be exceptions:
In Morka village (Bhiwani Project Division), Kurdis are located either adjacent to the
households or within the village Phirni but not outside the village Phirni as is the practice in
other villages.
Waste movement from the household to the Kurdi is mainly the responsibility of women.
There was, however, at least one exception in village Korwa Khurd (Ambala Project
Division), where Jamadars have been employed to carry waste from the household to Kurdis.
These Jamadars are paid Rs. 10/- to Rs. 15/- per month for this service.
In Nagli village (Kurukshetra Project Division), there is no Kurdi and villagers dispose off
their waste in an area near their houses. Some of the village households dispose of waste in a
corner of their agricultural fields. This waste is allowed to decompose and is ultimately used
in the fields as manure.
In some villages such as in Korwa Khurd, the landless having no other place to dispose of
their waste, dispose it into landowners' Kurdi. So although they are able to get rid of their
waste disposal problem, the manure is used by the landowners only for their fields. This is,
therefore, loss of a resource for the landless of the village. Generally those landless who have
land for Kurdis are able to generate some revenue from the sale of manure.
In Makhosarani village (Hissar Project Division), the plastic waste segregated from the
manure is buried in the ground rather than burnt.
In Bhiwani and Jatusana Divisions, the practice is slightly different and organic waste is dumped
over ground in heaps and not in pits as is the practice elsewhere. In this region, the area used for
waste disposal is also referred to as Kurdis. After decomposition, this waste is also used as
manure, though the procedure does not allow for proper composting of waste and is responsible
for high losses of nutrients relative to the pit method. Waste disposal in a pit is also better from a
hygiene and sanitation point of view, because there is minimal waste overflow into the village
lanes, etc. This was noted to be a major problem in case of the open heap method. In Babdoli
(Jatusana Project Division) most of these open heap type Kurdis are along the link road and the
village Phirni. In this village, the waste was noted to be spread around the Kurdis, creating
11.87
problems of unsightly look, foul smell, breeding places for flies, mosquitoes, insects and rats.
(Photo 6.2). Also, another interesting practice noted in Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions is
that kitchen ash is mixed with urea (in a ratio of 1:1) for application in the agricultural fields.
Reportedly, this makes the land more productive.
An interesting trend observed was that villages significantly away from the main road have
minimal generation of non-biodegradable wastes such as plastics, whereas villages closer to the
road (Natwal and Kakkar Majra) in Ambala Project Division and Balsamand in Hissar Project
Division, were noted to have higher generation of plastic wastes. Villagers also confirmed that
use of plastic bags in these villages was much higher as compared to villages located away from
the main road. This can be attributed to the fact that the villages closer to the main road have a
number of shops and commercial establishments and their livelihood depends on the customer
on the move. Also, a significant number of people from these villages work outside the village,
either in brick kilns, poultry farms or other establishments in the nearby city centres. For
example, about 70-80% of the population from Kakkar Majra work in the nearby brick kilns and
poultry farms. Consequently, the consumption pattern in these village is changing towards semiurban, resulting in generation of larger quantities of inorganic wastes including plastics. At many
places, these wastes were observed to be dumped in open spaces in the villages and drains,
choking them completely (Photo 6.3).
Plastics create further problems in Kurdis as they affect composting and consequently the quality
of manure, as also its handling in agricultural fields. Though ideally plastic wastes should be
segregated from other wastes and either sold to a Kabariwala or burnt in a pit, the actual practice
is that it is sent to the Kurdi along with other organic wastes. The waste which finds its way onto
the village streets and includes plastic and other recyclables, etc. is partially picked up by
ragpickers, etc. Wind blows plastic bags all around.
There is a general lack of interest in composting, which is considered as a laborious and not
rewarding activity. Composting has to be done on common lands but the Panchayats are not very
keen to give appropriate space. This problem emerged in all the villages where the issue was
discussed. Women in particular complained that they have to shift places now and then, as the
activity is just tolerated by the Panchayats. The low social consideration related to manure is also
reflected by the lack of interest shown by young women residing in villages in villages near main
roads.
Suggested interventions:
The amount of organic waste in a village community is more than inorganic waste. The best
use of organic waste is to compost it and use it as manure in agricultural fields. This is what
is being done in most of the villages, though the practices are slightly different from village to
village. However, from an environmental sanitation point of view it is important that waste is
collected (at the household level) and transferred to the Kurdis in such a manner that its
adverse health impact on the villagers is minimised. It is, therefore, suggested that:
At the household level, wastes should be collected in a dustbin which should be of a

durable and water proof material such as plastic or metal. This should be easy to wash
and should be covered with a lid to prevent entry of insects and flies.
Inorganic wastes should be segregated at the household level because, once thrown into
the Kurdi, it hampers the waste decomposition process and creates other problems.
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The same dustbin could be used for transferring wastes to the Kurdis. As the dustbin will
be closed with a lid, the chances of the waste falling, during transfer, will also be
minimized.
Large quantities of solid waste in the villages is converted into organic manure and used in
the agricultural fields. However, the method of composting used currently is not very
efficient and leads to loss of important nutrients. This is mainly due to non-segregation of
waste at source and lack of enough shade and water near Kurdis, which does not let the
decomposition process be complete. The quality of this manure can be significantly improved
through vermi-composting process. The expected moderate increase of organic wastes
(including animal dung), resulting from forestry and energy-related activities of HCFP, will
put more pressure on finding land for storing and composting. Therefore, local authorities
need to be sensitized on the importance of efficient composting for conserving the village
ecosystem. Village land use planning may be the right forum to address this issue and to
designate an appropriate place, for example under the shade of trees and near a water source
(not for drinking water).
The preparation of vermi-compost (an activity already planned by the Project) is considered
to be an important IGA for women belonging to low-income groups.
The process of vermi-composting involves stabilisation of organic solid wastes through
earthworm consumption, which converts the material into worm castings. Earthworms have
always played a key role in agriculture as they help in improving soil texture, enrich nutrients
in the crops, act as powerful bio-pesticides and protect the useful microflora in the soil.
Vermi-composting is the result of combined activity of microorganisms and earthworms.
Microbial decomposition of biodegradable organic matter occurs through extracellular
enzymatic activities (primary decomposition), whereas decomposition in earthworms occurs
in alimentary tract by microorganisms inhabiting the gut (secondary decomposition). Vermitechnology, a tripartite system which involves biomass, microbes and earthworms is
influenced by the abiotic factors such as temperature (20-40 oC), moisture (20-80%), aeration,
etc. Microbial ecology changes according to change of abiotic factors in the biomass but
decomposition never ceases. Conditions unfavourable to aerobic decomposition results in
mortality of earthworms and subsequently no vermi-composting occurs. Hence processing of
the waste (segregating inorganics) as well as providing favourable environmental conditions
is necessary for vermi-composting. The vermi-compost is relatively more stabilised and
harmonises with the soil system without any ill-effects. The use of this method for wastes
from individual households, residential colonies, etc. where the waste is mainly organic in
nature and where the quantities are less and can be handled manually, is common. Table 6.1
below indicates the chemical analysis of earthworm casting from soil and soil mixed with
cow-dung.
Table 6.1: Chemical Analysis of Earthworm Castings

Casting
source
Soil
Cowdung +
Soil
Total
nitrogen
(%)
0.18
0.38
Nitrate
(mg /100 gm)
0.40
25.00
Total
phosphorus
(mg /100 gm)
732
521
11.89
Water soluble
phosphorus
(mg /100 gm)
6.00
2.00
Total
potassium
(mg /100 gm)
84.00
37.21
Water soluble
potassium
(mg /100 gm)
4.0
88.0
The use of vermi-compost as organic manure at field level, in pot mixes and in nursery beds, has
been tested to study the effect on various crops. It was found that the load on the organic manure
and chemical fertilizer application is reduced by 25-50% on application of vermi-compost. The
efficiency of biofertilizers is also reported to improve on application to crops along with vermicompost. The living soil produced by vermi-compost has a stimulatory effect on seedling
establishment and in vegetative propagation of plants. Many of the farmers practicing organic
farming are of the opinion that repeated use of vermi-compost to fields helps in bringing down
the incidence of diseases in crops.
6.2
Domestic Liquid Waste
The domestic wastewater from village households essentially comprises discharges from the
toilets and wastewater from bathrooms, kitchen and floor washings. The latter is referred to as
sullage and includes liquid wastes from the kitchen, water from bathing or washing utensils and
sullage water from wells or cattle sheds. Currently the practice in most of the villages is to direct
this sullage water into the common drain of the village, from where it flows to the Johad meant
for wastewater disposal or into some low-lying agricultural fields. This mainly depends on the
topography of the village and location of Johads with reference to the habited area of the village.
Needless to say, village drains are Kuchcha, clogged and damaged at many places where
wastewater spills over, accumulates, imparts foul smell and acts as a breeding ground for
mosquitoes and other insects, and poses a risk of polluting water supplies (Photo 6.4).
Another source of liquid wastes in the village is wastewater from the community sources of water
supply, such as open and dug wells, water taps, hand pumps, etc. In many of the villages, the
bibcocks of the taps are removed and water is allowed to flow freely, resulting in its stagnation in
the area near the water taps creating unhygienic conditions.
Box 6.1: Baktua Village: Land is Turning Saline Due to Wastewater Disposal !
Baktua village is located in Naraiangarh CD Block of Ambala District. In this village about 10 acres of
land is reported to be saline due to improper wastewater disposal practices. Wastewater from village
drains collects into a naturally low-lying area inside the village Phirni and near the Ravidas temple. On
the other side of the Phirni is agricultural land that is reported to be turning saline due to this
wastewater. Salinity has been increasing every year and even the extent of area affected by salinity has
increased beyond 10 acres.
Box 6.2: Nagla: Wastewater Can be Used for Watering Agricultural Fields!
One of the villagers in Nagla, a village of Naraingarh CD Block, is using wastewater of the
village for his agricultural fields. Wastewater from part of the village is reported to be sufficient
for two waterings in a year, in his field of two acres. This wastewater is collected in a naturally
low-lying area near the well and the water is then pumped to the fields, twice annually. In as
much as this is an excellent example of reuse of wastewater, the problem in this method is
that wastewater that accumulates for over six months near a water well is a potential source
of groundwater contamination. Also stagnant water is a source of foul smell and a breeding
ground for mosquitoes and flies. The village doctor was contacted by the study team and
confirmed that there were more incidences of malaria in the village due to this pool of dirty
water.
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6.2.1
Johad pollution
The pollution of Johads due to drainage of wastewater from the village has been reported to be an
environmental issue of highest importance in 15 of the total 60 project villages. The major causes
of pollution are as follows:
Lack of adequate wastewater drainage system in the village, resulting in, by default, the
flow of this wastewater into Johads;
Lack of adequate upkeep and maintenance of Johads;
Less use of Johads.
Lack of adequate wastewater drainage system in the villages has resulted in its flow (wastewater)
into Johads, which are otherwise sources of drinking and bathing water for the livestock of the
village. The traditional village Johad system, based on having three types of Johads for drinking
water, livestock and collection of wastewater, has been lost. For example, in Rasidpur village,
the Johad meant for livestock is now encroached and access restricted. The village livestock
therefore, have to use the wastewater Johad for bathing and drinking water requirements. This
traditional water harvesting system has already been discussed in some detail in Para 5.1.3
and 5.4.
The best practice for the sullage water to be disposed of is either into a soak pit or directly into
the kitchen garden. This would reduce the wastewater load on the village drains as well as
Johads. In addition, this would provide the required nutrients for plants grown in the kitchen
gardens, which is also an important component of HCFP and villagers have shown keen interest
in it. As a community venture, it is important to educate the village community about the
environmental health hazards of water collection in the vicinity of houses. Each village household
should be advised and helped in constructing a soak-pit to utilise sullage in their kitchen gardens.
This is a simple and cheaper method for drainage of wastewater, but would not be successful in
water logged areas. Direct flow of sullage water into the kitchen garden may not be desirable
because of sanitation problems.
Construction of soakage pit: A pit of 1.5 m x 1.5 m x 2.0 m is dug and filled with bricks
of different sizes as shown in the Figure 6.1. The bricks are needed to be cleaned,
dried and replaced every 5-6 months. The top of the pit is covered with a layer of earth
and the opening is protected by a parapet 10 cm high to prevent rainwater from entering
it. The wastewater drain joins the soak pit through a pipe opening into the middle of the
pit after passing through a basket or pitcher filled with straw or leaves. This serves as a
filter. The contents of this pitcher are removed from time to time and replaced by fresh
dry straw or leaves. It is preferable to connect the drain first to a catch pit and then to the
soakage pit. This will allow solids to settle down and the catch pit could be frequently
cleaned. During the rainy season, the soakage pit should be disconnected by blocking
the drain.
The spill over water at the community water sources could be conserved for recharging of the
groundwater or recycled for other uses. A family on an average collects 8-10 pitchers of water
every day from a community water source. Normally, while one pitcher is being filled, about 1.5
to 2 litres of water gets spilled. Therefore, at a water source serving 50 families, more than 1,000
11.92
litres of water is spilled every day. As this spillwater is not heavily contaminated (except for
some mud and dirt), it could be either recycled after passing it through a Spillwater Recycling
Unit or it could be disposed of into a soak pit. The Soak pit method would allow recharging of
Figure 6.1: Construction of Soakage Pit:
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groundwater. The recycled water can be used for feeding and caring of livestock, washing of
clothes, gardening and household operations (cow-dung plastering).
Construction of Spillwater-Recycling Unit: A Spillwater Recycling Unit is basically a
community project and hence the willingness of the community to maintain the Unit is necessary.
Its construction is as follows:
The construction of a spill-water-recycling unit is simple (Figure 6.2). The device consists
largely of a simple masonry structure, most of which can be prefabricated.
Fabrication of skeletal frames for three different chambers of the Unit is done by cutting the
iron into pieces and welding them together according to specifications.
Wrap the four sides and the bottom of each of the three skeletal frames with weld mesh by
welding the mesh to the iron rods.
Apply cement plaster of 2.5 cm thickness to the skeletal frame of the chamber in 1:3
proportion (1 part cement and 3 parts coarse sand), ensuring that the thickness of the plaster is
distributed equally on either side of the metal reinforcement.
Make an area 200 cm x 35 cm beside a water source; (hand-pump or well). Dig it to a depth
of 45 cm. Place the inlet chamber, the filter chamber and the inspection chamber in the pit in
such a way that the spill-water from the water-source will fall into the inlet chamber. Make
sure that the tops of the three chambers are at level with the ground level.
Dig a pit 1 m x 2 m x 2 m at a convenient spot about 2 m from the inlet chamber. Line the
walls of the pit with honeycomb masonry structure and connect to the pit and the silt-release
hole of the inlet chamber securely with a pipe of 50 mm diameter fitted with a 50 mm gatevalve. Pack the periphery of the silt-disposal pit with pebbles and small stones.
Connect the outlet of the inlet chamber to the inlet of the filter chamber.
Connect the outlet of the filter chamber to the inlet of the inspection chamber.
Line the periphery of the inlet chamber, the inspection chamber and gate-valve-housing with
bricks for edge-protection.
Dig a pit with 0.60 m diameter and 1 m depth at a convenient spot next to the inspection
chamber. Line its walls and bottom with brick masonry structure. Connect the outlet of the
inspection tank with underground PVC pipe of 50 mm diameter.
Fill the filter chamber with graded granite chips with the largest stones next to the inlet
chamber, smaller ones next to them and the smallest ones next to the inspection chamber.
Cover the different sections of the recycling unit.
Most of the solid impurities in spillwater like straw or leaves are trapped by the strainer of the
inlet chamber. The strained water slowly moves throughout the filter chamber and, during its
passage, a major portion of the solid impurities are held up between the granite chips by
sedimentation. The water that comes out from the filter chamber is fairly clean and useable. The
bacterial count of the recycled water is reduced because of the affinity of the bacteria in the
spillwater towards the impurities held up by the granite chips in the filter chamber. The filter
medium acts both as a mechanical barrier and as a biological one. The strainer in the inlet
chamber has to be cleaned every day to remove the debris and the silt trapped in it. Cleaning of
the unit once a week is desirable.
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Figure 6.2: Construction of Spillwater-Recycling Unit:
11.95
6.2.2 Wastewater from the toilets

As regards discharges from the toilets, this is not observed to be a major cause of
concern because most of the village households, both men and women, do not use
toilets but open fields, for defecation purposes. Generally an area on the periphery of the
village is earmarked for the purpose and there are separate sections for men and
women. Though villagers are generally aware of the existence of better sanitation
methods, they seem reluctant to adopt them. In fact, a close analysis reveals that
almost all the project villages have toilets but these are seldom used. The coverage
amongst villages and types of toilets (kuchcha or pucca) within a village varies from
village to village (Table 6.2). The number of toilets is, however, more in Hissar Project
Division than in others. The situation of toilet availability in HCFP villages is as follows:
All the 14 HCFP villages in Ambala Project Division have toilets. The usage is,
however, occasional and generally only by ladies.
All the eight villages in Kurukshetra Project Division have toilets. In fact, Sanghaur
village has 248 flush toilets. The usage is less because of water scarcity.
The usage of toilets in all the 18 villages of Hissar Project Division is occasional and
generally only by women and old men. The number of toilets in a village varies from
40 (Gawar) to 800 (Kirdhan).
All the 10 villages in Bhiwani Project Division have toilets. However, usage is
occasional and generally only by women and old men. The number of toilets in a
village varies from 7 in Allaudinpur to 330 in Mithi.
Bewal and Bhalki village in Jatusana Project Division do not have toilets. The usage
in other eight villages is occasional.
The reasons for non-use of toilets are as follows.
Water availability in the village is insufficient for upkeep and maintenance of toilets.
Inadequate maintenance leads to dirty toilets, and odour problems, and ultimately
villagers have to go to open fields only. This was noted to be another reason for the
men not using the toilets in Korwa Khurd village of Ambala Project Division. Less use
would mean less water consumption and reduced odour problems.
Open defecation provides an opportunity for soaking in fresh air and exercising;
Fields can be watched while going out for open defecation;
Toilets should not be within the house as toilets are considered to be unhygienic.
Villagers are generally unaware of environmental and health risks of open defecation and
therefore do not see this as a priority environmental issue. This seems to be further ignored within
the resource constrained environment of a village because of lack of availability of water and
money. The only exception to this is Hangoli village, (Ambala Project Division), where there are
some 100 kuchcha toilets and these are being used. In this village, only those villagers (about 169
households) go to the fields who dont have toilets. In Korwa Khurd village of Ambala Project
Division, there are some 100 pucca toilets, which are in use, mostly by women; men still dont
11.96
use them. Also, in some villages the acceptance of the toilets has been more by the older and sick
villagers.
Most of the richer households in the villages have constructed toilets with their own money,
whereas others have been constructed under grants from the BDO under various schemes. Under
these schemes, labour is contributed either directly by the villagers or they pay for it. The cost of
the toilet seat, cement, bricks, etc. are borne by the BDO.
11.97
Table 6.2: Status of Toilets Availability in the HCFP Villages

S.
No
Village
No of households
Number of toilets
Total
Kuchcha
Pucca
AMBALA PROJECT DIVISION

Raipur Rani CD Block
1
Hangola
241
29
25
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
3
10
10
4
125
4
100
9
3
10
0
4
125
0
0
0
3
0
10
0
0
4
100
9
Only 2 pucca and 10 kuchcha used

(ladies and old men)
Not used
Not used
Used
Water problem-Used by ladies
Not used
Not used, Water problem
Used
Used only by ladies
44
40
Used occasionally
100
5
2
100
100
5
0
0
0
0
2
100
Used only by ladies

Used occasionally
Used only by ladies
Used
30
2
5
20
0
0
0
5
0
0
30
2
0
20
0
Not used because of water problem

Used
Used only in emergency
Not used because of water problem
--
15
2
15
2
0
0
Used
Used
398
150
248
Used occasionally, water scarcity
550
800
650
100
550
800
650
100
0
0
0
0
Used only by ladies

Not used
Only some used, bad smell
Used occasionally
537
150
400
500
300
250
100
300
537
150
400
500
300
100
100
300
0
0
0
0
0
150
0
0
Used by women and old men

Used by ladies and old men
Used by ladies and children
Used by ladies and old men
Not used because of bad smell
Not used due to water problem
205
200
40
500
500
250
120
40
500
500
250
120
0
0
0
0
0
Not used due to water problem and

bad smell
Used occasionally
Used occasionally
Used occasionally
Used occasionally
Used occasionally
7
20
300
0
20
300
7
0
0
Used
Used sometimes
Used sometimes
12
100
12
100
0
0
Not used
Not used
Rasidpur
157
Haripur
196
Kakkar Majra
424
Tasrauli
181
Natwal
242
Tabar
91
Hangoli
269
Kheri
215
Naraingarh CD Block
10
Nagla
175
Rajputan
11
Dehar
296
12
Nagla
246
13
Baktua
202
14
Korwa Khurd
475
KURUKSHETRA PROJECT DIVISION
Bilaspur CD Block
15
Nagli
261
16
Ranjeetpur
64
17
Sultanpur
87
18
Shergarh
91
19
Bhagwanpur
175
Ladwa CD Block
20
Bodla
250
21
Mukarpur
112
Babain CD Block
22
Sanghaur
398
HISSAR PROJECT DIVISION
Bhattu Kalan CD Block
23
Dhingsara
794
24
Kirdhan
1,025
25
Mehuwala
798
26
Banawali
600
Nathusari Chopta CD Block
27
Rupawas
537
28
Rupana Darba 326
29
Kagdana
600
30
Bakrianwali
530
31
Tarkanwali
301
32
Nirwan
352
33
Makhosarani
423
34
Shakar
537
Mandori
Hissar II CD Block
35
Rawalwas
355
Kalan
36
Gawar
449
37
Bandaheri
599
38
Sarsana
592
39
Gorchi
631
40
Balsamand
1,418
BHIWANI PROJECT DIVISION
Loharu CD Block
41
Allaudinpur
396
42
Kural
714
43
Kharkari
578
Siwani CD Block
44
Garwa
447
45
Mandoli
490
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Remarks
Khurd
Mithi
437
Morka
368
Bhiwani CD Block
48
Dhana
319
Narsana
49
Dhana
504
Ladanpur
50
Prahladgarh
409
JATUSANA PROJECT DIVISION
Jatusana CD Block
51
Bobdoli
281
52
Baldhan
506
Kalan
53
Purkhottampu 415
r
Kanina CD Block
54
Sundrah
550
55
Mundain
162
56
Bewal
145
57
Bhalkhi
175
Nahar CD Block
58
Lula Ahir
475
59
Shyamnagar
307
60
Bhurthala
172
46
47
330
100
330
100
0
0
Used only by ladies and old men

Used occasionally
50
50
Used occasionally
250
250
Used occasionally
20
20
Used only by ladies
5
100
5
100
0
0
Used occasionally
Only 40 used
340
340
Used occasionally
25
10
0
0
0
10
0
0
25
0
0
0
Used occasionally
Used occasionally
---
500
20
100
496
20
100
4
0
0
Used occasionally
Used occasionally
Used occasionally
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Box 6.3: Why Are the Toilets Not Used in Nagla Rajputan Village ?
Nagla Rajputan (Naraiangarh CD Block) has in all 175 households with a population of
1,103. Though most households belong to the Saini community, the dominant community in
the village is Rajputs, who still strongly follow their traditions and customs. One of the
traditional practices is not to allow women to go out of the house. This was reported to be the
main reason for constructing 44 private toilets in this village, of which 4 toilets are pucca and
the rest are soakpit toilets. Surprisingly, women do not use these toilets as they view them as
a further obstruction to going out and talking to other women in the neighbourhood. FGD
with women revealed that these toilets are all underutilised because the Rajput women, for
whom they were constructed, preferred to use fields, providing them an opportunity to meet
with other women in the neighbourhood.
Men also prefer to use open fields because they anyway go to their fields in the mornings to
look after their crops. They view it as an opportunity for a morning walk. While returning
from the fields, they also bring Datun [branch cutting of Neem (Azadirachta indica) that is
used for cleaning the teeth].
In spite of the fact that everybody agrees that open defecation is bad sanitation for villagers,
this is part of the age-old habit and they do not perceive it as a problem at all. In fact, they
believe that open defecation helps in regular supply of organic manure to the fields.
Though villagers have their own perception of the problems regarding the use of toilets, open
defecation is definitely an environmental health hazard and as such needs to be stopped. The
health hazards associated with open defecation include the following:
Open defecation is the cause of many diseases including diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera,
hepatitis, typhoid, poliomyelitis, intestinal worms and many more;
Flies carry germs from excreta to food and drinks;
Drinking water sources are contaminated by people defecating near open streams, rivers and
ponds; or washing clothes soiled by feacal matter near the water sources; or by use of unclean
vessels and ropes contaminated with feacal matter to draw water from an open well; or soil
falling into the well from the feet of the people standing on the edge of the well; or dust
contaminated with feacal matter falling into the well; or underground contamination from the
surroundings;
Vegetables also get contaminated by persons defecating in cultivated fields. If these
vegetables are eaten raw, without proper washing, they can cause gastro-intestinal infections;
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Walking barefoot on ground used for defecation can lead to development of intestinal worms
because soil organisms enter the body through the skin. The contaminated soil is also carried
to the house, if the person is barefoot or by his footwear;
Eating or drinking water without washing hands after defecation will transmit diseases by
infection of food s/he is carrying or handling;
Women suffer more because it is difficult for them to go out at odd times and in odd weather
and they therefore suppress the urge of defecation. Moreover they do not have privacy and
there are always chances of physical injury and sexual abuse by miscreants.
From the foregoing account of environmental health hazards of open defecation, it is imperative
that villagers make use of toilets rather than go to agricultural fields for defecation. The problem
is not, so much, that there are no toilets in the villages or that there are too few toilets available;
the problem lies in that the villagers have to be motivated to use their toilets. This should not be
difficult, as there are examples in the project villages (Hangoli, Korwa Khurd) where the existing
toilets are being fully utilised. Therefore, some of the interventions suggested are as follows:
It is necessary that Environmental Sanitation programmes are run at regular intervals to create
awareness regarding environmental sanitation at the community level. In this regard Sulabh
International Social Service Organisation has also developed a comprehensive environmental
sanitation training package, which besides latrines deals with solid waste management,
disposal of liquid waste, personal hygiene, safe drinking water, etc. This training package
could be used for creating awareness on environmental sanitation among the village
communities.
It is also suggested that selected VRMC members/villagers from non-toilet using project
villages visit other project villages where toilets are in use (Hangoli and Korwa Khurd). This
would create the necessary awareness/impact for the use of toilets.
Sulabh has also developed a pour-flush twin pit toilet, which has earned international
recognition. It is a low-cost structure that enables onsite safe disposal of human excreta. As
the two pits are rotated every 2 to 3 years, the excreta ferment and rest for enough time to
become free of pathogens and foul smell. It can then be used as manure. The toilets are
designed to require minimum amount of water. The cost of one household toilet is about
Rs. 2,000/- to Rs. 3,000/- at platform level, without superstructure. There are different levels
of Government subsidies depending on socio-economic group; subsidies for SC should be
50%, plus a 45% loan. Such low-cost toilets could be constructed where no toilets exist at
present.
Sulabh has also developed a community type of latrines linked to biogas plants. Such a
structure could be discussed among the Entry Point Activities in villages where the priority is
on latrines and sanitation. However, based on Sulabh experience, community latrines in rural
areas are not recommended, rather it would be better to promote two to four seated public
toilets in schools, health sub-centres, Aanganwadi centres (village level institutions
concerned with pre-primary education, and health of women, infants and children), etc., so
that villagers could get familiarised with them and become motivated in the use of toilets in
their houses. In water logged, flood prone and high subsoil water areas, the pits should be
raised so that invert of pipe or drain is just above the likely water level. The rising of pits will
necessitate rising of the latrine floor, also with well compacted earth filled around the pit.
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One of the major reasons, cited by the village community, for non-use of toilets is the
shortage of water. With the interventions suggested under Section 5 (Water Environment),
the overall supply of water should improve in due course, which should motivate the villagers
for the use of toilets.
6.3
Livestock Waste
Livestock waste refers mainly to Gobar (dung), which villagers do not consider as a waste. It is
an important resource for them and is used in a variety of ways including the following:
Fuel in the kitchen;

Fertilizer in the fields;
Plastering the walls, thus keeping the houses warm in winter and cool in summer;
Plastering of floors to keep them clean;
Gobar also acts as an insecticide and keeps the bugs away.
Animal dung is mainly used for making cakes, which are the main fuel for cooking and other
domestic purposes. On an average, two cows/buffaloes produce approximately 25 to 30 kg of
dung per day, which is measured in terms of taslas, each tasla-load being equivalent to roughly
15 kg of dung. Generally women collect dung from the cattle sheds and make it into cakes, each
dung cake weighing approximately 1.0 to 1.5 kg. On an average, women spend about two hours
every day on this activity. As dung cakes cannot be made during the monsoon (July - September),
villagers store enough quantity of these cakes for this period in specially designed temporary
store houses, locally known as Bitodas in Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions and
Gohars in Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions (Photo 6.5). Dung cakes are first stacked
systematically in these Bitodas, in a heap formation, and the heap is then covered with a layer of
fresh dung all over. A thick layer of straw is then put on this dung layer. In some cases vegetable
creepers are also grown on these Bitodas; the objective being to prevent entry of rainwater into
them as wet dung cakes cannot be used for burning. During monsoon months animal dung is also
dumped in the Kurdis along with the other domestic waste, thus adding to the organic value of the
manure.
In all the project villages, as mentioned earlier, there is a designated area earmarked for disposal
of carcasses of dead animals, generally outside the village habitation and known as Hadda Rodi.
These carcasses are either picked up by contractors and taken away for skin and bones removal,
or are left to degrade. After a few days, as the body decomposes, the flesh is eaten away by the
dogs, and bones are finally removed by the contractors. This practice obviously leads to severe
odour problems and sometimes dogs even carry the flesh, bone pieces, etc. within the villages
creating a sanitation problem. In Hissar Forest Division, the practice is to bury the carcasses in
the same area.
6.4
Agricultural Waste
Agro-wastes are mainly generated at the time of harvesting and include agricultural residues left
in the field after harvesting/thrashing and the main stalk that is harvested with the crop. In local
language, the latter is referred to as Tanda. Various uses of Tanda from different crops are listed
in Table 6.3.
Table 6.3 : Various uses of Tanda
Wheat and
Tanda is largely used as fodder for the cattle. This is mixed with green fodder
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Paddy waste
Mustard and
Arhar (Pigeon
pea)
Cotton
like Barseen (Egyptian clover). Paddy and wheat straw are also used as a fuel
(Calorific value 3,000 kcal/kg). In Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana Project
Divisions, relatively less amount of paddy is grown.
The stalks of these crops are used as a fuel mainly because of their calorific
value (3,200-3,500 kcal/kg).
Mainly grown in Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions. Cotton

stalks are used as a fuel and leaves are used as green fodder.
Sunflower
Grown in Kurukshetra and Ambala Project Divisions. Sunflower stalks are
used as fuel mainly because of its calorific value (3,200-3,500 kcal/kg).
An increasing number of farmers are now using harvesters (Combine) for harvesting. The
agricultural residues left in the fields after harvesting/thrashing are either burnt in the fields or left
there to be mixed with the soil during ploughing operations. Villagers admitted to a little bit of
air pollution problem due to burning in the fields and also due to use of harvesters/thrashers.
However, they considered better efficiency of harvesters/thrashers to be the driving factor.
6.5
Other Wastes
Some of the project villages are noted to be environmentally affected by industrial activities in
the neighbouring areas. Villages are essentially affected due to lack of proper environmental
management practices within these industries.
6.5.1 Poultry farm units

Poultry farms are a main source of environmental pollution in several villages of Raipur Rani and
Naraingarh blocks (Ambala Project Division) and have been dealt with in some detail in
Para 4.2.2. Flies, foul smell, drainage of wastewater and waste disposal are the major
environmental problems associated with these farms, resulting in deterioration of the general
quality of life for the neighbouring villages. From the waste management point of view, by far the
most important problem is the large number of flies that breed inside the bird droppings area.
Usually the chicken excreta remains for quite some time on the floor under the bird-cages till it is
sold as manure. Though some level of treatment by insecticides is done to prevent spread of
diseases among the birds, it is not done regularly. An attempt by villagers from Haripur village to
spray the excreta failed for lack of collaboration from the poultry units and PFA. Further, there is
the problem of odour pollution within the vicinity of the poultry farms mainly because of poor
raw material handling and waste management practices (Photo 6.6) as mentioned earlier in
Para 4.2.2.
A number of interventions regarding major environmental problems associated with poultry
farms have already been suggested in Para 4.2.2, which holds good here as well. However, in
order to ensure timely removal of the droppings and their storage in a safe manner, the feasibility
to have an IGA for processing of poultry litter should be explored. As this litter is considered to
11.103
be rich in manure for agricultural purposes, villagers often buy it from the poultry farms and
either store it for some time or use it directly in the fields. This should make processing of poultry
litter feasible as an IGA. Droppings are sold at the rate of Rs. 4/- per cft at poultry farms (Kakkar
Majra), which works out to about Rs. 15/- to Rs. 16/- per quintal (qt), and compares well with the
price of FYM. However, the value of poultry manure is much higher than good FYM, being
richer in minerals and nitrogen. While average nitrogen content of FYM in India is 0.3 to 0.4%,
poultry manure ranges from 1.0 to 1.8%. The recommended field application rate is about onethird. A lower price for the chicken excreta could be negotiated with the unit owners considering
that they also benefit from a cleaner and healthier environment inside the farm. The amount of
excreta produced by a medium size unit of 10,000 birds is about 5 qts per day.
The village of Haripur has the right conditions for starting an IGA as a pilot project as there are 8
to 10 poultry farms located near the village and villagers are very keen about the various
environmental issues related to poultry farming.
6.5.2 Upstream industrial units

The main problem due to effluent discharges from upstream industrial units is observed in the
villages of Dehar and Nagla Rajputan in Naraingarh CD Block. There are four industrial units
upstream of these two villages in the Kala Amb area of Himachal Pradesh. While two of these
units have been closed, the remaining two, i.e. M/s Ruchira Papers Ltd and M/s Jagat Metals, are
reported not to have provided the requisite pollution control measures. The untreated or partially
treated wastewater from these two units is discharged into Markandya river which flows through
these villages. As already mentioned this wastewater is reported to have the following impact:
The land near the river has become saline.

As the village grazing ground is located on the other side of the river, most livestock consume
river water while crossing it. This has led to a decline in the milk yield over the years (from
12 l/day to 7 to 8 l/day).
As crossing the river is almost necessary for the villagers and their cattle, the incidence of
skin diseases is frequent, including Khur Galna in animals.
The drinking water quality is also being affected and there is bad odour problem from
wastewater.
The CPCB is making concerted efforts to reduce pollution from industrial wastes in the country.
In this connection 24 problem areas have already been selected by them all over the country for
treatment, including the Kala Amb area in Himachal Pradesh. Action is, therefore, already
underway to undertake the necessary treatments.
11.104
Photo 6.1 to 6.2
11.105
Photo 6.3 to 6.4
11.106
Photo 6.5 to 6.6
11.107
7.
ENERGY
Like other states of India, energy systems in rural parts of Haryana are also predominantly based
on biomass-based fuels (or biofuels). Coupled with their easy use, availability of biofuels such as
wood, agricultural residues and dung cakes have resulted in their wide spread use in rural
domestic and industrial sector. The fast depleting biomass resource base is, however, posing a
strain on the rural natural resources, further exacerbated by the inability of the people to shift to
commercial fuels such as electricity, LPG and kerosene because of high cost and unreliable and
irregular supply of commercial fuels in the rural areas. Given that per capita income in Haryana is
somewhat higher than in other states of the country and all villages have been electrified, only
about 4.1% of the energy consumption is met from these commercial fuels. It is generally
observed that villagers prefer to use fuels that are easier and cleaner to use and have high
efficiency. This suggests that more and more people want to move up the fuel ladder towards
fossil fuels, in spite of the fact that their availability is becoming difficult. It is also seen that rich
households of the village are able to meet energy requirements from their own land, whereas poor
people are more dependent on cattle and landowners for meeting their energy requirements.
From an environmental perspective, energy consumption pattern in villages is important as
follows.
Environmental impact on rural natural resources due to demand of biomass sources of

energy;
Indoor air pollution due to fuel combustion for meeting domestic energy requirements;
Localized air pollution due to use of agricultural machinery or other equipment for meeting
any specific requirements of the village households.
This section of the report deals with the above aspects and is based on another study titled
Energy Consumption Patterns and Technologies in Villages of Haryana (hereinafter referred
to as Energy Study) undertaken by the Energy Research Centre (ERC) of Panjab University,
Chandigarh, and Development Organisation for Sustainable Transformation (DOST). The Energy
Study was commissioned by HCFP to assess the supply and demand situation of energy in HCFP
villages. The study was conducted in 34 HCFP villages covering a sample of 30 households in
each village with 10 households selected from each socio-economic group. However, the village
sample of the Energy Study and the present study only partly overlaps. HCFPs objective for
undertaking the Study were to:
Identify suitable means for reducing the need to use cow dung for cooking and diverting it for
use as manure in the agricultural fields;
Assess the traditional village technologies in using fuelwood, charcoal, agricultural residues
and cow dung as sources of energy.
The energy requirements of a village can broadly be divided into the following:
7.1
Domestic energy requirements;

Agricultural energy requirements;
Energy requirement for rural agri-industries;
Other miscellaneous requirements.
Domestic Energy
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The domestic energy requirements of a household are mainly for cooking, lighting and heating
and the main sources of energy are fuelwood, dung cakes and agricultural residues. Typically
half of the energy consumed in a rural household is for cooking and over 90% of this is from nonconventional energy sources such as fuelwood and dung cakes. Villagers try to meet the shortfall
in their energy requirements by substituting one energy resource by another (for instance
fuelwood by agricultural waste). The Energy Study reveals that fuelwood in shape of logs is so
scarce that it is available mostly to the rich and affluent households. While the rural rich use logs,
lower down the economic ladder, dung cakes and dry leaves are the only option. When fuelwood
availability is difficult, rural people tend to switch from using logs to little twigs and branches,
and when even twigs and branches are not available they move towards crop residues, cow dung
and even dry leaves. The high cost of electric power, as well as of cooking gas (LPG), coal, and
kerosene, precludes their use as a source of domestic fuel especially for the rural poor and
disadvantaged groups.
Table 7.1 (Energy Study) shows per capita consumption of various fuels in the HCFP study area.
It is clear that per capita consumption on dung cakes is maximum followed by agricultural
residues and fuelwood. Other fuels in order of consumption are kerosene and LPG. This is quite
Table 7.1: Per-capita Consumption of Various Fuels for Different Chores in the HCFP
Study Area
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Cow dung, kg/day

Agricultural residues,
kg/day
Fuelwood, kg/day
Kerosene, litres/day
LPG cylinders/day
Cooking
0.40
0.34
Heating
0.32
0.26
Other
0.15
0.06
Total Fuel
0.87
0.66
Total KCal
2,772
2,552
0.35
0.05
0.04
0.20
0.02
0.01
0.02
0.09
0.01
0.57
0.16
0.06
2,704
1,545
876.3
in contrast to response of the households using different fuels to change over to fuels other than
fuelwood. Here, their preference is in the order of LPG, kerosene, dung cakes, agricultural
residues, biogas, coal and charcoal. LPG and kerosene are preferred most because of being clean
and easy to use. Users of LPG and kerosene in the villages also feel that it elevates their social
status and it is cost effective. Higher preference for dung cakes is due to its availability near the
house and its low cost. The lower preference for biogas, which is also a high grade and clean
fuel, is due to its high investment cost, requirement of land for construction and need for more
livestock to feed the biogas plant. Coal and charcoal have been given lowest preference, partly
due to their non-availability in rural areas and also due to high costs (Box 7.1).
Table 7.1 further indicates that except for kerosene, maximum consumption of fuels is for
cooking. In the case of kerosene, maximum per capita consumption is for other uses, mainly for
lighting.
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Box 7.1: Energy Sources in Kakkar Majra village!

Kakkar Majra village (Raipur Rani CD Block) is located on the main Ambala-Naraingarh road
approximately 10 km from Mouli village. Though the villages economy is largely agriculture
based, a large number of villagers (about 70-80%) work in the nearby agri-industries including
brick kilns, and poultry farms, as labourers.
The main energy sources in the village are electricity, cooking gas (LPG), fuelwood, dung cakes,
biogas and kerosene.
Electricity
: The village is electrified. Electricity is mainly used for lighting, pumping of

water (for drinking and irrigation from tubewells) and fodder cutting machines.
Cooking gas
: Bigger landowners use LPG for normal cooking but change over to traditional
Chulhas (using fuelwood and dung cakes) for traditional foods like Saag
(mustard leaf) and Makki Ki Roti (bread made out of maize flour).
Dung cakes
: This is the main fuel for the villagers particularly for the poor and the landless.
Women spend about two hours every day in making dung cakes.
Fuelwood
: Landowners get enough fuelwood from their lands from pruning and cutting of
trees, twice a year. The landless families have to buy fuelwood from village
Talls (depots) where fuelwood is sold at Rs. 180/- per quintal.
Biogas
: There is one biogas plant in the village which belongs to Mr. Bant Ram but is
reported to be non-functional due to lack of maintenance.
Kerosene
: Used for lighting (lamps and lanterns) and making tea (as kerosene stoves are
easier to use).
In winter months, energy consumption is relatively more than in other months of the year.
Village women reported that in the months of January, February and March, a family of five uses
approximately 10 kg fuelwood and 20 dung cakes (each approximately 1 kg), per day, for
making food. In the months of April, May and June, the average consumption for the same size
family is 8 kg fuelwood and 15 dung cakes per day, and in July, August and September the
average consumption increases to 12 kg fuelwood and 15 dung cakes per day. In the months of
October, November and December, the average is 10 kg fuelwood and 15 dung cakes per day.
The consumption in rainy season is reported to be more because fuel is used for generating
smoke in the cattle sheds to chase away mosquitoes and flies.
7.1.1
Fuelwood
Fuelwood (with an average calorific value of 3,500 kcal/kg) is being used in rural households
mainly for cooking and heating, with more than 60% for cooking. Within the study area, some
households (6.2%) also use fuelwood for other activities such as animal feed preparation and
other simmering applications. The bulk of the energy consumption attributed to fuelwood comes
from twigs and branches.
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Rich households obtain fuelwood from their own land from thinning and pruning of trees on their
fields twice a year. Poor people rarely cut trees but mainly use small branches, twigs, roots and
dead wood. Landless families usually collect fuelwood from either the roadside or common lands
of the village or have to go to nearby forests for collection. Usually, villagers have to walk a
distance of upto 5 km for collecting fuelwood (Table 7.2). This leads to wastage of a lot of time
and energy.
Table 7.2: Time Spent in Collection of Fuelwood
S.
No.
1.
Village
CD Block
Shergarh
Bilaspur
2.
Bhagwanpur
Bilaspur
3.
Nagli
Bilaspur
Fuelwood collection
The landed get fuelwood from their lands. The landless get it either
from the roadsides or from the forests of villages Bhattuwala and
Bahadurpur. Both these forests are about 5 km away. Mostly
women collect fuelwood and spend about 4 hours on this work.
The landless have to go to nearby forests for collection of
fuelwood. Which is about 1.5 km away though women have to
walk 4-5 km to collect enough fuelwood and spend about 2-3 hours
per day on this activity.
The landless have to go to nearby forests for collection of
fuelwood, which is collected mostly by men who spend about 6
hours per day on this activity.
Usually 30-35 kg of fuelwood is collected in a day for about 8-10 days in a month. Most
collection is done in winter months when wood is collected practically every day. This
wood is stored in the house for use during the monsoon and peak agricultural season
when no collection is done. Usually, women and children are considered to be
responsible for collecting fuelwood, though findings of the Energy Study show that in
more than 63% of the households, fuelwood is collected by men (Box 7.2).
Box 7.2: We Walk 5 km To Get Fuelwood - Bhagwanpur Village!

Bhagwanpur, under Bilaspur CD Block, is located in the foothills of the Shiwaliks, There are 175
households in the village with a population of 894. About 60% of the villagers are landless families.
Dung cakes (96 households) and fuelwood (48 households) are being used as main sources of energy
for cooking and heating in village households. The number of households using agricultural wastes as
fuel is 31, and six households have LPG cooking stoves.
About 70% of the village Panchayat land (of totally 361 acres) is located on the hills carrying forest
growth and, therefore, villagers dependence on these hills is but natural. These hill forests are an
important source of fuelwood, fodder and Bhabber grass for the villagers who depend on these forests
for their fuelwood requirements. Fuelwood collection is mainly the responsibility of women and they
have to walk upto 4-5 km for collecting enough quantity of the same. Sometimes they have to go
beyond the State border into Himachal Pradesh. Women spend two hours in the morning for making
dung cakes and the next four hours in collection of fuelwood from the nearby forests. Fuelwood
collection activity is both physically exhausting and dangerous from a security point of view. On their
return from the hills, they generally carry loads of 35 to 40 kg and are, therefore, susceptible to
slipping, etc.
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At times, villagers also have to purchase fuelwood from the local sawmill that sells slabs,
edgings, trimming and other wood waste at Rs. 2.50/- per kg. The prevailing price of
fuelwood in the majority of villages is Rs. 2,000/- to Rs. 3,000/- per ton. Around 43% of
the villagers spend less than Rs. 100/- per month on fuelwood and about 29% spend Rs.
100/- to Rs. 200/- per month. Overall, the data provided in the Energy Study shows that
50% of the user households collect fuelwood from their own fields, nearby forests or
roadside plantations, while 45% of the households purchase fuelwood. This shows that
fuelwood is becoming a commercial fuel and its availability from woodlots is decreasing
(Box 7.3).
Box 7.3: Remains of Kikar Plantation - Mandoli Khurd village!!

In the year 1992, a Kikar plantation was established over 240 acres of Panchayat land in
Mandoli Khurd village of Jatusana Project Division, under the Social Forestry Project. This
was handed over to the Panchayat three years later, in 1995. However, in 1996, a few
villagers began to illegally cut trees to get firewood needed to bake bricks in small family
brick kilns (Desi Bhatta). Soon, most of the villagers started cutting trees and the plantation
was clearfelled in a few months (Photo 7.1). As Panchayat elections were approaching the
Sarpanch did not take any action against people cutting the trees. The Sarpanch won the
election!
Although the felled trees provided energy for manufacture of bricks, which were subsequently
used for converting kuchcha houses into pucca ones, creating a social impact, it was done
under a free-for-all situation. The area has now been proposed for replanting in the Village
Microplan. Villagers also feel that the microclimate deteriorated after felling of trees, and
promise that they will be able to protect the new plantation under the leadership of the
VRMC.
More than 60% of the households in the study area admitted a general increase in
fuelwood consumption. While about 26% of the households attributed this increase to an
11.112
increase in the size of family, 17% of the households believed it to be due to change in
food habits. Increased use of fuelwood has reduced its availability and, as a result, the
price of fuelwood and the collection time has increased by 25%. In the perception of the
villagers, there are no fuel shortages. However, they do acknowledge that with time the
availability of fuelwood has diminished and it has been replaced by less efficient fuels
such as agricultural residues and dung cakes. The villagers feel that increased use of
agricultural residues and dung cakes in the kitchen has reduced the availability of FMY.
From the discussions with the villagers it appeared that use of FYM could be increased
with better availability of fuelwood in the villages.
Based on an average daily household consumption of 20 kg of fuelwood, the State's domestic
energy requirement is around 12 million tonnes of fuelwood equivalent (FEW) per year as
follows:
Fuelwood, charcoal and agricultural wastes, 8.0 million tonnes (66.6%);
Dung cakes (73% of the total dung production), 3.5 million tonnes (29.3%); and
Non-renewable sources, 0.5 million tonnes (4.1 %).
It is estimated that tree cover in Haryana would have to be increased 10 times to meet its
fuelwood requirement. There is thus a clear need to increase fuelwood production to permit more
dung to be used as manure, agricultural wastes as fodder, and to reduce pressure on forests.
Fuelwood deficit also points to the need for more efficient energy saving devices such as
smokeless Chulhas.
7.1.2
Dung cakes
Animal dung is mainly used for making dung cakes (average calorific value 3,140 kCal/kg) that is
the main fuel used for cooking, heating and other domestic applications and has been described
under Para 6.3 (Photo 7.2).
For efficient use of cattle dung, which has a low density, supplementary fuels such as fuelwood or
agricultural residues are also used. The data from the Energy Study show that nearly 2/3 of the
households use either of these supplementary fuels along with cattle dung for better combustion.
The other 1/3 do not use any supplementary fuel because they do not have enough money to buy
supplementary fuels from the market. Further, around 44% of the sample households use more
than 4 kg dung cakes per day for cooking and heating; 69% of the households get dung from their
own cattle, whereas 26% do not have sufficient livestock and as such have to buy their
requirement of dung cakes at a price varying between Rs. 1/- to Rs. 2/- per kg. Small quantities
are exchanged freely among villagers. About 90% of the households do not sell dung cakes and
the balance 10% sell 25% of the total dung cakes available with them.
Increased use of dung cakes for cooking has reduced the availability of FYM for application in
the fields. This has had an adverse effect on the fertility and nutrient content of the soil. The use
of FYM could be increased with increased availability of fuelwood. This increased use of FYM is
likely to reduce application of urea in the fields. On the other hand, though the majority of
villagers seem to know that use of animal dung is neither cost effective (86.70%) nor does it
elevate their social status (93.79%), only about 31% of them have shown their inclination to
change to other fuels. Major reasons for not changing to other fuels are:
Cattle dung availability near home (76.50%);

High cost of other fuels (32%);
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Non-availability of other fuels (30%).
Also the percentage of households which are willing to save dung for fertilizer and those who do
not want to save is nearly equal at 48% respectively. In order to maintain land fertility, there is a
need for creating more awareness amongst villagers on this aspect.
7.1.3
Biogas
Biogas is a clean and convenient fuel, which contains CH4 and is mainly, used for cooking,
lighting and heating. It can also be used for running motors with small horsepower capacity for
water lifting and small industries. The residual slurry from biogas plants is enriched manure and
increases crop yields. The size of a biogas plant generally depends on the availability of cattle
dung and the gas requirements of the beneficiaries. The dung from two to three cattle produces
enough gas to meet the cooking fuel requirements of a family, per day, consisting of three to four
persons. Community/institutional type of biogas plants are of a larger size to cater to the needs of
large number of households or bulk supply.
More than 90% of the households surveyed do not have a biogas plant. Reasons given for not
installing biogas plants by different respondents are as follows:
High cost (49%);

Insufficient space (18%);
Not enough availability of dung (33%).
According to the Energy Study, the demand for biogas plants is limited to 4% of the households
in Bhiwani and 2% in Jatusana Project Divisions. The main constraints are high cost,
maintenance, labour requirement, water requirement, space and large amounts of dung to feed
these plants. All these constraints limit the potential for promoting the above technology and
therefore, its use for prevention of global warming. It therefore follows that there is a need for
development of a new type of small size biogas plant, which can be used by households having
one or two cattle heads and which would probably address many of these constraints. As
maximum use of dung is in the sandy area, where water availability is also less, solid phase type
biogas plants technology needs to be developed. In addition, some direct or indirect financial
incentives will be needed for large-scale propagation of this technology. Among the institutions
contacted in Delhi during the current Study, Action for Food Production (AFPRO) did mention
having developed a small plant suitable for families with just two adult livestock heads. This
needs to be pursued.
7.1.4
Agricultural residues
Major sections of the rural households are engaged in agriculture and, as a result, large quantities
of agricultural residues such as cotton, arhar, and maize stalks are available for use as fuel in
rural areas. These are available at zero or low private costs to farmers and are used in conjunction
with fuelwood and dung cakes, generally for cooking and heating purposes (Photo 7.3).
Agricultural residues are generated mainly at the time of harvesting and include agricultural
residues left in the field after harvesting/thrashing and the main stalk that is harvested with the
crop. In local language, the latter is referred to as Tanda and is mainly used as fuel. Various uses
of Tanda have already been mentioned in Table 6.3.
About 40% households in the study area (of the Energy Study) use 1 to 4 kg/day of agricultural
residues for cooking and heating purposes whereas 32% of the households use more than 4
11.114
kg/day. Around 58% of the user households collect agricultural residues from their own fields or
scavenge from the fields of others, while 41% of the households buy them. The monthly expense
on purchase of agricultural residues varies from Rs. 100 to 200/-. In 58% of the households male
members collect the residues while in 21% women collect it and in 17% households it is jointly
collected by women and children. Landless households generally get agricultural residues as
wages (in kind) for work done on the fields of landowners. About 30% of the households reported
that they have to spend nearly 25% more time in collection of agricultural residues. This may be
because of change in cropping pattern or an increase in consumption of agricultural residues. As
these residues are too bulky for farmers to store in their houses, they are left in the open where
they decay and attract pests and insects during rainy season.
7.1.5
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
LPG is believed to be a very convenient and efficient fuel by the villagers. However, LPG can
only be bought from the market, whereas biofuels are available to them as byproducts of their
other activities, without any private cost. Also, for the same reason LPG is considered expensive.
As Haryana villages are well off in comparison to the villages in other states, LPG connections
are seen in almost all the villages, mostly the rich and large landowning households having LPG
connections. Its use in village households is limited to only those activities, which require
immediate cooking, etc. (e.g. preparing tea or warming food).
7.1.6
Kerosene
All families in the study area use kerosene oil, which is purchased against their ration cards from
the local depot. It is mainly used for lighting purposes in the absence of electricity, though at
times it is also used for cooking and heating. Electric supply in villages being very erratic, there is
heavy dependence on kerosene for lighting requirements.
7.2
Agricultural Energy
Energy in agricultural operations is mainly required for tubewells for irrigation and
harvesting/thrashing and fodder cutting machines. The main source of energy for agricultural
requirements is electricity that is used for irrigation through tubewells. Diesel is used as an
alternate in the absence of electricity supply for running tubewells.
Animal draught power is an important source of energy for villagers. Some animals such as
camels, horses, donkeys, ox and buffaloes are reared in the villages mainly for their draught
power. This aspect is covered in more details in Section 9 of this report.
7.3
Rural Industries
In the villages, biofuels are used in rural industries such as bakeries, potteries, brick kilns, smithy,
foundry, etc. These are largely household industries and are usually run on a small scale. The
technology used is mostly primitive resulting in excessive energy losses. The energy consumption
in these household based units is generally more than the average norm mainly due to the
following reasons:
Incomplete combustion due to non control of combustion parameters;

Heat loss from kiln and inefficient flue gas recovery;
Generally more excess air;
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More moisture and inappropriate sizing of fuel;

Heat loss due to lack of temperature control.
The energy consumption and air pollution aspects of some of these rural agri-industries have
already been detailed in Para 4.2 of this report.
7.4
Other Energy Requirements
The Energy Study conducted in the project villages of Haryana shows that 95% of the households
cremate their dead, while 5% bury them. The study further shows that biofuels such as fuelwood,
cattle dung and agricultural residues are used as fuel for the funeral pyre. Traditionally, a funeral
pyre is made by putting wood in criss-cross layers with gaps of about 20-30 cm. Agricultural
residues and cow dung is inter spread in the space between the wood logs. The length is
approximately 2 m and the height is one metre. Nearly 200-300 kg of wood and 50 kg of dung
cakes/agricultural residues are used in one cremation. The amount depends on the age and size of
the dead body.
One of the activities under HCFP is to promote improved crematoria for energy efficient burning
of dead bodies. Use of improved crematoria can substantially reduce the consumption of biofuels
for cremating dead bodies. Improved crematoria are in use under several other projects all over
India (e.g. Under Ganga Action Plan, improved crematoria have been constructed at Haridwar,
Varanasi and Kanpur). However, adoption of improved crematoria among villagers would require
strong and effective awareness programmes. This particular aspect is linked to villagers attitude
emerging out of age old traditions, religious superstitions and above all their emotions and
sentiments.
Other energy requirements in the villages are for the flourmills, fodder cutting machines, or any
other specific requirement of a village. In most of the villages, there are electricity driven
flourmills and fodder cutting machines. Diesel engines are also used for the flourmills as well as
for fodder cutting machines when electricity is not available.
7.5
Energy Efficient Devices
Awareness about the drudgery involved in the use of biomass fuels and availability of fuel
efficient devices has led to numerous experiments by villagers pertaining to use of devices and
fuels. In almost all the villages, there have been experiments with energy efficient devices such as
improved Chulhas and renewable energy devices such as solar water heating and cooking
systems. In addition, people have made their own improvisations in traditional devices and ways
in which fuel is utilised. For instance, in a number of villages one comes across indigenised
cookstoves that are meant for diverting smoke out of the kitchen. Depending on the application,
energy devices being used in rural households can be divided into three categories, namely,
devices for cooking, heating and lighting. Most widely used devices are presented in Table 7.3.
Table 7.3: Types of Energy Devices Used in Rural Households
Cooking
Heating
Lighting
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Traditional Chulha
LPG Chulha
Improved Chulha
Pressure Cooker
Wick stove
Solar Cooker
Nutan Stove
Biogas Plant
Hamam (a local device for

heating water, using fuelwood
and agricultural residues)
Electrical heating rod
Solar Water heater
Kerosene lamp
Electrical Tubelight
Compact Fluorescent Lamp
(CFL)
In terms of villagers preference for the energy devices, the first preference is for efficient cooking
devices, next for essential utility devices such as electrical tube lights followed by devices of
comfort such as fans. Traditional devices for cooking, heating and lighting such as ordinary
Chulhas, wick stove, Hamam and oil lamps are least preferred devices as they are considered to
be less efficient.
In terms of renewable energy devices, the demand for solar cookers is very high among villagers
(53% of the households in Jatusana and 44% in Bhiwani Project divisions). However, this high
demand doesn't match with the actual use of the cookers. In rural areas it is trendy to give solar
boxes as marriage gifts, since the cost is maintained low by subsidies, but they are seldom used
due to a variety of reasons. Cooking habits and cooking time (which often doesn't match with
periods of maximum insulation) are the main reasons. The high demand and the lack of use show
that solar cookers satisfy mainly a need for status symbol. The challenge is to develop devices
that can be of real use. Alternative uses for solar cookers, other than cooking meals, should also
be promoted. For example, simmering milk, that doesn't need to reach high temperatures or
cooking meals for milch cattle.
The main constraint of solar cookers is its high cost. Normal solar boxes cost around Rs. 1,200/-,
bigger boxes for simmering milk and animal feeds cost a couple of hundred rupees more. The
project should also consider promoting fixed cookstoves made of local materials, whose cost is
about half the cost of boxes.
7.6
Indoor Air Pollution
Biomass fuels (wood, crop residues, dung and grass) are the most important fuels for the rural
households, mainly for cooking and heating energy requirements. Typically half of the energy
consumed in a rural household is for cooking and over 90% is from non-conventional fuel
sources such as fuel wood and dung cakes. Though other sources of energy such as LPG and
kerosene have replaced biofuels to some extent, biofuels are still the most prominent source of
energy. The environmental impact of biofuels burning is therefore an important aspect to be
looked into.
Lately there has been growing concern over the potential health impacts of indoor air pollution
from biofuels use. This concern is not so much because the total air pollution emissions from
biofuels are large; they are not, compared to air pollution from fossil fuels. Unlike most other
fuels, however, biofuel pollutants are largely directly where the people are - inside or near
households at mealtimes every day. Thus, although the emissions are relatively modest, the actual
11.117
exposure to people is significant. Found in biomass smoke, for example, are respirable
particulates, CO, NOx, formaldehyde, and hundreds of other simple and complex organic
compounds, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The total emissions are as much
dependent on the type of fuel as on the type of biofuel stove (Chulha). For example, compared
with gas stoves, even Chulhas using one of the cleaner biofuels wood typically release 50 times
more particulates, CO, and simple as well as PAH in cooking an equivalent meal. The health
effects from these exposures include respiratory infections in children; chronic lung diseases and
lung cancer in adults and adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as low birth weight and stillbirth, for
women exposed during pregnancy. It has been found in studies carried out near Chandigarh that
CO levels in the blood of women, shortly after cooking with biomass fuels, were as high or
higher as among heavy smokers.
Box 7.4: Improved Cookstoves Fail in Tasrauli Village!!

Tasrauli village is located in Raipur Rani CD Block of Ambala Project Division. There are 181
households with a total population of 1,061 comprising 578 males and 483 females.
In the year 1998, the Mahila Mandal (a village level institution concerned with socio-economic
development of women in rural society) of the village started an improved/smokeless cookstoves
programme for the village. The objective of this programme was to modify the traditional Chulhas in a
way so as to reduce smoke emissions and also to ensure fuel conservation. The scheme was announced
and most of the households got their traditional Chulhas modified. These Chulhas were installed in the
kitchens and the modified version of the Chulha included an additional mouth that provided for
cooking of an additional food item simultaneously. The waste heat from the first mouth was thus used
in the second mouth and smoke was directed out of the Chulha through a pipe provided after the
second mouth (Photo 7.4). After three years, the villagers reported that these Chulhas were ineffective
mainly because:
The smoke used to still exit from the sides of the Chulhas rather than the pipe provided for the
purpose. The smoke thus still remained in the kitchen.
There was no fuel conservation and more or less the same quantities of fuel were used. In fact
some of the villagers believed that the fuel consumption increased in the modified version.
In rural households, food is cooked either in the open i.e. enclosed courtyards or in fairly
unventilated kitchens inside the house. Most of the traditional Chulhas used in the villages do not
have any provision for discharge of smoke outside, thereby increasing exposure of women to
these emissions. However, over the last 10-15 years, a lot of research has been done in this area
and an improved cookstoves programme has been introduced in the villages under the National
Programme on Improved Chulhas (NPIC) of the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources
(MNES), GOI. An improved cookstove is one that reduces or completely eliminates the exposure
to smoke by taking the smoke out of the house. Further thermal efficient stoves can help in
checking fuel consumption. In terms of fuel saving, an improved Chulha can save 700 kg of
wood equivalent per year. The thermal efficiency of a fixed improved Chulha ranges from 20-25
percent as against 5-10% of a traditional Chulha. Various versions of these improved Chulhas
incorporate some type of chimney that conveys the smoke outdoors, reducing exposures.
11.118
However, the level of maintenance and utilisation of Chulhas is generally low in the project
villages. The findings of the Energy Study indicate that on an average only 24% of the installed
Chulhas are still in use. The Study also confirms the low level of satisfaction by the villagers.
One could see several cases of smokeless Chulhas reconverted to traditional, smoking devices.
Low fuel efficiency and inability to remove smoke were among the main problems mentioned,
which defy the very purpose of the improved cookstoves. In addition, their limited life span (only
1-1.5 years) is a serious drawback. What could be seen was widespread ignorance about the
technical aspects related to the construction of cook stoves and their functioning. Men in general
do not consider this technology very useful. Women like it more but are faced with the
difficulties of maintenance and use. Improper maintenance results in modification of the inner
and outer diameter of the mouth (in about 74% of cookstoves), which results in substantial
reduction of thermal efficiency. Several other technical problems have been identified, and new
models are being developed to tackle them. For example, improved models made of cement or
pottery that should last four to five years are now on trial, also in HCFP.
The problems of air pollution from the traditional cooking stoves and also due to design problems
with improved cooking stoves as well as smokeless Chulhas, were observed (in the current study)
in Rupawas and Dhingsara villages (Hissar Project Division), Nagla Rajputan (Ambala Project
Division) and Baldhan Kalan (Bhiwani Project Division). Data from the microplans shows that in
Bhiwani Project Division, 31% of the households are interested in improved Chulhas, while in
Jatusana it is only 17%. Villages with higher percentage of interested households are Mandoli
Khurd, Kural and Kharkari in Bhiwani Project Division and Parkhottampur and Shyamnagar in
Jatusana Project Division.
Fuel efficient technology: There is no doubt that technical problems can be solved, but this
might not be enough to ensure success of the programme. What is suggested is to adopt an
enhanced participatory approach. The change should be not only from a target approach, as was
done by the NPIC, but also from a need approach, conceived as the provision of right technology
and training. A programme like improved Chulhas, which has met with poor success and
promotes relatively simple devices constructed by trained users, can be handled through a
participatory technology development approach aimed at empowering the users. There is a
change of priority. The focus should shift from giving the users the right technology to
empowering the users to develop their own technology, putting interested users at the centre of
the process instead of the Chulhas. As this technology is still not mature, the idea is to develop it
with and by the beneficiaries, rather than by the technicians for them. This is also stipulated in
the Project Logical Framework, which under the objectively identifiable indicators, states that "by
end of the project (EOP), 50 disadvantaged groups assisted to design, field test, produce and
market energy efficient cookstoves in 10 districts". This should be done in consultation with
women folks since they are the users.
This process approach should start with groups of users identifying problems and solutions in
brainstorming workshops and thereafter through interaction with technicians, select a set of
solutions for field verification. The technician should act as facilitator in a process of local
innovation and testing. By developing the technology the users will be able to master technical
aspects related to maintenance and to the possible modifications required to adapt the Chulhas to
11.119
specific conditions. Situations and needs might also change over time, requiring ability to handle
modifications. Different models could be developed according to users' priorities. For example,
what could be seen is that some women put priority on fuel efficiency while the majority is more
interested in the smoke removal ability of the cookstoves.
The Project could consider promotion of two different types of Chulhas, the improved cookstoves
made of traditional mud material, and the new, longer-lasting cookstoves made of pottery or
cement that are now on trial. These new Chulhas are expected to last 4 to 5 years and can be built
by crafters in a standardised manner, thus overcoming the technical problems related to ensuring
the right design during construction and maintenance. However, their higher cost, Rs. 180/- and
Rs. 210/- for the one and two-pot models, can prevent adoption by low-income groups unless
subsidy rate is high. To ensure that low-income groups are reached by a technology that they can
afford, the project could still promote low-cost improved Chulhas made of mud, provided the
lessons learnt discussed above are incorporated in the programme.
The same organisation that carried out the Energy Study has already installed around 200
improved Chulhas (made of cement) in 5 project villages and has recently been contracted by the
Project to install such Chulhas in another 20 Project villages. Installation is preceded by
awareness camps and household surveys to find out consumer preferences, for better
participation, and is succeeded by post-installation follow-up to ensure proper utilization.
Manufacture of Chulhas is planned to be linked to women Self-Help Groups (SHGs), as an IGA.
Fuelwood plantations: HCFP should lay more stress on plantations of fuelwood species under
Village Woodlots and Farm Forestry components of the Project. At present, most Farm Forestry
initiatives are targeted at timber species such as poplar and Eucalyptus. Very few interventions
concentrate on improving fuelwood availability to the villagers. An analysis of the village
microplans reveals that very few farmers have asked for fuelwood species, both under the Farm
Forestry and Village Woodlots components. They have shown preference for timber species
mainly due to their income earning potential. Though fuelwood scarcity was not identified as a
major problem by the villages at present, it is a crisis in the making with depleting forest cover.
The farmers should therefore be sensitized about the long-term impacts of depleting fuelwood
resources and importance of planting more fuelwood species. It is essential to promote plantation
of fuelwood species on a priority basis. This can be achieved through making it mandatory for
farmers to plant fuelwood species under the Farm Forestry Component. There is a need for a
programmatic change, which should ensure that for every 3 timber species that a farmer asks for,
at least one fuelwood tree is planted. Similarly, plantations of fuelwood species should also be
undertaken under Village Woodlots component. This will help in improving the overall
availability of fuelwood in the study area.
Energy efficient crematoria: Introduction of energy efficient crematoria (Para 7.4) in Project
villages is already on the agenda of HCFP. Two improved crematoria have already been
constructed, with five more to be constructed in the near future.
11.120
Photo 7.1 and 7.2
11.121
Photo 7.3 and 7.4
11.122
8.
LAND ENVIRONMENT
Of the total land area of 43,910 sq. km in Haryana, over 82% (3.622 million ha) are under
agriculture; 0.170 million ha (3.9%) under forest; and over 13% (0.599 million ha) under other
land uses (Table 8.1). Nearly 0.3039 million ha constitute Panchayat land, 0.62 million ha are
under sand dunes and the area affected by salinity and alkalinity stands at 0.45 million ha.
Table 8.1: Land Utilisation in Haryana
Land use
Agriculture (Net area sown)
Forests
Other lands
Total
Area (million ha)

3.622
0.170
0.599
4.391
% of the total
82.5
3.9
13.6
100.0
The cultivable area consists of 1.34 million operational holdings with an average size of 2.7 ha,
22% of which are below 0.4 ha. Land varies in quality from prime cropland to highly degraded
saline/alkali soils and moving sand dunes resulting from deforestation and poor land
management.
There are four main agro-ecological zones in the State, each with its own peculiar problems of
utilization and potentialities for use. These are:
Shiwalik Hills in the northeast, which are steep and comprise of friable sandstone and
conglomerates. The hill slopes represent a severely eroded landscape, which has resulted in
'Cho' (seasonal river) formation in the plains below, mainly due to removal of vegetation in
the hill slopes above, through excessive grazing and indiscriminate exploitation of woody
biomass (Ambala, Yamunanagar and Panchkula districts).
Central Plains wherein as a result of cultivation on marginal lands and increase in irrigated
cropping, large areas have been affected by soil erosion, water logging, salinity and lowering
of groundwater (Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Sonipat, Jind, Panipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar and
parts of Bhiwani, Hissar, Mahendargarh, Rewari, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Ambala and Gurgaon
districts).
The Desert comprising numerous low stabilized and shifting sand dunes in the southwest and
characterized by recurrent droughts and overgrazing with consequent degradation of
vegetation, soil erosion and inducement of livestock migration (Hissar, Bhiwani,
Mahendargarh, Rewari, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts).
Aravalli Hills traversing through the plains in the southwest. Super-imposed on this physical
pattern is the rainfall pattern, which declines from north to south. Denudation of tree cover,
uncontrolled grazing and quarrying of stone are the factors responsible for accentuating
desertification in the zone (Gurgaon, Mahendargarh, Bhiwani, Rewari, and Faridabad
districts).
Forest ecosystems in Haryana occupy an area of 0.170 million ha constituting 3.9% of the total
geographical area of the State. Social and Farm Forestry plantations in the last two Five Year
Plans have helped to raise the tree cover to over 8%. Natural forests cover only 40,000 ha, twothirds of which is degraded and the remaining has a canopy density of 40%.
11.123
Per capita forest area in the State stands at 0.01 ha, far below the country's average 0.11 ha, and
Wood Balance studies have shown that currently (1997-98 to 1999-2000) the State is deficient in
wood production. HFD plans to extend tree cover to over 25% of the land area of the State over a
period of 20 years. The potential areas for this are the common lands, mainly owned by
Panchayats, institutional land, river banks, privately owned sand dunes in western parts, salt
affected and water logged areas in the central and southern plains and degraded hills in the north
and the south. In addition, 350,000 ha of farm bunds also may be available for tree plantation.
From an environmental impact point of view, almost a quarter of the states area is degraded, with
mobile sand dunes in the southwest (about 0.62 million ha are affected by active sand dunes),
saline and alkali soils in the central plains (estimated variously to be between 0.45 and 0.63
million ha) and severely eroded hills (Aravalli and Shivalik ranges) in the south and north. This
degradation is caused by over cutting and overgrazing of vegetation on public, community and
even private lands, poor management of irrigation water in the central plains; increasing
population pressure and uneven distribution of wealth in the rural communities. Landless SC and
other disadvantaged groups in a poverty spiral have no alternatives of income and depend on
access to grazing, fodder and fuelwood on common and public lands.
Population pressure has further manifested itself in change of land use with more and more
common and forest lands being encroached and brought under cultivation. Besides, agricultural
land is being diverted for rural agri-industries such as brick kilns, poultry farms, etc in many
study villages. Also, land is subjected to intensive agriculture (comprising excessive use of
chemical fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) to enhance productivity. All these pressures and other biotic
interferences have had their implications on land including deforestation, depletion of vegetation
with diminished yields of wood and grasses, soil erosion, loss of habitat and biodeversity, water
logging, and alteration of original contours and drainage patterns affecting long-term
productivity. Afforestation is one way to reverse this trend.
Like in other parts of India, villages in Haryana are also highly integrated agro-sylvi-pastoral
systems. In other words, each village has its own croplands, grazing lands, and tree or forestlands,
and each of these land-use components interact with each other. What happens in one component
invariably impacts on the others. This section describes the baseline status of land in HCFP
villages with respect to the extent of degraded land in the area, causes of degradation and
solutions thereof.
The main land related environmental problems in the study area are as follows:
8.1
Soil erosion;
Problem soils ( water logging, salinity and alkalinity);
Shifting sand dunes;
Soil and groundwater contamination;
Wildlife damage.
Soil Erosion
There are essentially two types of soil erosion that are observed in the study area (1) water
erosion, and (2) wind erosion. Wind erosion is more common in Bhiwani, Jatusana and
Hissar Project Divisions, whereas water erosion is prevalent in Ambala and Kurukshetra Project
11.124
Divisions. Soil erosion caused by water is mainly in one of the following forms:
Sheet erosion;
Rill erosion;
Gully erosion;
Stream-bank (Cho) erosion.
8.1.1
Sheet erosion
Sheet erosion removes the productive layer of topsoil from large areas, often from entire fields,
more or less uniformly during every rain which produces a run-off. This type of erosion is very
insidious, since it keeps the farmer almost ignorant of its ill effects. Its existence is detected
mainly by the muddy colour of the run-off from the fields. It is generally neglected, although soil
deteriorates slowly and imperceptibly. Sheet erosion, as an environmental problem affecting crop
productivity, is noticed in nearly all the HCFP villages in Ambala and Kurukshetra Project
Divisions. The topography is undulating and hence the loss is reported to be extensive. Where
sheet erosion is allowed to continue unchecked, the silt-laden run-off forms well defined, but
small rills over entire agricultural fields (Rill erosion). Table 8.2 lists the HCFP villages that are
affected by sheet erosion and the area affected in each of these villages.
Table 8.2: Villages Affected by Sheet Erosion

S. No.
1.
2.
3
4.
5.
Village
Rashidpur
Kakkar Majra
Hangola
Haripur
Ranjeetpur
Note:
NA - Not available
8.1.2
Gully erosion
CD Block
Raipur Rani
Raipur Rani
Raipur Rani
Raipur Rani
Bilaspur
Project Division
Ambala
Ambala
Ambala
Ambala
Kurukshetra
Area affected (acres)

NA
500
150
1,250
100
Gullies are the most visible evidence of soil erosion. Where rill erosion is neglected, rills develop
into wider and deeper channels (gullies) which may assume large sizes (gully erosion). These
gullies tend to deepen and widen with every heavy rainfall. They cut up large fields into small
fragments and in course of time, make them unfit for cultivation. Within the HCFP area, villages
affected by the problem of gully erosion include Nagli and Bhagwanpur in Kurukshetra Project
Division and, Haripur, Hangola and Hangoli in Ambala Project Division.
8.1.3
Stream bank (Cho) erosion
Chos may be defined as hill torrents characterised by wide spreading beds on emergence from the
hills with ill-defined banks, flash flows and swift currents. Usually they are dry water courses,
except during the rainy season when with every heavy downpour in their catchment, they get very
much swollen with flash floods and subside almost to normal after the storm is over. These
sudden and violent flows are responsible for moving immense quantities of detritus, comprising
boulders, shingle, sand and silt. This debris gets deposited in the Cho beds in the form of
scattered islands owing to their sudden widening after emerging from the hills, or owing to
flattening of the gradient in the lower reaches, or because of obstructions caused by natural
vegetation and uprooted trees. In many villages, the bed level of the Cho is raised by these
11.125
deposits, which in turn reduce the transporting capacity of the Cho, resulting in overflows and
meandering of the course and in erosion of banks. The rivers span every year with flash floods
and every time these rivers change their course they erode the fertile agriculture land on their
banks. As is obvious, this type of erosion is observed in the villages located on banks of these
Chos, which are mainly in Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions where it is a serious
environmental problem.
Box 8.1: Irrigation Dams also Check Soil Erosion - Nagli villagers!!
Nagli village of Kurukshetra Project Division is located in the foothills of the Shiwalik Hills. There
are in all 261 households with a population of 1,652. Most of the villagers either work as labourers
and/or rear livestock for their livelihood. About 80% of the village Panchayat land (of totally 600
acres) is located on the hills and therefore villagers dependence on these hills is but natural. However,
this dependence resulted in excessive forest exploitation for meeting their fuelwood, fodder and other
requirements, leading to a lot of soil erosion during rains. Further, Nagliwali stream that used to be
perennial has turned into a seasonal one. Flash flows in this stream during the rainy season is further
eroding agricultural lands adjacent to it. The torrent is spanning every year and has already eroded 165
acres of agricultural land on both its sides.
Many ongoing projects in the region have identified and worked on this problem. The main attempt
has been to construct check dams in the hills to prevent soil erosion. Three water harvester structures
were constructed in the village (between 1995 to 1997 by the State Agricultural Department and the
Kandi Project) to make irrigation water available to the villagers and to prevent soil erosion, under the
JFM programme. These have been fairly successful .
Excessive erosion is also taking place in the village due to Guhi and Tibdiya Chos flowing through it.
Villagers believe that constructing check dams on these Chos will enable them to irrigate 100 acres
more land and also control the problem of soil erosion.
Table 8.3 indicates the villages affected by stream bank erosion.
Table 8.3: Villages Affected by Stream Bank Erosion

S.
No.
1.
Village
CD Block
Bhagwanpur
Bilaspur
Project
division
Kurukshetra
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Nagli
Ranjeetpur
Shergarh
Sultanpur
Bakhtua
Nagla Rajputan
Natwal
Tabar
Tasrauli
Haripur
Kheri
Bilaspur
Bilaspur
Bilaspur
Bilaspur
Naraingarh
Naraingarh
Raipur Rani
Raipur Rani
Raipur Rani
Raipur Rani
Raipur Rani
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Ambala
Ambala
Ambala
Ambala
Ambala
Ambala
Ambala
Note:
Area (acres)
Area affected depends on the flow in the
Cho
135
100-150
8
10-35
40
40
NA
10
100
2,500
100
NA - Not available
11.126
While some plantations have been raised/planned in the catchments of some of the Chos causing
bank erosion in the above villages (Table 8.3) as also check dams constructed in the upper
reaches, the intensity of erosion is often such that these measures are not sufficient. Down stream
bank protection measures such as construction of spurs, Gabions have also been undertaken.
While afforestation programmes along with construction of check dams in the upper catchments
need to be intensified, down stream bank protection measures should be continued. The
concerned areas need to be fully protected through peoples participation.
8.2
Problem Soils (Water Logging, Salinity and Alkalinity)
Soil salinity/alkalinity and water logging conditions prevail either in isolation or in combination
with each other, generally in arid and semi-arid irrigated areas. These man-made problems
originated and developed mainly due to extension and improvement of canal irrigation. A large
number of causative factors, listed below, are reported to be responsible for salinity/alkalinity and
water logging problems in the study area:
Higher seepage losses;

Poor operation and maintenance of canal networks;
Introduction of canal irrigation in marginal lands;
Mismanagement of canal irrigation;
High subsidy on canal irrigation;
Poor groundwater quality (saline groundwater);
Location specific reasons such as poor drainage, porosity of soil, lack of drainage outlet,
presence of shallow hard pan below soil surface, etc.
Soil salinity or alkalinity or both have had many adverse effects, as summarised below:
Causing low yields of crops or crop failure in extreme cases;

Limitation on the choice of crops, because some crops are sensitive to salinity or alkalinity or
to both;
Rendering the quality of fodder poor, as at times the fodder grown on alkali soils may contain
a high amount of molybdenum and a low amount of zinc, causing nutritional imbalance and
diseases among livestock;
Causing excessive run-off and floods owing to low infiltration, resulting in damage to crops
in the adjoining areas.
8.2.1
Water logging
Water logging is reported in those villages of Hissar Project Division that are located adjacent to
irrigation canals, the main cause being the seepage of water to cultivable land through seepage
from canals and its distributaries. In many of the villages, water is logged in fields for more than
4-5 months. The extent of waterlogged area increases after rains. This water logging makes the
soil saline and unsuitable for cultivation29. In Tarkanwali village (Hissar Project Division), the
area is periodically affected by water logging with salts building up in the soil (Photo 8.1). There
are approximately 250 to 300 acres waterlogged in this village for the last 7 years, because of
29
The main cause for salinity is that in arid and semi-arid areas, salts formed during the weathering of soil minerals are
not fully leached. During the periods of higher than average rainfall, the soluble salts are leached from the more
permeable high-lying areas to the low-lying areas, where, if the drainage is restricted, salts accumulate on the surface as
water evaporates. In areas having a salt layer at lower depths in the profile, seasonal irrigation may favour the upward
movement of the salts.
11.127
seepage from the canal, which accumulates in low lying farming areas. In the year 2000, the
monsoon was less intense and therefore part of the waterlogged area is being cultivated with
wheat.
Table 8.4 lists the HCFP villages affected by water logging and the extent of affected area. In
villages affected by rising water tables and with areas under mild water logging, villagers have
planned plantation of Eucalyptus to help in removal of the excess water, both under Woodlots and
Farm Forestry components of the Project.
Table 8.4: Villages Affected by Water Logging

S. No.
Village
CD Block
1.
Makho Sarani
2.
Rupana Khurd
3.
Rupawas
4.
Tarkanwali
5.
Kirdhan
Nathusari
Chaupta
Nathusari
Chaupta
Nathusari
Chaupta
Nathusari
Chaupta
Bhattu Kalan
6.
7.
Mehuwala
Dhingsara
Bhattu Kalan
Bhattu Kalan
Project
Division
Hissar
Area (acres)
Hissar
40 acres throughout the year; 350 acres

after rains
300 acres after rains
Hissar
Hissar

after rains
after rains
after rains
Hissar
Hissar
Hissar
The negative effects of water logging are a threat to the sustainability of land resources, decreased
farm production by abandoned crop production, decline in resource productivity, and cut-back in
resource use. High water and salt stress affects the net returns of all crops and, in affected areas,
crop yields come down.
Box 8.2: Water logging - Mehuwala villagers!
More than 250 years old Mehuwala village is located on the FatehabadBhattu road, with 798
households and a population of 4,575. The total area of the village is 6,457 acres of which 5,930 is
being used for cultivation. About 4,900 acres of cultivated land is irrigated, main sources of irrigation
being tubewells and canal water. About 600 acres of village land are waterlogged and more than 300
acres are saline.
The problem of water logging started in the village only after construction of the Fatehabad branch
canal in the year 1953. Before this, irrigation was mainly rainfed. After the canal, about 100 acres of
land along the canal have been waterlogged. Villagers believe that this is happening because the canal
is damaged at many places, which allows water to percolate to the nearby areas, causing water levels
to go up. There is generally no natural vegetation in water-logged land and part of this land also turns
saline (locally known as Shora). Farmers have to add zinc in Shora lands to get crops of wheat,
mustard, etc. This saline land only allows grass that is used as a fodder to grow. Frash (Tamrix)
shrubs that are used for fuelwood are also grown. It is reported that peacocks get stuck into these
shrubs and are killed by dogs. As a result, the number of peacocks has come down significantly in
Mehuwala and Kirdhan villages.
11.128
8.2.2
Saline soils
As discussed above, water logging leads to salinity in many cases. Rise in the water table within 2
m of the surface due to irrigation, the obstruction of natural drainage because of developmental
activities (roads, canals, etc.), and siltation of natural drainage may also cause soil salinity. In all
these cases, restricted drainage is usually the main reason. However, salinization is also caused
due to irrigation of soils with saline water. For example, the groundwater in Bhiwani, Jatusana
and Hissar Project Divisions is highly saline, but as groundwater is a major source of irrigation,
farmers have no choice but to use it. This makes the land saline and leaves a layer of salt in the
fields. Land fragmentation and differences in cropping management have also helped in the
spread of salinity. Differences in cropping patterns and irrigation levels between adjacent farmers
can spread salinity by creating the right conditions for salts to migrate from high to low spots,
from crop areas with more frequent irrigation to those with less frequency, and from wet soils to
relatively dry soils. Yields of important crops are reported to decline substantially due to
irrigation-induced salinity and water logging. The study villages affected by salinity and the
extent of area affected is indicated in Table 8.5.
Table 8.5: Villages Affected by Salinity

S. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Note:
Village
Makho Sarani
Rupana Khurd
Rupawas
Tarkanwali
Kirdhan
Mehuwala
Dhingsara
Prahlad garh
Bhurthala
Parkhottampur
Mundain
CD Block
Nathusari Chaupta
Nathusari Chaupta
Nathusari Chaupta
Nathusari Chaupta
Bhattu Kalan
Bhattu Kalan
Bhattu Kalan
Bhiwani
Nahad
Jatusana
Kanina
Project Division
Hissar
Hissar
Hissar
Hissar
Hissar
Hissar
Hissar
Bhiwani
Jatusana
Jatusana
Jatusana
Area affected(acres)
20
25
80
NA
100
300
300
250
300
80-100
200
NA - Not available
When sodium ions predominate in the soil solution and carbonates are present, alkali soils are
formed. These soils do not contain any large amount of neutral salts and, as such, the electrical
conductivity is less than 4 mmhos/cm. The detrimental effect of alkali soil on plants is largely due
to toxicity of a high amount of exchangeable sodium.
Different types of saline and alkali soils may occur singly or in association, depending on their
process of formation and physiographic position. Also, the degree of salinity or alkalinity may
vary. Thus the salt affected soils differ a great deal in their physico-chemical characteristics and,
as such, methods of their reclamation also differ. If the problem is only salinity, the salts need to
be leached below the root-zone and not allowed to come up. This may be difficult in deep soils
with more salt at lower levels. Provision of sub-surface drains may be the only solution in such
cases. The reclamation of alkali soils needs addition of a soil amendment containing soluble
calcium salts (such as gypsum). In the course of reclamation, sodium is replaced by calcium and
sodium slats, thus formed, are leached out.
11.129
The potentiality of land, present land use, cost of operations and other socioeconomic factors of the region are some of the factors which have to be
taken into consideration for identifying specific reclamation measures.
Another important consideration is that community approaches of land
reclamation are expected to be more successful. The small and
fragmented size of land holdings is incompatible with the technological
interventions required for controlling water logging. Therefore, community
based interventions are required to make available options financially
viable for small farmers. All programmatic interventions should aim at
farmers' participation by creating the right type of institutional
infrastructure. Some technical reclamation methods have been tried by
the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal, and Haryana
Agricultural University (HAU), Hissar, in Haryana. Some of the more
successful ones are mentioned hereafter.
Reclamation of saline land: Saline lands are to be reclaimed to check long-term impact of this
problem. CSSRI has developed a technique based on the use of fertilizers, gypsum and specific
high yielding varieties of rice and wheat that have been found to be effective on these soils. The
Institute's experience shows that 2.5 mha of such deteriorated soils can be made to produce seven
to eight tonnes per ha of rice and wheat annually from the third year of reclamation. It is
recommended that 2 to 15 tonnes per ha of gypsum should be added depending on the condition
of the soil. This improves the top 15 cm of the soil, which is sufficient, if a proper choice of crop
is made. Application of gypsum with adequate and appropriate irrigation and fertilization helps
in pushing down the sodium salts deeper into the soil.
Rehabilitation of sodic/alkali soils: Although the presence of alkali/saline patches
(called Rann) is an environmental issue in only two villages i.e. Rawalwas
Kalan (4 acres) in Hissar Project Division and Kudal (50 acres) in Bhiwani
Project Division, it would be desirable to promote low-cost technical
solutions to reclaim these lands as a pilot experience for the many
saline/alkali soils in the State. CSSRI, Karnal has proposed an agroforestry
system based on association of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) with Karnal
grass (Leptochloa fusca). These plants are resistant to high sodic
conditions and can be established on barren land without amendment.
After growing Karnal grass for four years, other useful agricultural crops
can be grown in association with mesquite, through succession phases
and without application of amendments.
Green manuring for reclamation of sodic land: Increase of organic matter in soil is another
way to decrease the negative impact on crops of brackish water used for irrigation. Green
manuring with species like Sesbania, is a traditional practice that is now being lost in favour of
modern agricultural practices characterised by high level of chemical inputs. The comparative
advantages of green manuring have been well documented. For example, a study on wheat-rice
cultivation by HAU, comparing three treatments of green manuring, FYM and normal chemical
fertilizer practice, found that green manuring gave the best results in terms of both yield and net
return. Farmers are also well aware of the benefits of high organic matter in soils, as they say that
the negative effect of salt on the crops is less felt in case of application of high rates of FYM. In
fact, organic matter hastens the process of sodic soil reclamation by decreasing pH and
exchangeable Na. Extension work on these topics could be promoted with NGOs in villages
affected by utilization of brackish groundwater for irrigation.
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8.3 Shifting Sands

The problem of moving sand dunes is prevalent in the Project Divisions of Hissar, Bhiwani and
Jatusana, where the topography is undulating and characterised by sand dunes, 5 to 6 ft. high
which are very common in the area (Photo 8.2). These dunes are being cultivated. There are no
sand dunes in Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions.
The area is prone to heavy dust storms during summer and the villages most affected by these
dust storms are Dhingsara, Mithi, Bakrianwali, Shakar Mandori, Bandaheri, Dhana Ladanpur,
Babdoli, and Sundrah. Crops in this area cannot withstand strong winds and get lodged. In fact,
sand forms a layer on the topsoil, hindering germination of seeds, which leads to loss of summer
crops. In Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions, shifting sand dunes have also led to loss of
agricultural land due to wind erosion. Associated with these dust storms is the problem of dust
pollution, which has been dealt with under Para 4.3 earlier.
Almost the entire area of sand dunes in Jatusana Project Division has been stabilised and is now
cultivated with sprinkler irrigation (Photo 8.3). While sprinkler irrigation is also used in Bhiwani
Project Division for cultivation, most sand dunes in Hissar are rainfed. The villagers are now
leveling these sand dunes as their cultivation is otherwise expensive and effort taking. Whereas
this leveling is done through tractors in Hissar (Photo 8.4), water is used for the same in Bhiwani
and Jatusana areas. Water is released from the top under heavy pressure, thus forcing the dunes to
level. On an average 5-10 acres of land is being leveled every year.
Sand dunes stabilisation, through afforestation, is being undertaken by HCFP and is limited to
Hissar and Bhiwani Project Divisions. The total area under moving sands in these two Divisions
is not known. Available data refers to marginal land, which is likely to include also the partially
stabilised sand dunes used for rainfed farming. About 30% of this marginal land has been
earmarked for plantations under the Sand Dune Model (Table 8.6).
Table 8.6 - Plantations on Sand Dunes
On panchayat lands
On private lands
Total
Average per village
Hissar
ha
79
527
606
67.3
%
13
87
100
Bhiwani
ha
37
1620
1657
184.1
%
2
98
100
Total
ha
116
2147
2263
125.7
%
5
95
100
Of the proposed plantations, 95% are planned on private lands. In Hissar Project Division,
farmers cultivate on the sand dunes a monsoon crop, and whenever possible, a winter crop too,
generally gram. This cultivation practice is called Mavatha locally. If there is one rainfall after
the monsoon harvest, farmers plough the dunes and sow immediately after. The harvest of gram
depends on the availability of a couple of winter rains, which happens on an average once every
three years. The environmental problems related to this agricultural practice is that it increases
wind erosion and loss of topsoil during the years of failure, when natural vegetation or crops do
not cover the ploughed sand dunes (Photo 8.5).
In Bhiwani Project Division, 36% of the private sand dunes have been planned for plantations.
However, farmers have generally opted for plantations only on field boundaries (71%) and not for
block plantation (only 29% have opted for this). This confirms that most of farmers do not want
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to convert sand dunes into tree lands but wish to continue practising agriculture. HCFP has
catered to this need by introducing a modified plantation model with wider spacing that allows
for crop cultivation. Interviews show that for a majority of farmers the maximum tree density
inside the fields should not exceed 60 to 70 trees per ha. It is likely that, in order to increase this
density to the density of the modified model (278 plants/ha), participatory extension and
demonstration work will have to be done to identify tree lay out and spacing arrangements that
are acceptable to the farmers and can provide effective stabilisation of the dunes.
Regarding species selection, Jhanti agro-forestry system could be one of the best choices to
stabilise sand dunes utilised for marginal rainfed farming (Photo 8.6). This is the traditional,
well-known agroforestry system in the southern and western districts bordering Rajasthan. It is
highly appreciated by farmers because this species improves soil conditions, has low direct
competition with crops, and produces excellent fodder. According to farmers, the main
competition factor is related to the canopy intercepting early rains, which might result in lower
seed germination under the tree. The tree canopy is lopped every year or two after the monsoon
season. Tree density in this village can reach 80-90 tree/ha. The number of naturally growing
Jhanti is steadily decreasing due to the shift from draught to tractor ploughing. Scattered
seedlings growing randomly are heavily damaged while seedlings growing in lines, as in alley
cropping systems, have better chances. As an alternative to transplanting, direct sowing in lines
should be tried because Jhanti seedlings are difficult to transplant and the species regenerate well
in the area.
Promote farm bunding: In areas prone to sand storms, farm bunding should be promoted to
retain the topsoil and to obstruct deposits of sand in the farms. Farmers should be involved in
contour bunding. Direct sowing of fodder grasses and tree species can be promoted in
combination with fencing work. Villagers didn't plan any windbreaks in the fields but their
preference for linear plantations is expected to have a positive impact. When planning farm
forestry interventions in areas at risk, care should be taken to orient the tree lines to contrast the
prevailing winds.
Monetary incentives for farm protection: Some adjustments should be considered in relation
to tree establishment and protection. Construction of cattle-proof trenches may not be suitable for
farming areas. In addition, giving the responsibility to outsiders for planting and protecting trees
on farmlands during the first years is normally regarded as not appropriate for agroforestry
interventions. Provision of monetary incentives to the farmer (survival bonus), as per the Farm
Forestry model with a possible increase of the bonus due to the harsher conditions of sand dunes,
might work better than giving to the Forest Department the responsibility for planting and
protection of trees for the first three years. Special arrangements for assessment of the survival
rate should be made in case of direct sowing of Jhanti. For example, the project could pay up to a
maximum number of surviving seedlings based on the agreed maximum density per line unit.
8.4
Soil and Ground Water Contamination
Two main causes of soil and groundwater contamination in the study area are (1) wastewater
management and solid waste disposal practices of rural agri-industries, and (2) excessive use of
fertilizers and pesticides. Waste management and wastewater disposal practices of rural agriindustries have already been discussed in Section 6.0. This Section deals with excessive use of
fertilizers and pesticides as a source of soil and groundwater contamination. Extensive and
excessive contamination of soil, water crops, and other products used as food and fodder and
pollution of the environment with pesticide residues are matters of serious concern.
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8.4.1
Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides
Due to pressures for increasing food production, use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has
become an integral part of modern crop-management practices, to increase crop productivity and
to ward off crop diseases and pests. The average inputs of fertilizers, pesticides and weedicides
for key crops, grown in the study area are presented in Table 8.7.
Table 8.7: Average Inputs of Fertilizers, Pesticides and Weedicides For Key Crops
Crop
Paddy
Fertilizers used
(per acre)
50 kg DAP (diammonium
phosphate ) and 100 kg Urea
50 kg DAP and 200 kg Urea
Sugarcane
Fodder Crops
Mustard

150 kg Urea
Wheat
Bajra (Millet)
Gram
Guar
Cotton
50 kg DAP
Pesticides used
(per acre)
100 gm Endosulfan
5 kg Chai Patti
(tea leaves)
7 liter Gammaxene
1 liter For-8
250 gm
Monocrotophos
250 gm
Monocrotophos
Weedicides used
(per acre)
1 liter Meltrone
-
While the use of chemical fertilizers is on the rise in most of the villages on the one hand, the use
of organic wastes and crop residues as manure is reducing. One reason for this neglect seems to
be that Government subsidies given to chemical fertilisers are so readily available to farmers that
they are tending to underplay the importance of organic manures and plant residues. But a major
reason is the lack of cooking energy in villages. Consequently, villagers are burning cowdung and
agricultural residues instead of returning them to the soil. This extensive use of chemical
fertilizers has resulted in micronutrient depletion and significant loss of soil fertlility.
It is estimated that crop damage is as high as 20% where pesticides30 are not used. In India, 143
pesticides are registered, with an annual consumption of about 85,000 tonnes. Organochlorine
pesticides like DDT (dioxy-dicholoro-triethane), BHC (benzene hexa-chloride), and aldrin have
been popular among Indian farmers because of simplicity in their application, efficiency and good
returns31. Pesticides are currently used on 25% of the total cultivated area in India.
There are various routes through which pesticides may find their way into human and livestock
bodies. Most pesticides, particularly insecticides (constituting over 70% of the pesticides used in
India), are inherently poisonous. Plants sprayed with pesticides become toxic, though toxicity of
pesticides is not permanent. Soon after they are applied to a crop, pesticides start breaking down
30
Pesticides include chemicals to protect crops from insects (insecticides), weeds (herbicides), disease-causing
microorganisms (fungicides and bactericides), mites (acaricides), nematodes (nematicides), and rodents (rodenticides).
Pesticides also includes chemicals that control pests directly hazardous to animals and humans, particularly vectorssuch as mosquitoes, flies, fleas, ticks and lice-that transmit diseases.
31
Organochlorine pesticides are fat soluble and their intake results in their accumulation in body tissue. As a result
these pesticides can be transferred from mother to babies in the foetus or through mothers milk. According to studies,
residents of India contain the highest level of DDT in the world-of the order of 28 ppm.
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due to the action of plant enzymes or environmental factors such as light, temperature and wind.
After some time, the concentration of pesticide falls below Maximum Residue Limit (MRL), a
level of pesticide residues considered safe for daily consumption. The harmful effects of a
pesticide depend on its toxicological properties and the degree of exposure of humans to the
residues. Thus, the hazards associated with pesticide residues depend mainly on two factors:
Concentration or level of residues;

Toxicity to humans or other life forms.
During pesticide application, some pesticide falls on the ground, contaminating the soil. The
pesticides are detoxified in the soil by adsorption and degradation. However, their presence in the
soil for a long time could adversely affect its fertility, besides contaminating nearby water bodies.
Pesticides can also contaminate groundwater as the soil soaks in rain and irrigation water. The
presence of pesticides in groundwater is a matter of serious concern, as pesticides cannot be
filtered out using most filtration techniques. In addition, if contaminated groundwater is used for
irrigation, it can be a potential source of pollution for crops. Pesticides in cultivated soils in India
are found to range from 0.02 to 15 parts per million (ppm) for DDT and 0.0124 - 0.02 ppm of
BHC. These pesticides find their way into crops from the contaminated soil.
Pesticides in water are toxic at very small concentrationsof the order of a few thousand
nanogram (one billionth of a gram) per litre (ng/l). It has been reported that all major rivers of
India are contaminated with DDT (21,900 ng/l), BHC (272,000 ng/l), endosulfan (2,890 ng/l) and
aldrin (1,500 ng/l). Pesticides have also been reported in rural drinking water. DDT and BHC
have been detected most frequently, besides endosulfan, aldrin and heptachlor.
A two year study on pesticide residues in food commodities, sponsored by Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) was carried out at Panjab Agricultural University
(PAU), Ludhiana. Samples were collected from Panjab, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Almost all food commodities in India are reported to be contaminated
with residues of pesticides, particularly DDT and BHC. In the 1,651 samples of cereals analysed,
53% contained residues of DDT (ranging from traces to 12 ppm) and 31% contained BHC (traces
to 20 ppm). About 66% samples of a popular brand of butter contained DDT residues above the
MRL. Similarly, out of 2,154 samples of vegetables analysed, 27% contained DDT (traces to 35
ppm) and 28% BHC (traces to 60 ppm). Samples of milk taken from 120 mothers in Panjab
contained residues of DDT (0.24-0.50 ppm) and BHC (0.07-0.18 ppm).
Also, there are environmental hazards related to proper handling of pesticides, appropriate
spraying, disposal of empty containers, and the like.
High levels of nitrate pollution in groundwater have been found in several villages of the three
Project Divisions of Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana. This could be linked, among others, to
overuse of urea in the agricultural fields. Though promotion of organic fertilizers might also have
a long-term impact on the quality of drinking water in the villages, a balanced use of chemical
and biofertilizers may provide a solution that would allow farmers to maintain (and increase) the
crop productivity without damaging soil and groundwater environmental conditions.
Some of the suggested interventions are as follows:
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8.5
The consumption of pesticides in India is very low about 400 g/ha, as compared to 1,470
g/ha in the United States and 1,870 g/ha in Europe and 10,790 g/ha in Japan. Yet the level of
pesticide residues in human tissues is much lower in these countries and regions. The main
reason for high residues in India is the indiscriminate use of persistent organochlorine
pesticides. Farmers are mostly illiterate and do not use these pesticides as per
recommendations. Besides leaving residues, consistent use of these pesticides has also led to
development of resistance among pests and vectors, and adverse effect on non-target
organisms. The Project should initiate extension work to educate villagers on optimum use of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides, highlighting negative impacts of excessive usage. Farmers
should be trained in the safe use of pesticides.
The use of most pesticides that are toxic and persist in the environment for long periods have
been banned in India. Twelve pesticides - endrin, chlordane, heptachlor,
dibromochloropropane, toxaphere, penta-chloro-nitrobenzene, pentachlorophenol, ethyl
parathion, nitrofen, tetradifon, paraquat dimethyl sulphate and aldrin - were banned in June
1993 and BHC on April 1, 1997. Alternatives are now available, like DDT can easily be
replaced with synthetic pyrethroids, which are biodegradable, effective at low dosages with
low toxicity for mammals. However, these alternatives are more expensive and require proper
handling and application. Considerable research has been conducted to develop non-chemical
pest control methods, but it has not reached a stage where pesticides could be dispensed with
altogether. Botanic preparations and biopesticides are emerging as viable alternatives to
synthetic pesticides. These bio-control methods can supplement the use of chemical methods
to some extent. However, there is a general consensus that use of synthetic pesticides will
continue in the near future. Recently, some pesticides have been developed that are
biodegradable, are safe for mammals, have a low residual life and do not harm non-target
organisms. There has also been an emphasis on integrated pest management (IPM) where
chemical and biological pesticides are used together. All these need to be promoted in the
HCFP villages through extension work.
Under intensive cropping, soil fertility can probably be built up only with balanced manuring.
Studies have repeatedly shown that crop yields are higher when chemical fertilisers have been
used to supplement application of organic manure and crop residues as compared to situations
in which chemical fertilisers have been exclusively used. Organic manures have a direct
effect on soil fertility, as they are valuable sources of both major and micronutrients. They
also improve other soil properties by improving soil structure and by changing its physical
properties like water-holding capacity (thereby reducing soil erosion), porosity and hydraulic
conductivity. Organic manures also increases microbiological activity in the soil, which often
has a beneficial effect on crop yields. Integrated use of chemical and bio-fertlizers should,
therefore, be encouraged in villages through extension methods emphasizing the use of FYM
in agricultural fields rather than as a fuel, for obvious reasons. As dung is largely being used
as a fuel in most of the villages, substitution may only be possible by making more fuelwood
available to the villagers.
Wildlife Damage
There is lot of wildlife damage to crops mainly by Nilgai (blue bull), wild boar, and black
buck and this has turned out to be the most important environmental problem in HCFP
villages. Reportedly, Nilgai causes the maximum damage (Photo 8.7).. In some villages, the
crop damage is estimated to be of the order of 40-50%. Villagers believe that the reasons
for an increase in this problem in recent years are as follows:
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In Nagli village of Kurukshetra Project Division, Nilgai and wild boar are two main problems
of the village. Plantations have not been successful in this area because wild boar rubs itself
with the trunk of Eucalyptus trees. During this process, the bark is removed and the trees
ultimately die.
The number of Nilgais has increased to such an extent that they have started coming down
from the hills and destroy crops in the plains.
As the population of carnivorous animals such as tigers is coming down, the number of
Nilgais has increased in Hissar area and they can be sighted during the day.
The increased forest cover in the foothills of the Shiwaliks has caused wild animals to come
down in these newly established forests. In Hangoli village (Ambala Project Division),
villagers mentioned that there was not so much forest around their villages 40-50 years back.
Farmers fear that woodlots will provide habitat for wildlife closer to their fields.
Resource availability in the upper reaches of hills is depleting, forcing the wildlife to look for
alternatives and in the process, they are coming down to agriculture fields for food.
Frequent damages by wild animals have forced villagers to guard their fields all through day and
night, in shifts. However, as agricultural fields are spread over a large area, 100% guarding is
impossible. People have to watch their fields in cold winters to avoid damage to crops. In
comparison to Ambala, Bhiwani and Jatusana, Hissar villagers suffer more wild life damage. The
extensive damage to crops has led some villages to hire guards (Chowkidars) for their fields. In
Allaudin village of Bhiwani Project Division, the villagers have appointed 3 watchmen just for
this purpose. They are paid Rs. 10/-per household, per month, and also 40 kg of wheat and rice
during the harvesting season.
The Government of Maharashtra has decided to allow farmers to kill wild boar and Nilgai found
damaging their crops under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. However, this is not believed to be
the best solution as culling of wildlife should generally be the last-resort to be carried out by
trained and authorised personnel and not by issuing permits to the farmers, which may defeat the
very purpose of wildlife conservation. Some other solutions that are under discussion include (1)
A crop insurance scheme for farms falling within five km of national parks and forest lands was
discussed in a high-powered meeting of Forest officials in Coimbatore on January 30, 2001. At
present, livestock loss because of predators is compensated at a maximum of Rs. 3,000/- for
cows, bullock and buffaloes; and a maximum of Rs. 1,000/- for goats and sheep (2) Also crop
protection measures such as building fences and trenches, planting crops not popular with grazers
are some other methods to be explored. The situation should be monitored closely because in
several villages damages are reported to be on the increase.
The most important measure, however, is to rehabilitate the depleted habitats of wildlife to
increase resource availability for their shelter and food so that they do not damage the crops. In
this context, HCFP with its various components is trying of achieve this objective.
8.6
Termite Damage
Damage by termites of woodlots established under previous projects is an important problem in

most of the villages. In the last 3 years, termite attacks have increased, especially on Kikar trees
leading to their death. It was found that little is being done in this regard. Interviews revealed that
one of the reasons is that people need access to wood resources, which on an individual basis is
11.136
perceived as more important than monetary benefits for the Panchayats. Termites serve the
purpose of killing trees, which then can be harvested by people in need. This problem needs
immediate investigation, as it seems to be resulting in substantial losses.
Photo 8.1 and 8.2
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Photo 8.3 and 8.4
11.138
Photo 8.5 and 8.6
11.139
Photo 8.7
11.140
9.
LIVESTOCK
Animal husbandry is an integral part of the livelihood systems of the people of Haryana, both the
poor and the elite. For villages, livestock means transport, power, fertilizer and food. The
livestock sector continues to demonstrate a beneficial impact, particularly on the rural poor, by
improving their income, employment and consumption and thereby acting as a potential tool in
alleviating rural poverty. It is estimated that a rural household, in Haryana, on an average, keeps
five heads of livestock to meet their milk, draught power, manure and energy (dung cakes),
requirements. Increasing demand for milk and animal products from urban centres is also a major
incentive for people to rear livestock. Livestock plough a significant proportion of cropping
land32 even in this era of mechanization and contribute a significant quantum of manure and fuel
to the rural population. As per available estimates, livestock contributes about 8 per cent to the
gross national product of the country and Rs. 900 billion worth of output by way of milk, work,
dung, fibre, meat and skin, among other things.
Agriculture, land management, livelihoods are all intricately built around livestock. As depicted
in Figure 9.1, land, livestock and people form an interdependent system in which livestock is an
important resource (and a companion) for the villagers, both during and after its lifetime.
Needless to say that livestock also has a strong interface with environmental surroundings,
because in one way it creates demand on natural resources for meeting its basic requirements of
food and water which have to be met and in another way, it creates wastes which need to be
managed to minimize their environmental impact.
With a livestock population of over 9.9 million (1992), the pressure of grazing both in forest and
common lands is very high. There are areas with (i) high livestock pressure (Ambala,
Kurukshetra Districts etc.), (ii) moderate livestock pressure (foothills of the Shiwaliks), and (iii)
low livestock pressure (Bhiwani, Rewari Districts etc.) where sheep and goats predominate. A
large proportion of the livestock throughout the State is uneconomic and their unfettered grazing
in public, community and even in private lands is, no doubt, a cause of environmental
degradation.
This section presents the baseline assessment of livestock in HCFP villages with respect to the
type of livestock in different Divisions and impact of livestock on the village ecosystem.
9.1
Livestock Holdings
In general, it has been observed that the livestock population in Haryana villages is significantly
higher than in other parts of the country (9.9 million in 1992). Within HCFP villages, minimum
number of livestock is noted in Purkhottampur village of Jatusana division, with 355 head of
livestock for a total village population of 2,200, giving a livestock holding ratio of 1:6.2. On the
other hand, maximum livestock was noted in Nagla Rajputan with a livestock population of 1,372
for a human population of 1,103 i.e. more than one animal per person in the village. However, on
an average, each family in the study area owns 5-6 animals mainly, for self-use. The big
landowners in the village have a relatively higher number of livestock. It is noted that some
castes such as Jats, Gujjars and Rajputs have more livestock per family than others.
32
Its is estimated that livestock are used to plough about 60 million hectares of cropping land in India.
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Figure 9.1: Livestock Economics
11.142
Box 9.1: Cows Are Sacred To All Hindus!!

In Hindu belief, Gobar (cow dung) and Gaumutra (cow urine) are considered pure and invaluable.
Laxmi, the goddess of prosperity, is said to reside in Gobar. The fertility of soil is believed to have been
maintained for millennia by Gobar and Gaumutra. Other uses of Gobar and Gaumutra include
medicinal applications, manure for agricultural fields and a cheap and easy way of obtaining fuel in rural
India. Cow urine has been shown to light a torch.
Also, in Hindu belief, Gaudaan (donating a cow to a poor person) is considered as important an act as
Kanyadaan (giving a daughter to the future husband in a marriage ceremony). This explains the special
status of cattle, especially cows. Giving a poor person a cow ensured that he/she would survive with
dignity because there were pastures aplenty with a wide variety of grasses. The common grazing areas,
called Gauchar (also called Gocharan/Gaucharan), had as special a status in land management, as
important as the status of cattle.
The villages of Bhiwani, Jatusana and Hissar Project Divisions are mainly involved in rearing of
buffaloes, cows, oxen, goats, sheep, camels and pigs, whereas villages of Kurukshetra and
Ambala Project Divisions rear buffaloes, cows, oxen, goats, pigs, chickens and horses. The
population of buffalos is reported to be the highest in almost all the villages. This could be
attributed to the increasing importance given to buffaloes as milch animals and relatively
declining dependence on cattle for draught power33. Various uses of livestock in rural economy
are as follows:
Buffaloes
:
:
:
:
Cows
Oxen
Horses
Donkeys
Camel
Sheep
Goats
Mainly for milk and draught power; Villagers prefer to have buffaloes
because they produce more milk (relative to cows), have better resistance
to diseases, need less care and also have more draught power.
Mainly for milk
For draught power and ploughing
As draught power (for Rehras34)
For carrying loads within or upto nearby villages and also as draught
power (for Rehras)
For carrying loads within or upto nearby villages and also as draught
power for camel carts and Rehras
For wool; villagers from Hangola go to other places for selling their
sheep
For meat and milk
Small landowners and landless families generally rear chickens, sheep, goats and pigs because of
the following reasons:
Their feed needs are minimum;

They are less expensive;
They dont occupy much space in the household; and
They fetch better monetary value.
33
Government subsidies are available for purchasing tractors and this has resulted in a relative decline in use of
livestock for draught power.
34
These are local carts, which are pulled by either donkeys or horses.
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Most of the rich families of the village keep them in separate sheds away from the main
households. This is, however, affordable only by those who have enough land and resources to
maintain them separately. In other cases, animals are generally kept within the household either a
little bit away from the main living area of the household or just next to it. The latter is more
common for the very poor households of the villages. For example, in Sanghaur village in
Kurukshetra Project Division, 6-7 Jat families of the village have separate sheds for the animals
either in their agricultural lands or other land within the village. The Gadariya community of the
same village, which are very poor, have animals just next to their living area within the
household.
9.2
Livestock As a Resource
As is clear from the above description, three main uses of livestock during their productive
lifetime are for milk, draught power and for dung. Dung is used both as a source of energy (in the
form of dung cakes) and also as manure (after decomposition along with other organic wastes).
9.2.1 Source of milk

Traditionally, milk was never sold in the villages and was meant for calves only, with the surplus
being used in-house among the family. There was no market for it as virtually every household
had cows. Though the situation has not changed much within the villages, the demand of milk
from neighbouring urban centres has made rearing of milch animals an attractive business
proposition for the villagers. Further, the provision of dairy cattle under credit-linked anti-poverty
programmes has made livestock rearing a major source of sustenance to the poor. The average
yield from a buffalo is approximately 12-14 litres per day, whereas the same for a cow is about 810 litres per day. In Shergarh village, two families are involved in selling milk products such as
Khoya35 in the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. This is the main source of livelihood for
them. The overall consumption of milk is also very high in Haryana. According to the
Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Agriculture, GOI, the
annual average milk yield of Indian cattle is 51% less than the world average. This, in turn, means
that more animals are required to produce the same amount of milk, putting further pressure on
resources, particularly grazing lands. About 90% of the cattle population subsists on natural
grasslands or common pasturelands, many of which are in a degraded state. In absence of
adequate availability of fodder, livestock productivity is low. Further, in some of the villages
such as in Haripur, poultry farms have adversely affected milk production. Cattle reported to
suffer from less milk production and delayed healing of injuries due to mosquitoes and flies. Milk
production has come down to as little as 5-6 litres per day from 12-14 litres initially. Villagers
have also reported that milking is now possible only in the night because of mosquitoes and flies
during the day.
9.2.2
Animal draught power
Some animals such as camels, horses, donkeys, oxen and buffaloes are reared mainly for their
draught power. Buffalo being the only exception. Apart from farm operations like ploughing,
seeding, fertilizing and weeding, draught animals are useful for a range of off-farm operations
like carting, thrashing, winnowing, cutting, chaffing, pulling oil mills and lifting water.
35
Concentrated milk which is used for making sweets
11.144
Box 9.2: Livestock-Driving the Indian Economy!!
Non-mechanised transport, primarily draught animals (DAs), carry more than 5 times the freight
and 4 times the passenger traffic as compared to the Indian Railways, in terms of originating
traffic.
There are 84 million DAs in India, 72 million of which are rural based.
DAs provide India about 30,000 megawatt (MW) of power. India's total electricity generation
capacity is about 85,000. Less than half of it is actually supplied.
They plough 100 million hectares of land, which is 65% of the total cultivated area of India.
DAs save India 6 million tonnes of petroleum every year, which amounts to some Rs. 12,000
crore.
There are 14 million carts in service. Of these, only one million have improved designs.
Though tractors are increasingly becoming popular among villagers, mainly because of the
available Government subsidies, villagers still prefer to have cattle for draught power. The bull
can cart one tonne of load, even in the heat, for 20 km, whereas the input is about Rs. 20/- on
fodder. In one of the villages in Hissar division, villagers perception is that tractors dont give
milk and they do not run on crop residues. Our area has sand dunes, and animals provide traction
in places where tractors cannot even reach. And he is a good companion too. Further it has been
observed that tractors are viable only above five ha of agricultural lands. For smaller farms (less
than 3 ha) animal draught power is considered to be a more viable option. In fact, the change in
ploughing system from draught animals to tractors has put sustainability of some of the traditional
agroforestry systems such as of Jhanti trees at risk. In fact, it is now difficult for the farmer to
avoid damages to the saplings, and natural regeneration is gradually decreasing. Animal carts are
also extensively used for local transport in the neighbourhood of villages. Only carts are
considered to be economical for carrying small loads over short distances of 10 km. Trucks
become viable only when the distance is more than 100 km per day. Last but not the least,
draught animal power is pollution-free too.
9.2.3
Uses of animal dung
The livestock wastes are referred to as dung i.e. Gobar. For villagers, Gobar is an important
resource and is used in a variety of ways as mentioned in Para 6.3.
9.2.4
Other uses of livestock
In some villages of the study area, goats and sheep are also reared for their meat and wool. In
Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions, fodder and water availability for cattle is poor
and, therefore, villagers are rearing sheep and goat because they can survive on other plant
species such as Jhanti trees, Kikar and Jal (Salvadora persica) which are available in these
Divisions (Photos 9.1 & 9.2). Sheep are reared because of available markets for wool in the
region. The number of sheep and goats is relatively much less in Ambala and Kurukshetra Project
Divisions, because there is enough fodder and water available for cattle.
9.2.5
Animal use after slaughter
Even after its productive lifetime, livestock is still a resource for the villages and provides meat,
leather and other by-products. Generally there are contractors who deal with dead livestock and
they pick up dead animals from villages (at their cost) for extraction of byproducts. In all the
project villages, there is a designated area earmarked for disposal of carcasses of dead animals.
This area is generally outside the habited portion of the village and is known as Hadda Rodi.
These carcasses are either picked up by the contractors and taken away for skin and bones
11.145
removal, etc. or are left to degrade. After a few days, as the body decomposes, the flesh is eaten
away by the dogs, etc. and bones are finally removed by the contractors. In Hissar Project
Division, the practice is to bury the carcasses in Hadda rodis.
9.3
Water Requirements of Livestock
This has been dealt with in Para 5.3.
9.4
Fodder Requirements of Livestock
The availability of fodder and water determines the type of livestock in a region and accordingly
the HCFP region can essentially be divided into two following broader regions, (1) Ambala and
Kurukshetra, and (2) Bhiwani, Hissar and Jatusana. As discussed before, cattle population is
relatively more significant in Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions because of better
availability of fodder and water in these villages. The main fodder of cattle in Ambala Project is
Barseen, Cheri (maize as fodder), Toori (dry fodder) and Parali (paddy straw). Landowners get
these from their own fields while the landless usually get fodder as wages in kind. At times, the
landless also have to purchase their fodder requirement. On the other hand, there is hardly any
fodder available in Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana Divisions. Most of the fodder used in this region
is, in fact, weeds, which is mixed with dry fodder and used. The villagers, therefore, have more
of sheep and goats in this region. The types of fodder used in the two regions during various
months of the year are indicated in Table 9.1 A and B.
Table 9.1 A: Fodder Availability and Use in Ambala

S. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
Fodder used
Barseen, Parali, Ganne-Ka-Patta-Aur-Chhilka
Jami, Parali, Barseen, Ganne-Ka-Patta-Aur-Chhilka
Jami, Parali, Barseen
Barseen, Bhusa
Cheri, Bhusa
Cheri, Bhusa
Cheri, Bhusa
Cheri
Cheri
Cheri, Parali
11.
12.
Note:
November
December
Parali, Ganne-Ka-Patta-Aur-Chhilka, Bhusa

Barseen, Parali, Ganne-Ka-Patta-Aur-Chhilka
Barseen
Parali
Ganne-Ka-Patta-Aur-Chhilka
Jami
Bhusa
Cheri
Egyptian clover
Paddy straw
Fodder crop
Wheat straw
Maize as fodder
Table 9.1 B: Fodder Availability and Use in Hissar

S. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Month
January
February
March
April
Fodder used
Bajre-Ki-Toori, Jayi, Narma-Ka-Patta, Shaal, Dhoob
Jayi, Gajrela, Matter Bail, Bathua, Toori, Ganne-Ka-Pata-Aur-Chilka, Sarson-Ka-Patta
Gajrela, Gulli Danda, Jangali Jayi, Bathua, Ganne-Ka-Patta-Aur-Chilka
Toori, Sarson-Ke-Toori, Gehoon-Aur-Jau-Ka-Atta, Sarson-Ka-Patta, Jayi
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5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
May
June
July
August
September
October
Toori, Gehoon-Aur-Jau-Ka-Atta
Toori, Gehoo-Aur-Jau-Ka-Atta
Toori, Takhadia, Kodhra, Kaga Roti, Shamak
Jowar, Shamak, Takhadia, Kaga Roti, Kodhra, Shatta, Dilla
Jowar, Shamak, Toori, Bajre-Ki-Toori, Kodhra, Shatta, Dilla
Jowar, Kodhra, Takhadia, Toori, Shamak
11.
12.
November
December
Narma-Ka-Patta, Dhoob, Shamak, Takhadia, Toori

Narma-Ka-Patta, Dhoob, Shamak, Takhadia, Toori, Kodhra
Note:(1) Jayi, Shaal, Gajrela, Matter Bail, Bathua, Gulli Danda, Jungali Jayi, Takhadia, Kodhra, Kaga Roti, Shamak,
Shatta and Dilla are weeds growing in agricultural fields
(2) Bajre-Ki-Toori
Bajra straw
(3) Narma-Ka-Patta
Leaves of a variety of cotton
(4) Toori
Dry foddar
(5) Ganne-Ka-Patta-Aur-Chilka
(6) Sarson-Ka-Patta
Mustard leaves
(7) Sarson-Ke-Toori
Mustard straw
(8) Gahoon-Aur-Jau-Ka-Atta
Mixed wheat and barley flour
(9) Jowar
Sorghum
The fodder requirement of a livestock population of over 9.9 million obviously puts severe
pressure on the limited grazing lands of the state. In terms of the pressure of grazing, it is high
both in the forest and common lands. Based on the livestock pressure on grazing lands, different
regions of Haryana are classified as follows:
High livestock pressure (Ambala and Kurukshetra Districts, etc.),

Moderate livestock pressure (foothills of the Shiwaliks), and
Low livestock pressure (Bhiwani and Rewari Districts, etc.) where sheep and goats
predominate.
Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions are categorized as High Pressure. However, within
the HCFP villages of these divisions, the pressure on grazing lands was not observed to be a
major issue, except for the villages listed in Table 9.2, the main reason being that villagers
dependence on grazing lands is not so much because livestock is mainly stall-fed either within or
near their households.
Table 9.2: Pressure on Grazing Lands
S.
No.
Name of the
Village
CD Block
Division
Details
1.
Korwa Khurd
Naraingarh
Ambala
2.
Ranjeetpur
Bilaspur
Kurukshetra
3.
Tabar
Raipur Rani
Ambala
There is 60 acres of Gocharan in the village from which

approximately 400-500 kg of fodder is cut everyday.
Gocharan is used for grazing purposes. Landless of the
village also bring fodder from Panchayat land.
Landless of the village get fodder from Shamlat
(common land owned by a group of families) land of the
village.
On the other hand, in the Hissar region, grazing lands hardly have any growth of fodder to be of
use to the villagers. Whatever limited quantity of grass grows in the grazing lands (after rains
mostly), it is immediately eaten, leaving little scope for it to grow and to make the situation of
fodder availability better.
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Within the project region, the problem of fodder scarcity is reported mainly in the villages of
Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions. The fodder availability is dependent on rains and
scarcity is most during the summer months. In some years, the problem is really serious. For
example, about 3 years back, villagers of Mandoli Khurd sold off their camels because there was
no production of Guar and gram in the village. The number of camels thus came down to 50 from
500. The fodder scarcity is reported by both landless as well as landowners, indicating that no
fodder is available within the villages even at a cost. This shortage has been triggered by low
rainfall in the last two years because of which no fodder grass has grown. The villagers, therefore,
are forced to buy fodder from outside or from the government depots. The State Government has
also made certain efforts to make fodder available to the villagers. For example, in Mandoli
Khurd village of Bhiwani Project Division, 50% of the villagers buy fodder from Siwani, whereas
in Siwani it reaches from Panjab. Last year, the State Government distributed 8 trucks of fodder
amongst villagers depending on the number of their livestock. One trolley of fodder is good
enough for two head of cattle for four months. In some villages, the villagers temporarily migrate
with their cattle in summer months when the fodder availability is least. For example 90% of
villagers from Nagli village temporarily migrate to Haridwar to fulfil fodder requirements of their
cattle. The situation of fodder scarcity in HCFP villages is summarised in Table 9.3.
Table 9.3: Fodder Scarcity in HCFP Villages

S.
No.
1.
Name of the
Village
Prahladgarh
CD Block
Bhiwani
Project
Division
Bhiwani
2.
Kural
Loharu
Bhiwani
3.
Mithi
Siwani
Bhiwani
4.
Dhana
Narsan
Bhiwani
Bhiwani
5.
Bhiwani
Bhiwani
6.
7.
Dhana
Ladanpur
Garwa
Allaudin Pur
Siwani
Loharu
Bhiwani
Bhiwani
8.
Kharkari
Loharu
Bhiwani
9.
Morka
Siwani
Bhiwani
Details
300 families of the village buy dry fodder (Toori)
from Bhiwani.
Fodder supply is dependent on rains. Villagers have
to buy from Bhiwani when there are no rains.
Fodder supply is dependent on rains. Villagers are
buying dry fodder from Panjab since last 2 years (at
Rs. 80/qt). In 2000, almost all the villagers got it
from Panjab only.
Villagers are buying dry fodder from Panjab since
last 2 years. In year 2000, 50 families got it from
Panjab.
Villagers are buying dry fodder from Bhiwani since
last 2 years.
Villagers are buying dry fodder from Panjab.
About 200 families buy dry fodder from Bhiwani
generally in January or April. In January it is
available at Rs. 80/qt and in April at Rs. 50-60/qt.
Due to no rains, villagers are buying dry fodder
from Panjab since last 2 years.
Due to no rains since last 2 years, villagers are
buying dry fodder from Siwani. Siwani also gets it
from Panjab.
11.148
S.
No.
10.
Name of the
Village
Mandoli
Khurd
CD Block
Siwani
Project
Division
Bhiwani
Details
11.
Shyam Nagar
Nahar
Jatusana
12.
Lula Ahir
Nahar
Jatusana
13.
Bhurthala
Nahar
Jatusana
14.
Gawar
Hissar-II
Hissar
15.
Bandaheri
Hissar-II
Hissar
16.
Nagli
Bilaspur
Kurukshetra
17.
Kirdhan
Nathusari
Hissar
50% of the villagers buy it from Siwani. Last year,

Govt also distributed 8 trucks of fodder among
villagers depending on the number of their
livestock. One trolley fodder is good enough for
two head of cattle for four months. About three
years back, villagers sold off their camels because
there was no production of Guar and gram in the
village. The number of camels came down to 50
from 500.
Due to no rains since last 2 years, about 100
families are buying dry fodder from outside the
village. This is available at Rs. 60/qt.
Due to no rains, about 47 families buy dry fodder
from neighbouring villages.
Some families buy dry fodder from outside the
village.
About 40-45 families of the village buy dry fodder
About 30-35 families of the village buy dry fodder
Some families buy dry fodder from outside the
village. About 90% of the families in the village
temporarily migrate to Haridwar.
About 20 families of the village buy dry fodder
Suggested intervention:
Fodder cultivation: The farm and social forestry schemes should focus on fodder cultivation.
The HCFP should support regeneration of grazing lands, which are mostly degraded. This will
improve the fodder availability in the villages and especially help landless and poor households in
meeting their fodder requirements.
Under HCFP, suitable varieties and species can be planted, which should be managed by the
VRMC. The VRMC can appoint a guard or identify volunteers from within the village for
guarding these plantations on a rotational basis. The plantations should remain closed for 5-6
months to ensure that the grass grows. After six months, the plantations can be opened for
harvesting. The same kind of scheme has been tried in Udaipur under the JFM programme and
has been very successful. In this scheme, the village level Forest Protection Committee (FPC,
similar to the VRMC under HCFP) protects the fodder plantations. The FPC allows harvesting of
fodder grass every six months when the plantation is left open for 7-10 days. One member from
each family is allowed to harvest as much grass as possible against a small fodder charge decided
by the FPC. This money remains with the FPC in the Bank and funds are used for village
development, as needed. This has worked extremely well in some villages (for instance,
Nayakheda in Udaipur District). The success of the programme is reflected by the fact that no
cattle deaths (due to fodder shortage) or shortage of fodder were reported in these villages even
during the drought period. These plantations have also helped in soil regeneration and ground
water recharge.
11.149
Photo 9.1 and 9.2
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10.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESMENT OF VILLAGE NATURAL

RESOURCE PLANS
The ToR mandated assessing the potential impact of microprojects selected by the communities.
However, as microproject proposals were not available at the time of this Study, the assessment is
based on Village Natural Resource Plans (Microplans), which include forestry and agroforestry
activities selected by the communities for implementation under the HCFP. The lack of
microproject proposals means that feasibility of the planned interventions is not known.
10.1
Methodology
All the resource plans available in English, from 45 villages, were analysed. The 45village sample includes 8-10 villages from each project division (Table 10.1) and
represents 15% of the total number of villages that will be involved in project activities.
Table 10.1: List of Villages Included in 45-Village Sample
S.N
o
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Total
Project divisions/Villages
Ambala
Kuruksh
etra
Hissar
Bhiwani
Jatusana
Hangoli
Haripur
Kakkar Majra
Rasidpur
Tasrauli
Hangola
Korwa Khurd
Kheri
Natwal
Shergarh
Ranjeetpur
Nagli
Sultanpur
Bhagwanpur
Sanghaur
Mukarpur
Bodla
Makhosarani
Tarkanwali
Balsamand
Rupawas
Nirwan
Rupana Khurd
Kirdhan
Mehuwala
Rawalwas Kalan
Dhana Narsan
Prahaladgarh
Dhana ladanpur
Morka
Mandoli Khurd
Garwa
Kural
Kharkari
Alaudinpur
Lula Ahir
Baldhan Kalan
Bhurtala
Sundarah
Syamnagar
Parkhotampur
Mundain
Babdoli
Bewal
Bhalki
10
The data processing work faced difficulties due to different approach in data collection and mode
of presentation, as three different NGOs were involved in the planning exercises. In addition,
several data had to be interpreted or extrapolated from other sources, such as PA and VE reports.
However, even with the above limitations, the plantation patterns set by the communities and
individual farmers could be clearly identified1.36This information was verified thorough fieldwork
and compared with the project plantation models, to see if there is any gap between the
participatory planning results and project policy. The study team selected the following indicators
1
The data on land use required for the analysis were provided by the project Monitoring & Evaluation
Division based on information contained in the PA Reports. Data still unpublished at the time of the present
study, as it was not fully checked.
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to assess the potential environmental impact of the planned plantations and suggest adjustments
of project models:
Impact on biological environment: quantity and quality of forest cover
Available common property lands planted with woodlots

Quality of forest cover improved
Greenery established within and around villages
Forest cover outside forest areas increased
Percentage of total Panchayat land brought, or maintained under forest cover
Percentage of nominal forest area per total village land
Forest biodiversity increased
Habitat for wildlife improved
Impact on land environment: land degradation and erosion
Moving sand dunes on Panchayat and private lands stabilised

Riverbank and gully erosion decreased
Unsustainable exploitation of fodder and fuelwood resources decreased
Conservation of soil improved
Availability of dung for FYM increased
Impact on water environment: water quantity and quality
Conservation of water on farmland soil improved

Conditions of the water table improved
Impact on air environment: air quality
Wind damage to crop decreased

Dust pollution decreased
Microclimatic conditions within the village improved.
The results of the EIA are summarised hereafter, and discussed in greater detail in Section 11,
along with recommendations to adjust HCFP activities.
10.2
Results of EIA and Recommendations
10.2.1 Available common property land planted with woodlots

This is probably one of the most important indicators for a project whose main objective is to
promote community plantation and management of common property lands. Plantation of new
woodlots, including woodlots for sand dune stabilisation, is planned on 31% of the total land
classified as "wasteland", which is supposedly the land use class available for forestry activities.
Replanting in areas already planted, including mature woodlots, is planned on 35% of the total.
Replanting is allowed only on vacant blanks. The remaining land is not available for woodlots,
11.152
being encroached, or leased out for agriculture, or already under forest, or kept for grazing
purposes.
10.2.2 Quality of forest cover improved.
Improving the quality of the forest cover is an important concern of the resource plans, as the rate
of replanting is higher than the rate of new plantations. Also, it is estimated that most of
replanting concerns existing plantations that have a very low density or are in a state of severe
degradation. As for mature plantations (in many cases of Kikar species) they are often subject to
disease attacks and are slowly deteriorating. Unless the Project introduces policy changes it will
not be able to address this issue.
10.2.3 Greenery established within and around villages
There is great demand for plantations on institutional land. This amounts to almost the entire
project target for the sample of 45 villages. It seems that the entire available land has been
included in planning, and meeting this demand will result in saturating with trees the village
environment. In addition, there is also high demand for raising trees on homestead plots, with
56% of the families requesting to be provided with trees for Kitchen Gardens. The demand is 2.5
times higher than project target.
10.2.4 Forest cover outside forest areas increased
The demand for Farm Forestry is quite high. In case of Panchayat lands, if it is assumed that
about one third of the total land is used for agriculture (leased out + encroached), then about 23%
of this land is proposed for Farm Forestry interventions, a rate higher than expected. However,
the Project has no plantation model to address this demand. On private lands, Farm Forestry is
planned on approximately, 16% of total farmland, including marginal sand dunes 2.37Most of the
planned interventions are linear rather than block plantations.
10.2.5 Percentage of the total Panchayat land brought, or maintained under forest cover
This percentage was calculated considering the actual area planted, regardless of different
spacing. If all the planned plantation programmes can be implemented, nearly 36% of the total
Panchayat land, would have a forest cover.
10.2.6 Percentage of nominal forest area per total village land
This percentage was calculated assuming a nominal area for Farm Forestry and sand dune
plantations of 1,039 trees/ha. Implementation of plans would result in bringing or maintaining
under dense forestry (nominal area) about 5.5-6% of the total village land. It would be interesting
to know the extent of land presently under forestry, not included in the resource plans, to see how
far is the Government target of reaching 25% of forest land use in the plains.
10.2.7 Forest biodiversity increased
For two northern project divisions of Ambala and Kurukhsetra, the species preferences expressed
in the resource plans would lead to a quasimonoculture of Eucalyptus for the Village Woodlots,
and to a domination of poplar and Eucalyptus in case of Farm Forestry. For Village Woodlots the
2
The percentages for Bhiwani and Jatusana Project Divisions were estimated due to lack of statistical data.
11.153
HFD addressed this environmental concern during the implementation phase by supporting a
policy of diversification. Eucalyptus represents only 44% of the total seedlings planted in
woodlots during the year 2000. As for Farm Forestry, whose implementation is directly managed
by the farmers, the rate of Eucalyptus and poplar planted reflects the choices expressed in the
resource plans. Some extension work is required to promote biodiversity and diversification of
agroforestry species. The situation seems better in three other divisions, particularly in case of
Farm Forestry where several species are in demand.
10.2.8 Habitat for wildlife improved

Plantations will provide improved habitat for wildlife (may be less in case of Eucalyptus and
more for other species) but this could have negative impact on farming. Crop damage by blue
bulls and birds are two environmental issues related to wildlife that were raised by villagers
during fieldwork. Farmers fear that woodlots will provide habitat for blue bulls closer to their
fields. The situation should be monitored because in several villages damages are reported to be
on the increase. Damage by birds is one of the obstacles to agroforestry development, particularly
in the rice cropping system though they are a source of control of insects.
10.2.9 Moving sand dunes on Panchayat and private lands stabilised
The total area under moving sand dunes in the two affected divisions of Hissar and Bhiwani is not
known. Available data refer to marginal land, which is likely to include partially stabilised sand
dunes used for rainfed farming. About 30% of this marginal land has been earmarked for
plantation under the Sand Dune Fixation Model. The plantation pattern requested is, however,
different from the project model as farmers prefer less dense tree spacing, with trees often limited
to farm boundaries. It is necessary to do participatory extension work to identify tree lay out and
spacing arrangements that are acceptable to the farmers and can provide effective stabilisation of
the dunes. The Project has already modified this component for private lands, where 500
plants/ha (5 x 4 m spacing) are planted.
10.2.10 Riverbank and gully erosion decreased
Villagers consider nallah (stream) or riverbank erosion to be a serious issue in the project
divisions of Ambala and Kurukshetra, where 10 villages out of 20 reported this environmental
problem as severe. Medium-intensity gully erosion is reported in 5 villages only. Generally,
plantations have been planned but the intensity of erosion is often such that plantations alone are
not deemed sufficient. Given the lack of feasibility analysis and microprojects, it was not possible
to assess the extent to which the planned plantations could address these issues.
10.2.11 Unsustainable exploitation of forest resources decreased
Most of the pressures on common lands are from landless or marginal farmers, who have limited
access to on-farm tree resources or alternative agri-wastes. The fact that timber species are the
preferred choice for Village Woodlots (to earn cash for the Panchayat) is going to only
marginally improve their condition. Illicit removal of trees, currently in vogue to some extent in
existing plantations, may continue. Higher rates of multipurpose species should be promoted and
benefit-sharing arrangements improved. For example, the resource plans rarely mention
11.154
arrangements like purchase of tree products by needy villagers at preferential price. Another
aspect is related to the institutional strengthening of the VRMCs to ensure that illegal felling of
entire woodlots, which happened in case of plantations established under previous projects, is
avoided.
10.2.12 Conservation of soil improved.
Positive impact is expected by planting woodlots on degraded Panchayat lands. For Eucalyptus
as well the impact is expected to be positive, though to a lesser degree than for other species.
Eucalyptus woodlots are planned mainly on plain areas in the two northern divisions, with annual
rainfall around 1,100 mm. Under these conditions it was observed that undergrowth of grass is
generally dense enough and no signs of erosion were observed in the existing plantations of the
sample villages3.38In case of Farm Forestry, farmers' preference for linear planting over block
planting will generally enhance the positive impact on soil conservation. Extension activities,
including reviving the traditional Jhanti agroforestry system, are required to increase the number
of trees that can be accepted on farmlands.
10.2.13 Availability of dung for FYM increased
Given farmers' choice for earning cash with timber and fruit species, it is likely that increased
supply of fuelwood will have a limited impact on making more dung available for FYM. For an
average farmer with a family of six, who plants 100 timber trees, the increased availability of
fuelwood could substitute dung requirements for about one month per year 4.39However, this
amount of dung would represent just a fraction of the general recommended dose of FYM
per ha 5.40This is probably one of the reasons why farmers are not interested in planting fuelwood
species. The value of dung, which is easily available, is higher as fuel rather than manure. On the
other hand, in the long run earning more cash might have positive effects by enabling the
purchase of LPG cylinders. At the macrolevel, this will have negative implications for the
countrys energy bill. As for the community woodlots, the current practice to auction them to
outside traders means that fuelwood biomass would probably be sold in urban markets and the
impact on improving availability of dung in the village could be very low.
10.2.14 Conservation of water on farmland soil improved.
The widespread lateral root system of Eucalyptus will compete for water and marginally affect
the adjoining crops. The other species selected for Farm Forestry have the advantage of building
up more organic matter in the soil and promoting more microbiological activity than Eucalyptus.
This enhances soil moisture retention capacity and compensates for competition between crops,
although to a different degree according to species. Extension activities are needed to improve the
pattern of tree-crop intermixing.
10.2.15 Conditions of the water table improved.
3
Jhoond (Saccharum spontaneum) and Dabra/Dhoob (Cynodon dactylon) grasses, which are good soil
binders, are common under Eucalyptus woodlots. These grasses are auctioned by the Panchayats every
year.
4
Calculation made on the following assumptions: average increment rate 8 m3/year/ha (1 ha = 1000 trees),
30% of tree wood biomass utilised for fuelwood, daily family requirement of dung 5.2 kg, rate of
substitution (based on calorific value) 1:1.
5
200 qt/ha for irrigated wheat. It seems that extension activities on improving FYM quality through
compost making and vermicompost could have greater impact on improving soil fertility.
11.155
General positive impact due to improved soil porosity. In case of Eucalyptus woodlots, a lesser
but positive impact is expected for normal rainfall years. The impact could be neutral for dry
years. This assessment is based on the following two assumptions: i) soil porosity and water
infiltration under Eucalyptus woodlots is higher than for bare wasteland, and ii) with an average
rainfall pattern during the monsoon season of 873 mm in 35 rainy days641the degree of evapotranspiration is less than the total rainfall resulting in surplus water, part of which is available for
percolation into the soil. In the villages affected by rising water tables and with areas under mild
waterlogging, villagers have planned plantation of Eucalyptus to help eliminate excess water,
both under Village Woodlot and Farm Forestry models.
10.2.16 Wind damages to crops decreased.
Wind damage to crops or properties were not considered environmental hazards in any village.
However, dust storms of medium and severe intensity were reported in eight villages742, giving an
indication of potential wind damage. Villagers did not propose any windbreak but the preference
for linear plantations will have a positive impact. When planning Farm Forestry interventions in
areas at risk, care should be taken to orient the tree lines across the prevailing winds.
10.2.17 Dust pollution decreased.
The linear plantation pattern on farmlands, and the saturation of village environment with trees
will reduce dust air contamination. In one village (Rasidpur) there is heavy pollution, from a
stone crusher, to nearby farmlands. The existing green belt around the crusher is not sufficient
and additional woodlots have been planned on adjoining Panchayats lands.
10.2.18 Microclimatic conditions within the village improved.
Positive impact expected. A couple of villages8943mentioned worsening of microclimatic
conditions after illegal clear felling of woodlots established under the Social Forestry Project.
Climatological data of Chandigarh Station, average from 1958 to 1988.

Villages affected by high-intensity dust storms: Dhingsara and Mithi; medium-intensity dust storms:
Bakrianwali, Shakar Mandor, Bandaheri, Dhana Ladanpur, Babdoli, and Sundrah.
8
Mandholi Khurd and Kural.
7
11.156
11.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADJUSTING HCFP ACTIVITIES
Recommendations included in this Section incorporate not only the environmental concerns
identified during the Study, but consider also the need to strengthen community participation in
line with the capacity building initiative discussed under Section 12. Enhanced community
participation can be achieved by paying attention to various aspects, such as cost-sharing
arrangements for some of the planned modified sub-models, participatory analysis of lessons
learnt from exiting low density degraded plantations, more emphasis on benefit-sharing in favour
of weaker socio-economic groups, and increased flexibility to meet beneficiary requirements.
11.1
Model 1 Village Woodlots
11.1.1 Plantation of new woodlots and replanting of failed woodlots

Data on planned woodlots are reported in Table 11.1. The most striking fact is that new woodlots
are planned only on 42% of the total area, while the remaining 58% consist of replanting in
existing low density degraded plantations1.44There are two different cases: (i) the land has trees,
which the villagers would like to harvest (frequent in case of 15-20 years old Kikar plantations),
and (ii) tree density is very low and plantations are in state of degradation. As shown in Table
11.1, differences among the five project divisions regarding the proportion between new woodlots
and replanted woodlots are quite high,
Table 11.1: Block Plantations on Community Land
Project
division
Ambala
Kurukshretra
Hissar
Bhiwani
Jatusana
Total
No
of
villages
9
8
9
9
10
45
New woodlots
ha
63
100
73
242
48
526
%
57
39
60
45
21
42
Replanting
existing
woodlots
ha
%
48
43
156
61
48
40
296
55
177
79
725
58
Total planned
woodlots
ha
111
256
121
538
225
1251
Average
total
planned woodlots
per village
ha
12.3
32.0
13.4
59.8
22.5
27.8
Based on this sample, the Project could try to achieve its overall target of 7,400 ha of Village
Woodlots, which corresponds to an average of 24.7 ha per village, only if it engages in replanting
activities. In fact, if replanting is taken up the average area planned for Panchayat woodlots
would amount to 27.8 ha per village. While the standard Model 1 is appropriate for plantation of
new woodlots, in case of replanting adjustment of the model should be made. Such an adjustment
is absolutely essential because limiting plantation activities on new land would only result in less
than 50% of the target achieved. Even if the Project takes up replanting, which is already being
done in a few villages such as Mandholi Khurd (Bhiwani), achieving the target might still be
difficult considering that part of the woodlots might be deemed not feasible when preparing the
microprojects, for reasons like land quality or local political interference.
The percentages of "new" and "replanting" woodlots were estimated based on information contained in
the resource plans, which is sometimes incomplete. Feedback from the field team suggests that replanting
of new woodlots might have been underestimated and that the ratio between "new" and "replanting"
woodlots could even be 35:65.
11.157
Adjustment of the Village Woodlots model in case of replanting is necessary mainly on two
considerations. It is the policy of the Government to promote an environmentally balanced land
use pattern with 25% forest cover in the plains. While it is recommended that the Project take up
replanting to achieve good quality forest cover, it is also necessary to keep a distinction between
planting of new lands and replanting of existing low density degraded plantations.
The other consideration is related to participatory process: replanting an area that has already
been planted requires a different approach with the community, particularly in terms of cost
sharing. The cases of low density degraded woodlots and mature woodlots ready for harvesting
are different.
The sub-model for replanting low density degraded woodlots should stress the need to carry out a
thorough participatory analysis of the reasons for failure, learning lessons both at village and
HFD levels. The resulting capacity building exercise is a pre-requisite for better performance in
the future. This analysis should be documented in a PA report, with a clear specification of the
measures planned to avoid similar problems in future. If the topic is too sensitive to be discussed
and analysed openly, it is probably better to avoid further plantation on that land.
For mature woodlots ready for harvesting, the question is mainly about cost-sharing on the basis
of how the proceeds of the harvest will be used; the Project should consider negotiating costsharing arrangements with the village communities requesting that a percentage of the proceed be
reinvested in the plantation. To avoid giving a wrong message to the villagers, both these submodels related to replanting should stress the need for greater participation.
To sum up, it is recommended that the Project consider splitting the standard plantation Model 1
into the following three sub-models, which are differentiated not on the basis of technical aspects
such as spacing or type of plantation works, but based on social or environmental considerations.
MODEL 1 - Village Woodlots:
SUB-MODEL 1.1 - Plantation on land that has never been planted under previous
projects - Same as the present model.
SUB-MODEL 1.2 Replanting existing low density degraded woodlots established
under other projects - Same as the present model plus an exercise of participatory
analysis and evaluation, with identification by the villagers of measures to tackle
similar problems in future.
SUB-MODEL 1.3 - Replanting of mature plantations - Same as the present model;
the project could consider negotiating cost-sharing arrangements with the village
communities based on a percentage of the harvest proceeds.
11.1.2 Land fragmentation

Another interesting data that emerges from the Village Natural Resource Plans is the extent of
land fragmentation, is reported in Table 11.2.
11.158
Table 11.2: Average Plot Size of Woodlots

Project division
Ambala
Kurukshetra
Hissar
Bhiwani
Jatusana
Note:
NA
Average village plot size (ha)

Minimum average
Maximum average
2.1
12.1
NA
NA
2.7
19.2
3.4
18.6
3.5
25.5
Average size in the

division (ha)
6.5
NA
6.9
10.9
12.5
Not available
In all the four divisions where data could be analysed there are villages with very small average
plot size, ranging from 2.1 to 3.5 ha. Although it was not possible to systematically determine
whether these plots are contiguous or not, nevertheless it was found that they are often in
different locations. In Kurukshetra, data were too incomplete to process but it is estimated that the
average plot size is larger due to large tracts of common lands on the hillsides (average plots
could be around 20 ha). This shows that the Project must be quite flexible in its implementation
policy, and needs to adjust to this situation to ensure that all available common areas are planted.
A high degree of fragmentation results in a substantial cost increase for protection.
11.1.3 Choice of species for Village Woodlots
In the western project divisions of Bhiwani and Hissar, the preferred species for planting are
mainly Kikar and Shisham, followed by Ailanthus excelsa, Rohida (Tecomella undulata), and
Jhanti. This represents a good mixture of species of multipurpose value. However, fieldwork
revealed that farmers strongly supported plantation of Shisham even on dry land without
irrigation facilities, under unfavourable environmental conditions. There is need to do
participatory work on species selection and site matching, to avoid a conflict situation where the
Department rejects the species suggested in the planning reports. The impression is that selection
of unsuitable species was mainly due to lack of cost sharing, as the villagers know that in case of
failure the HFD will replant the area. This participatory work could imply that small plots are
planted for demonstration of species performance in different agro-ecological conditions.
It is a fact that in the two northern project divisions of Ambala and Kurukshetra farmers prefer
Eucalyptus. The planning report of village Korwa Khurd provides an interesting example of this
fact. Farmers were requested to rank seven species. Various qualities (firewood, timber, fodder,
income, and shade) were scored and weighted and the species ranked. Kikar, Shisham, and
Jaamun (Syzygium cumini) ranked best. However, farmers declared that they still prefer to plant
Eucalyptus. The reason for this preference being that fast growing and quick income were
considered to be the most important qualities by them but were not included in the scoring.
In the two northern project divisions, Eucalyptus is planned to be planted on an estimated 80-90%
of the total common lands. As stipulated in the resource plans, the proceeds will be invested in
various village welfare activities that should benefit all socio-economic groups. However, while
landed people have less need to collect non-monetary benefits from common lands, the situation
is quite different for landless and women from lower socio-economic groups, who need access to
fuelwood and fodder resources. Planting all the land with a tree cash crop does not meet their
short-term needs. Focus group interviews confirmed that landless people and women would
11.159
prefer to plant a higher percentage of multipurpose species. Given the unequal land resource
distribution, access to common lands used to bring some sort of compensation to the landless,
which is lost once the area is developed and therefore, access becomes strictly restricted. This
species choice pattern points to insufficient participation by the weaker sections of the society in
the decision-making process.
11.1.4 Participatory village land use plans
The Project could introduce preparation of Village Land Use Plans (VLUPs) as a tool to enhance
participation. Preparation of plans requires that decision about species selection and areas planned
for planting are taken, keeping in mind the needs of different groups.
The VLUPs should be tried in a few villages, preferably from different agro-ecological regions of
the Project to gain a wide range of experience. The aim would include ensuring a stable land use
for the village, where Panchayat land planted as woodlots is not converted to agriculture at the
end of the tree cycle, and an optimal land use, keeping in mind the needs of different groups.
11.2
Planting Panchayat Land Used for Agriculture
A sizeable percentage of Panchayat land is utilised for agriculture, on two accounts: land leased
out and land encroached. Figures provided by the Project related to all the 60 villages included in
the study, show that leased out land accounts for to 18% of the total Panchayat land, ranging
from 0 to 80% at village level. The extent to which Panchayat land is encroached in the project
villages is not well known. Based on the findings of the Common Land Study2,45it can be
estimated that at least one-third of the total Panchayat land is utilised for agriculture.
Village Resource Plans propose plantations on agricultural used Panchayat land, as shown in
Table 11.3.
Table 11.3: Panchayat Land Planned for Farm Forestry
Item / Project Division
Total area (ha)
Area per village (ha)
% of community Farm
Forestry over the total
plantations planned on
Panchayat land*
Ambala
3.8
0.4
3
Kurukshetra
0
0
0
Hissar
58.7
6.5
19
Bhiwani
188.1
20.9
23
Jatusana
167.2
16.7
38
Total
417.8
9.3
21
Note: * Total Panchayat plantations include woodlots, sand dunes fixation and Farm Forestry on leased/
encroached land.
This represents 21% of the plantations planned on Panchayat land, or more than 9 ha per village;
with maximum demand in Jatusana and Bhiwani Project Divisions. It mainly consists of leased
land but includes also, to a lesser extent, encroached land. The types of interventions requested
are boundary or fruit planting. In the two northern project divisions of Ambala and Kurukshetra,
there is almost no demand because of higher intensity cropping system.
2
Indian Institute of Rural Management, Jaipur - Common Land Study, - A Report - February 2000. At page
33 it is reported that 22% of Panchayat land is leased out and 10% is encroached. The Common Land
Study and the present Environmental Study utilised different village samples.
11.160
The Project has no readily available model for addressing this demand. Technically speaking, this
model should be similar to the Farm Forestry Model for private lands, the difference being on
how the benefits are shared. In case of leased land, the leaseholders do not own the trees and may
also change every year; therefore, they are not motivated to protect the trees. They could be
motivated if they receive the survival bonus paid by the Project during the first years. In addition,
the Panchayats should agree to lower the yearly rent because farmers bear crop losses due to
plantations; the Panchayats could make up for the lower rent at the time of tree harvesting.
In case of encroached land the situation is obviously more complex. Plantations could be raised if
an agreement on tree ownership is negotiated beforehand between encroachers and Panchayats,
as discussed in a few villages. This agreement could stipulate that tree ownership will go with
land ownership in case the matter is subject to court ruling, or that encroachers and Panchayats
regardless of the ruling will share tree ownership. This second solution might prevent tree cutting
by the encroachers in case they lose the case.
11.3
Model 2 - Sand Dune Fixation.
Afforestation of moving sand dunes is limited to Hissar and Bhiwani Project Divisions, as shown
in the Table 11.4.
Table 11.4: Planned Plantations on Sand Dunes
Item / Project division
On Panchayat lands
On private lands
Total
Average per village
Hissar
ha
79
527
606
67.3
%
13
87
100
Bhiwani
ha
37
1620
1657
184.1
%
2
98
100
Total
ha
116
2147
2263
125.7
%
5
95
100
There are no sand dunes in Ambala and Kurukshetra, Project Divisions while in Jatusana almost
the entire sand dune areas have been stabilised and are now cultivated with sprinkler irrigation.
Data projected from the sample indicate that the Project could achieve its target of 9,300 ha by
taking up about 75-80 villages in the two project divisions of Hissar and Bhiwani. However, the
plantation ratio between privately owned and Panchayat land is more in favour of the former as
envisaged in project documents.
The fact that 95% of plantations are planned on private land has important implications related to
the model design. For example, in Hissar District farmers cultivate on sand dunes a monsoon
crop, and whenever possible a winter crop too, generally gram. This cultivation practice is called
Mavatha locally. If there is one rainfall after the monsoon harvest, farmers plough the dunes and
sow immediately thereafter. The harvest of gram will depend on the availability of a couple of
winter rains, which happens on an average once every three years. This widespread agricultural
practice increases wind erosion and loss of topsoil during the years of failure, when natural
vegetation or crops do not cover the ploughed sand dunes.
In Bhiwani 36% of the private sand dunes have been planned for plantations. During the planning
stage, all the farmers opted for the lower tree density when confronted with the two standard
options of 1,000 trees/ha (4 x 2.5 m) and 500 trees/ha (5 x 4 m). A similar density of 500 tree/ha
is average for Hissar, but here 29% of the farmers opted for block plantation while 71% asked for
11.161
plantations only on field boundaries. This confirms that farmers mostly do not want to convert
sand dunes into forestry but wish to continue practising agriculture.
The Project has catered to this need by introducing a modified plantation model with wider
spacing that allows for crop cultivation. Interviews with villagers show that for a majority of
farmers the maximum tree density inside the fields should not exceed 60 to 70 trees per ha. It is
likely that, in order to increase this density to the density of the modified model (500 plants/ha), it
is necessary to do extension and demonstration work. The Project should refer farmers who are
not ready for the Sand Dune Fixation model to Farm Forestry model, which is more flexible.
Regarding species selection, the main choice in Bhiwani is for fruit species such as grafted Ber
(Zizyphus), Anwla (Emblica officinalis) and Nimbu (Lemon), followed by timber species like
Shisham. All these are relatively high water-demanding species that are not adapted for large
scale plantating on moving sand dunes. In Hissar Project Division, Jhanti is among the species of
first choice. Field interviews showed that farmers in both divisions are ready to promote the
Jhanti-based agroforestry system, which is the well-adapted traditional system of the area. The
process of agricultural mechanisation now undermines the sustainability of this system. The
number of naturally growing Jhanti is steadily decreasing due to the shift from draught to tractor
ploughing. Scattered seedlings growing randomly are heavily damaged while seedlings growing
in lines, as in alley cropping systems, have better chances. As an alternative to transplanting,
direct sowing in lines should be tried because Jhanti seedlings are difficult to transplant and the
species regenerates well in the area.
In various villages of Bhiwani Project Division farmers reported problems related to the supply of
seedlings that were not of their preferred choice (farmers wanted Shisham but received Acacia
tortilis). The confusion over the scope of the plantation, an agroforestry plantation for the farmer
but a block plantation for the Ranger Officer, was probably the main cause for this
misunderstanding. Farmers do not like Acacia tortilis, whose leaves they think damage nearby
crops.
Some adjustments should be considered in relation to tree establishment and protection.
Construction of cattle-proof trenches may not be suitable for farming areas. In addition, giving
the responsibility to outsiders for planting and protecting trees on farmlands during the initial
years is normally regarded as not appropriate for agroforestry interventions. Provision of
monetary incentives to the farmer (survival bonus), as per the Farm Forestry Model with a
possible increase of bonus due to harsher conditions of sand dunes, might work better than giving
the responsibility for planting and protection of trees for the first three years to the HCFP. Special
arrangements for assessment of survival rate should be made in case of direct sowing of Jhanti.
For example, the Project could pay up to a maximum number of surviving seedlings based on the
agreed maximum density per line unit.
11.4
Model 3 - Tree Groves
The Natural Resource Plans include several plantations on institutional lands (schools, religious
complexes, etc.) or service areas (Johad, Hadda Rodi, road sides, etc.). The plot sizes range from
a few tens square metres to a few acres. The overall average size is 0.54 ha ranging from 0.34 to
0.64 at divisional level. While processing the data, these plantations were included under
Model 3, Tree Groves, as the sizes are too small for Model 1. The total area amounts to 193.5 ha
for 45 villages, which is almost equal to the entire project target of 200 ha for 300 villages. It is
10% of the total area planned for plantation on Panchayat land.
11.162
Table 11.5: Planned Tree Groves on Panchayat Land

Area (ha)
% of the total area planned
for plantation on Panchayat
land
Average size of groves (ha)
Ambala
25.5
18
Kurukshetra
13.5
5
Hissar
45.5
15
Bhiwani
57.0
7
Jatusana
52.0
12
Total
193.5
10
0.39
0.34
0.60
0.64
0.61
0.54
Given the high demand for tree groves and for small-scale plantations on institutional and
common lands, the Project is considering raising the overall target. If the Project can cater to this
need clearly expressed in the resource plans, environmental conditions inside and around the
villages would improve substantially through the creation of many areas of greenery and shade.
The high cost of Model 3 might be an obstacle in raising the overall target. Most of the
plantations requested are not only for shade and beautification, but also for production purposes.
The project could consider diversifying the approach. An institution receiving a few tree groves,
whose cost is fully paid by the Project, could be entitled to plantation of more trees for production
purpose according to its needs, and on a cost-sharing basis by preparing, for example, pits and/or
providing the required manpower. This would reduce the overall cost for the Project and would
increase participation, which is directly related to the community capacity building effort. It
would also meet the demand that might not be met by the main model (with its fixed standard
design), like plantations on boundaries or on irregularly shaped areas. An interesting point to
explore would be how to revive the concept of sacred tree groves and make it part of the
programme. This could promote participation, biodiversity and facilitate social fencing in areas
located outside fenced compounds.
11.5
Model 4 - Farm Forestry
Available data at divisional level for the village sample are reported in Table 11.6.
Table 11.6: Farm Forestry
Actual area planned for plantation
(ha)
No of seedlings
Nominal area (1,039 seedlings/ha)
Actual area per village (ha)
Nominal area per village (ha)
% of area for block plantation
% of area for linear plantation
Note:
NA
Ambala
894
Kurukshetra
518
Hissar
3428
Bhiwani
NA
Jatusana
NA
NA.
NA.
99.3
NA.
5
95
NA
NA
64.8
NA
16
84
505,539
487
380.9
54.1
3
97
144,421
139
NA
15.4
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Not available
11.163
Although there are quite a few missing data for four out of five project divisions, some clear
trends emerge. For the three project divisions of Hissar, Ambala and Kurukshetra, the demand is
mainly for linear plantations, 95% on an average, ranging from 84% to 97% at the divisional
level. This will result in a much larger farming area actually planted, with a lower tree density, as
compared to block planting (on average 147 trees/ha in Hissar). In Jatusana, based on the number
of interested farmers, demand for linear plantations is marginally higher than for block
plantations.
The plantation target of 17.7 ha of nominal area per village346is far exceeded in Hissar with 54.1
ha per village, while in Bhiwani the demand is moderately below target, at 15.4 ha per village. An
estimate for Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions, considering an average tree density for
linear plantations between 110 to 140 trees/ha, suggests that the target in these two divisions
could be achieved. However, as explained in the paragraph below, differences between the two
civil districts of Kurukshetra Project Division are high as they belong to two different agroecological zones. Yamunanagar District is part of the Kandi Plateau, while Kurukshetra District
falls in the Central Plain Zone.
Table 11.7 shows data related to the percentage of total farming area (irrigated + unirrigated,
excluding marginal lands) planned for Farm Forestry. In Kurukshetra District the area planned for
Farm Forestry is very low, just 5.2% of the total farming area, due to intensive rice-based
cropping system. On the contrary in Yamunanagar District, which has more differentiated
farming systems and is close to the timber market, interest in Farm Forestry is exceptionally high,
being proposed on 45.6% of the farmlands. In Hissar and Ambala Project Divisions Farm
Forestry is planned, respectively, on 20.5% and 8.9% of the total farmland.
Table 11.7: Percentage of Total Farming Area Planned for Farm Forestry
Area
Ambala Project
Division
Actual area planned for Farm

Forestry (ha / village)
Total farming area (irrigated +
unirrigated) (ha / village)
% of total farming area planned
for Farm Forestry (%)
Kurukshetra Project Division
Hissar
Project
Division
99.3
Kurukshetra
District
56.7
Yamunanagar
District
69.5
1,116.8
1,076.3
1,52.5
1859.7
8.9
5.2
45.6
20.5
380.9
The percentage of farmers interested in agroforestry could only be roughly assumed, as data are
often not complete. A close estimate is that in general more than 50% of farmers agree to promote
Farm Forestry on part of their lands, with lower percentage in Ambala and higher percentage in
Bhiwani. This large number of farmers and the extent of the area planned are good indicators of a
farm diversification process that can bring multiple benefits. It is also an indicator that majority of
farmers do not want to convert land to forestry but want to grow trees along with crops.
Generally speaking, promoting low tree-density agroforestry systems on larger areas rather than
concentrating trees on a few spots brings more environmental benefits, in terms of both soil and
water conservation and protection against winds. On the other hand, tree-crop competition is
higher. As an accompanying programme to Farm Forestry, extension activities on managing tree
3
The block planting density of 1,039 seedlings/ha is taken to calculate the nominal area in case of linear
planting.
11.164
competition are needed if the Project is to reach smaller and marginal farmers. In the two project
divisions of Ambala and Kurukshetra, Eucalyptus and poplar account, respectively, for about
41% and 49% of the total planned linear plantations. The relatively high demand for Eucalyptus
will have some impact on adjoining crop yields. This well-known fact is accepted by farmers,
nevertheless techniques to minimise competition such as cutting of lateral tree-roots could be
extended. General extension topics for agroforestry interventions would also include appropriate
selection of species, design, management of tree-crown through lopping or pollarding, etc. The
Project should initiate an extension programme with assistance from an NGOs, based on
valorising local knowledge of traditional agroforestry systems and promoting farmers'
innovations.
Another aspect related to Farm Forestry is the availability of seedlings of the right species at the
right time, which is sometimes a constraint. In particular farmers complained that nursery
personnel are not always available and they have to make unnecessary trips for collection of
seedlings. A proposal was made to organise seedling transport to the villages in collaboration
with the VRMCs and the HFD, and charge the transport cost to the farmers. An added benefit of
this arrangement could be that putting a price on the seedlings, even if a nominal price could
decrease the risk of waste. In fact, if a farmer goes to the nursery to collect free seedlings, the
transport cost will probably not change if he takes say, 100 or 150 seedlings.
11.6
Model 5 - Poplar Planting
Implementation of this model is restricted to Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions. In the
overall Work Plan of the Project it is targeted that this model will be implemented as block
planting on prime agricultural land, with a density of 500 trees/ha to allow inter-cropping.
Farmers' interest in this model is very limited as can be seen from Table 11.8.
Table 11.8: Block Planting of Poplar
Kurukshetra
Total
Ambala
Area planned for plantations (ha)
Average per village (ha)
21.6
2.4
11.6
1.5
33.2
2.0
The average demand for block planting of poplar is just 2 ha per village. Almost the entire
demand of poplar is for linear plantations, which has already been included and discussed under
Model 4, Farm Forestry.
The target for Poplar Planting model is quite high, 5,000 ha, which corresponds to about 45
ha/village for 100-120 villages in the two northern project divisions. During the recently
concluded planting season in February 2001, the Project distributed approximately. 200,000
transplants, equivalent to a nominal area of 23 ha/village, about half the target. It could be that
demonstrating the qualities of superior clones could increase farmers' interest. However, the
Project could consider that there is some competition between Farm Forestry and Poplar Planting
models, as both these often target the same lands. There is a strict relationship between the
number of ha that can be planted under each model, and achieving the combined target will
largely depend on implementation of an extension programme.
To increase overall poplar planting, the Project is thinking to extend this model to Sirsa and
Fatehabad blocks of Hissar Project Division, where poplar is already grown. Promoting this
11.165
model could achieve environmental benefits if farmers see it as an alternative to planting of

Eucalyptus.
11.7
Geographical Areas of Intervention
Analysis of Village Natural Resource Plans provides useful indications as to which geographical
areas have more potential for project intervention. The results confirm opinions expressed by
Project Officers based on field experience. Table 11.9 and Figure 11.1 show the average area per
village of Panchayat land classified as "wasteland", and compared it with the area of planned
woodlots (including new, replanting and sand dune woodlots).
Table 11.9 shows that the maximum percentage of common lands planned for plantation is in the
three project divisions of Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana, where villagers plan afforestation over
more than 80% of total wasteland. This is a general indicator of community willingness to
improve management of common property areas. On the other hand, the minimum percentage is
in Ambala Project Division (28.1%) and Kurukshetra District (30%), probably due to high level
of encroachments. In Yamunanagar District, where part of the Panchayat land is already under
forest cover, the demand for woodlots is medium (57.5%). A possible limitation for plantation of
woodlots in this district is the extent of poor quality land, characterised by gravely soils.
Jatusana Project
Division
36.0
27.3
76.1
25.8
46.2
6.9
20.0
0.0
8.2
26.9
4.8
11.7
5.4
24.7
10.8
5.3
32.9
17.8
16.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
8.8
4.1
0.0
2.6
12.3
44.7
10.8
22.3
64.0
22.5
30.4
28.1
57.5
30.0
81.5
84.0
87.3
65.8
Total
77.8
Hissar Project
Division
43.7
Kurukshetra
District
Available wasteland (ha /

village)
Planned new woodlots
(ha / village)
Planned replanting of existing
woodlots (ha / village)
Planned woodlots on sand
dunes (ha / village)
Total planned woodlots
(ha / village)
Percentage of common lands
planned for woodlots (%)
Yamunagar
District
Item
Ambala Project
Division
Bhiwani Project
Division
Table 10.9: Planned Use of Community Land For Forestry
In terms of number of ha per village, the maximum demand for woodlots is in Bhiwani Project
Division (64 ha), followed by Yamunanagar District (44.7 ha). In Jatusana Project Division, the
planned number of ha is in line with project target, while in Hissar it is lower for woodlots under
Model 1, but it is the highest for woodlots on sand dunes (in addition Hissar has also the highest
demand for Farm Forestry). In both divisions the total planned woodlots amount to about 22 ha
per village. The minimum request for woodlots is in Ambala Project Division and Kurukshetra
District, approximately 11-12 ha per village.
11.166
Figure 11.1 - Planned Use of Community Lands For Forestry

hectares
80
70
84%
60
50
57%
40
66%
30
87%
81%
20
28%
30%
10
pl
e
m
Sa
iv
na
D
sa
tu
an
w
A
ll
isi
on
on
isi
isi
o
iv
isa
iD
iv
Ja
ur
K
Bh
i
uk
sh
et
rD
D
ra
D
ag
ar
un
Y
am
Available community land for plantation ha / village

Planned replanting of existing woodlots ha / village
% Total planned plantations / available land
t
ist
r
ric
ist
sio
iv
i
D
la
m
ba
A
ic
11.11
Planned new woodlots ha / village

Planned woodlots on sand dunes ha / village
Both the factors discussed above, interest in plantation activities by the communities and
availability of land to meet project targets, suggest that priority be given to the three southern and
western project divisions of Hissar, Bhiwani and Jatusana, and to Yamunanagar District in the
north. This geographical priority is confirmed by environmental considerations, since most of the
villages in the south and west are characterised by a low tree index 447and are subject to hazards
like wind erosion, drought, poor sandy soils etc. In Yamunanagar District there is a sizeable
percentage of degraded land to be reclaimed.
Table 11.10 presents a summary of suggested adjustments for each plantation model.
Table 11.11 shows village wise information related to the plantations included in the resource
plans.
Tree index calculated by the Monitoring & Evaluation Division, unpublished data.
11.12
TABLE 11.10 - HCFP Plantation Models: Summary of Suggested Adjustments

Model
Adjustment of model
Adjustment of approach
Adjustment of target
Environmental impact of the

adjustments.
Model - 1
Village Woodlots
(on community land).
Sub-model - 1.1
New woodlots
No change.
Improvement of the existing status of

forestlands.
Sub-model - 1.2
Replanting of failed woodlots
established
under
other
projects
Generally, increase community

participation.
The project needs to engage in

replanting activities and accept smaller
than expected plot sizes in order to try
to achieve the target of 25 ha per
village.
Model - 2
Sand Dune Fixation
(on community and
private lands).
Include a participatory analysis and

identification of measures to tackle
similar problems in the future.
Sub-model - 1.3
Replanting of woodlots ready
for harvesting
In addition to the above, the

VRMCs could be asked to share
part of the plantation cost utilising a
percentage of the harvest proceeds.
Sub-model - 2.1
Fixation of community sand
dunes
No change.
Sub-model - 2.2
Fixation of private sand
dunes
A modified model with wider spacing

has been already introduced by the
Project, but several farmers consider
the tree-density still too high.
Introduce extension activities.
Based on the present level of planned

woodlots, the project could achieve the
target. However, a number of woodlots
might not be deemed feasible when
preparing the micro-project proposals.
Also, differences among villages are
quite high.
Overall target of around 50 ha per

village (the model includes only
villages in Hissar circle) can be
achieved, but the rate of plantation on
private sand dunes (95%) is higher than
expected.
Refer to the Farm Forestry model

farmers who are not ready to accept
the tree density planned under the
Sand Dune Fixation model.
Promote alley cropping Jhantibased agroforestry system. Try
direct sowing.
2.13
Improved management of common

forestry
lands,
through
increased
community participation and sense of
responsibility.
Reliable statistics on areas actually under
forest in order to improve forest planning.
Keeping separate data for new woodlots
and for replanting of existing woodlots
would prevent double accounting of
plantations.
Ability to include in the plantation
programme private sand dunes utilised for
marginal farming, which otherwise would
not be available, in order to check erosion
determined
by current
agricultural
practices.
Promotion of an agroforestry system well
suited to local ecological conditions.
.
Model
Adjustment of model
Adjustment of approach
Adjustment of target
Environmental impact of the

adjustments
New Model
Farm Forestry
[on
community agricultural
land (leased out and
encroached)].
No project model available for

this intervention.
Even though this need is expressed in

the resource plans, verify the actual
feasibility with Panchayats.
Demand is relatively high, about 9.3

ha per village, or 21% of the total
planned plantations on Panchayat
land.
Plantation of trees on areas not

available for woodlots, thus increasing
the plantation rate on Panchayat lands.
Model - 3
Tree Groves
No changes in case of
ornamental type of groves;
consider
introducing
a
modified
sub-model
for
production type mini-woodlots
on institutional areas.
The number of hectares requested is

higher than project target, so there is a
huge demand that necessitates
revision of targets and budget.
Creation of many areas of greenery

and shade by promoting tree planting
on all available institutional and
common lands, thus saturating with
trees the environment inside and
around villages.
Define benefit-sharing arrangements

between Panchayats and lease
farmers and, if feasible, encroachers.
Implementation could be similar to
Farm Forestry model.
The modified sub-model could
involve cost-sharing arrangements
with receiving institutions, and
flexibility in seedling size and
planting geometry for commercial /
multipurpose species.
Model - 4
Farm Forestry
No sub-model.
Introduce an extension programme to

minimise tree-crop competition, as
demand for linear plantations is much
higher than assumed by the Project.
Model - 5
Poplar Planting (on
prime agricultural land).
No sub-model.
Provide more information to medium

and large farmers about this model.
Maintain flexibility in planting mode;
there is high demand for linear
planting of poplar while project
documents assume mainly block
planting.
2.14
Consider, as an alternative option, to

fix a target for low-cost plantations on
institutional land for the modified
sub-model.
The target of 17.7 ha / village of
nominal area can be achieved and
even increased by implementing an
extension programme. The actual area
planted, with a low-tree density, could
be even 6 to 7 times larger given
farmers'
preference
for
linear
plantations.
Difficult to achieve the target in 100120 villages in four north-eastern
districts; average will have to be
around 45 ha / village, twice the
second year achievement.
Extend the target areas to suitable
blocks in Hissar District.
Increased soil and water conservation

and protection against winds, achieved
by establishing agroforestry systems
with low-tree density on larger areas
rather than concentrating trees on a
few spots.
Promotion of a species alternative to
Eucalyptus,
more
environment
friendly.
Table 11.11: Summary of Resource Plans Village-Wise

Division / Village
New
Ambala Division
1 Hangoli
2 Haripur
3 Kakkar Majra
4 Rasidpur
5 Tasrauli
6 Hangola
7 Korawa Khurd
8 Kheri
9 Natwal
Total
Kurukshetra Division
10 Shergarh
11 Ranjeetpur
12 Nagli
13 Sultanpur
14 Bhagwanpur
15 Sanghaur
16 Mukarpur
17 Bodla
Total
Hissar Division
18 Makhosarani
19 Tarkanwali
20 Balsamand
21 Rupawas
22 Nirwan
23 Rupana Khurd
24 Kirdhan
25 Mehuwala
26 Rawalwas Kalan
Total
Woodlots
Replanting
Total
Panchayat land
Farm
Groves & Sand Dune
Forestry Institutions Fixation
Total
Panchayat
Private land
Farm Forestry and Poplar Planting
Block
Linear
Total
Sand Dune Fixation

Block
Linear
Total
Total
private
0.0
24.1
1.1
4.8
1.2
0.0
29.6
0.0
1.6
62.4
0.0
0.0
6.9
3.4
6.9
6.5
6.9
8.9
8.9
48.3
0.0
24.1
8.0
8.2
8.1
6.5
36.4
8.9
10.5
110.7
0.0
0.0
2.4
0.0
1.4
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
3.8
2.3
0.8
1.5
6.5
4.1
3.2
3.9
2.1
1.0
25.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
2.3
24.9
12.0
14.7
13.7
9.7
40.3
11.0
11.5
140.1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
28.3
5.6
3.4
0.9
3.4
16.2
4.3
6.3
0.9
69.2
86.0
76.4
60.9
88.8
76.8
55.1
146.0
102.6
153.8
846.3
114.3
82.0
64.3
89.7
80.3
71.3
150.2
108.9
154.7
915.6
114.3
82.0
64.3
89.7
80.3
71.3
150.2
108.9
154.7
915.6
10.1
0.0
0.0
10.1
80.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
100.2
0.0
14.2
81.0
0.0
28.3
10.1
12.1
10.1
155.9
10.1
14.2
81.0
10.1
108.3
10.1
12.1
10.1
256.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.7
0.9
1.2
1.9
2.5
1.9
1.8
2.6
13.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
10.8
15.1
82.2
12.1
110.9
12.0
14.0
12.7
269.6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.6
10.3
35.4
2.6
35.4
0
1.6
8.9
96.0
68.6
34.0
9.3
71.5
85.8
79.5
20.2
64.4
433.3
70.2
44.3
44.7
74.1
121.2
80
21.9
73.3
529.2
70.2
44.3
44.7
74.1
121.2
79.5
21.9
73.3
529.2
3.6
4.5
0.0
16.2
10.1
6.7
20.2
12.1
0.0
73.5
8.1
1.6
0.0
4.0
0.0
2.4
0.0
12.6
19.0
47.7
11.7
6.1
0.0
20.2
10.1
9.1
20.2
24.7
19.0
121.2
2.0
16.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
40.5
0.0
0.0
58.7
2.5
9.9
9.7
4.6
6.0
1.9
6.3
4.4
0.0
45.5
0.0
0.0
19.8
0.0
0.0
4.3
0.0
0.0
55.0
79.1
16.3
32.2
29.6
24.8
16.2
15.3
67.0
29.1
74.0
304.5
6.1
29.6
47.8
22.6
17.2
16.4
8.8
6.9
0
155.4
141.1
52.9
6.1
113.4
0
24.3
25.3
8.3
0
371.3
147.2
82.5
53.8
136.0
17.2
40.7
34.1
15.2
0
526.7
1.8
0.6
45.7
14.0
6.1
3.8
29.5
10.4
3.0
115.0
824.7
175.3
68.4
528.7
428.9
317.9
237.4
376.5
355.3
3313.2
826.5
175.9
114.2
542.7
435.1
321.8
266.9
386.9
358.3
3428.2
973.7
258.4
168.0
678.6
452.3
362.5
301.0
402.1
358.3
3954.9
2.15
Division / Village
New
Bhiwani Division
27 Dhana Narsan
28 Prahaladgarh
29 Dhana ladanpur
30 Morka
31 Mandoli Khurd
32 Garwa
33 Kural
34 Kharkari
35 Alaudinpur
Total
Jatusana Division
36 Lula Ahir
37 Baldhan Kalan
38 Bhurthala
39 Sundrah
40 Syamnagar
41 Parkhotampur
42 Mundain
43 Babdoli
44 Bewal
45 Bhalki
Total
GRAND TOTAL
Woodlots
Replanting
Total
Panchayat land
Farm
Groves & Sand Dune
Forestry Institutions Fixation
Total
Panchayat
Sand Dune Fixation

Block
Linear
Total
8.4
1.0
0.0
11.6
43.0
57.6
95.2
16.0
9.2
242.0
15.5
16.8
12.0
5.6
105.6
0.0
80.0
53.5
7.4
296.4
23.9
17.8
12.0
17.2
148.6
57.6
175.2
69.5
16.6
538.4
11.6
6.2
18.2
23.2
17.0
25.6
29.8
41.5
15.0
188.1
4.5
6.5
7.0
5.5
7.5
7.5
6.5
8.0
4.0
57.0
0.0
0.0
1.8
2.4
5.0
28.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
37.2
40.0
30.5
39.0
48.3
178.1
118.7
211.5
119.0
35.6
820.7
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
4.0
14.0
0.0
0.0
15.0
2.0
0.0
12.8
0.0
0.0
47.8
525.9
10.0
37.0
20.0
16.0
5.0
15.8
24.3
7.4
19.0
23.1
177.6
726.0
14.0
51.0
20.0
16.0
20.0
17.8
24.3
20.2
19.0
23.1
225.4
1251.9
53.0
16.0
7.0
33.0
0.0
24.3
0.0
0.0
13.0
20.9
167.2
417.9
5.0
8.0
3.0
2.8
10.3
2.5
3.0
1.2
10.2
6.0
52.0
193.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
116.2
72.0
75.0
30.0
51.8
30.3
44.6
27.3
21.4
42.2
50.0
444.6
1979.5
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
2.16
205.6
118.2
186.6
214.0
113.6
291.2
211.0
128.6
151.0
1619.8
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
Private land
Farm Forestry and Poplar Panting
Block
Linear
Total
Total
private
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
na
12.
INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING

INITIATIVE ON STRENGTHENING VILLAGE ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT
The proposed Institutional and Community Capacity Building Initiative on improving

management of village environment is blended into the main HCFP effort of empowering the
rural people. It looks into the methodological aspects of the capacity building process and the
participatory implementation of the various project components, which are all directly or
indirectly related to improvement of the environment. The extent to which initiatives in other
socio-economic fields can be incorporated will depend on project flexibility and ability to
mobilise the necessary resources and expertise. The proposal considers also the relationships
between communities and the HFD, on the assumption that an enhanced participatory project
environment is a pre-requisite to ensure the success of the capacity building process.
The Project has completed its inception phase and is well into implementation, with a training
programme, operation procedures and monitoring and evaluation system already in place. At this
stage of the Project it is felt that a strategy to enhance community capability should address the
following needs:
Strengthening management capability at the local (village) level;

Facilitating the practical application of participatory methodologies;
Development and transfer of new technologies based on the environmental study findings.
12.1
Strengthening Local Management Capabilities
This point includes both capacity building of the VRMCs and ensuring good quality relationship
among the various village-level institutions.
The VRMCs are a creation of the Project. They can be either sub-committees of the Gram
Panchayats, or independent societies. The VRMCs are new institutions which need strong
investment by the Project in terms of training, follow up, and time spent on monitoring,
evaluation and re-planning etc. As a follow up to regular training programme, what is needed is
regular assistance by development workers to catalyse the process of grassroots
institutionalisation and ensure that weaker socio-economic groups participate in the working of
the VRMCs. Another important aspect in which VRMCs need support is operation of the
community-based monitoring and evaluation system, to assess the resource plans implementation
and engage in re-planning. Operation of the system is an essential component of capacity building
effort. The system's concept and frame has been developed in the Participatory Monitoring and
Evaluation Manual prepared by project staff in the year 2000. However, communities need to be
supported in familiarisation with the system and gaining ownership of the design, through a
participatory process that might introduce modifications to suit local needs and perceptions.
At the village level there are also two formal institutions related to local governance: the Gram
Panchayats and the new institution of Village Development Committees (VDCs). While the
former is the lower level political body for local governance, which is also entrusted the task of
promoting development of the village, the latter has been created in the year 2000 by the State
Government to handle development projects.
12.17
Community Env. Mgt Study HCFP
The working relationship among the three village-level institutions is yet to be defined
considering recent formation of two of them. The risk of institutional impasse or distortion due to
pressures by vested interests cannot be ruled out. The fate of many Social Forestry plantations in
the project area can illustrate this point. For example, in Mandoli Khurd village (Siwani Block,
Bhiwani District) a Social Forestry plantation raised in 1992 on 240 acres of Panchayat land was
clearfelled 4 - 5 years later, under a sort of free-for-all situation. Villagers needed fuelwood to
bake bricks for their houses. As the elections were approaching the Sarpanch did not take any
stand to stop the illegal felling resulting in total destruction of the plantation. The woodlot played
a social role, contributing to the change from kaccha houses to pucca houses for most of the
villagers, but it was managed in an unsustainable way. Under the HCFP, the VRMCs are
responsible for management of plantations. However, most of them are sub-committees of the
Panchayats, who are the owners of land, and, therefore, VRMCs can be easily subject to pressure.
Another example is related to the control of pollution from poultry farms. In village Haripur the
VRMC issued a notice to the nearby poultry units to take steps to control fly infestation through
spraying of insecticides, and were even ready to prepare a legal case. However, this action was
later undermined by the Sarpanch who did not follow up and engaged in delay tactics.
The other aspect to consider is the relationship between the Gram Panchayat and the VDC. The
State Government created this new development body to avoid concentrating power in one
institution and to decrease politicisation of development projects. However, it is predicted that
collaboration between the two may not be smooth. In addition, it is necessary to associate other
institutions of the civil society, such as schools, religious institutions, etc. The HCFP has taken an
integrated approach to village development by facilitating the preparation of general development
plans. Most of the activities included in these plans are related to environmental issues, e.g.,
making roads pucca, control dust pollution, ensuring an integrated water supply to the village,
rehabilitating polluted Johads, or checking pollution from village industrial units. However, all
these activities fall outside the mandate of the HCFP requiring intervention of other actors in
particular Government departments. It can be assumed that the quality of village-level
institutional co-operation will be a major factor in ensuring both the success of specific
environmental project initiatives and the promotion of the general development process in the
village.
The next step after preparation of the general village development plan could be a participatory
land use planning exercise in some of the villages with higher potential. A sound basis of
information has been already established during PA phase. Basic maps (Social Maps, Natural
Resource Maps, and planned interventions maps) prepared using participatory tools are available.
Initially, the results of PA and planning exercises should be presented to the villagers through
organisation of workshops, during which decisions can be taken on the preparation of VLUPs.
These plans are particularly needed for villagers with limited land available for community
plantations. As 25% of forest area is the target set by the Government for plain areas, villagers
with insufficient wasteland need to find ways to achieve this goal through plantations on other
lands. Lands Use Plans (LUPs) are also needed to ensure that areas targeted for plantations
remain forest lands and are not re-converted to other uses after the plantation cycle is completed.
12.2
Facilitating the practical application of participatory methodologies
Training on participatory methodology is planned for both project staff and the beneficiaries. This
includes a wide range of topics such as PA, microplanning, monitoring and evaluation, gender
sensitisation, leadership, VRMC management, etc.
12.18
The next step is to ensure the practical application of the knowledge, which is probably the
biggest challenge. Differently from technical type of training, application of participatory
methodologies requires quite a radical change of psychological attitude. In fact, participatory
methodologies are not a simple basket of techniques. They need to be learned as any other
technique, but they cannot be applied without a behavioural change. Therefore, as a follow up to
the training programme, the trainees need to be assisted to incorporate participatory techniques
into their working environment. Given that top-down attitudes and gender bias are often deeply
rooted in personal behaviours, this psychological change is a time-consuming effort that has to be
pursued throughout the currency of the Project. It should be clarified here that the identification
of this need is not based on any evaluation of project performance, which was not the objective of
this Study, but it is rather based on general understanding and lessons learnt from similar
experiences. The role of NGOs could also include an assessment of what are the difficulties faced
by the field staff, Link Workers, Forest Officers and leaders of the VRMCs, in the practical
application of participatory methodologies. Addressing them could be a matter of further training,
or it could be necessary to recommend changes in working procedures, or organisational matters,
etc.
The field implementation of the Project is a combined effort of people from different
backgrounds and belonging to different types of organisations: grassroots, Government, and local
NGOs. The day-to-day implementation of field activities requires ability to interact and an open
attitude by the different actors. A way to promote this is by supporting project-level participatory
evaluation exercises through appropriate tools and workshops, which would deal with selfevaluation, analysis of problems, lessons learnt etc. Regular workshops could be organised at
administrative unit level, attended by all concerned staff including representatives from
communities (VRMCs and Link Workers) and from the local voluntary organisations involved in
activity implementation. The importance of these workshops is clear if we consider that the
HCFP is basically an environmental project and project-level participatory evaluation is a
powerful tool to promote community-project relationships, confidence building and field
delivery. Organisation of workshops at local administrative unit level is reported from Hissar
Division. This practice should be strengthened and the workshops upgraded by adding
participatory Monitoring and Evaluation exercises. The facilitating role played by NGOs should
also include support on conflict resolution, which requires detecting potential conflicts in the
initial stage and identification of proper tools to address them.
The quality of relationships among Forest Officers, consultants and NGOs could be taken as a
proxy indicator of the degree of participation adopted by the project. It could be assumed that
unless these development workers are able to establish good co-operation, they could not operate
in a participatory manner with villagers. The expected change of personal attitude could be easily
detected by monitoring relationships at the field and middle levels of the Project.
12.3
Development and Transfer of New Technologies for Environmental Improvement
Ownership is a key condition for the success of any transfer of technology programme. Unless the
target beneficiaries become owners of the innovation, sustainability is at risk. An analysis of the
unsatisfactory introduction of a few technologies under previous programmes in the project area,
such as the smokeless chulhas, points to insufficient emphasis on this aspect. In addition to the
standard training and demonstration effort, participation in developing or adapting the technology
is required. Trial and error, understanding local knowledge and stimulating local innovations is
part of the approach. Passing through these different steps takes a longer time, but in the end it
might save time and resources. This process also builds up the necessary local expertise required
to ensure maintenance and follow up.
12.19
The strategy to promote ownership also includes cost-sharing arrangements and identification of
indicators of ownership. The incentive level needs to be carefully determined through a
negotiating process avoiding higher incentive levels that risk undermine ownership. This
negotiation, which might need to be differentiated according to socio-economic groups, could be
included in the initial phase of technology development. Indicators of ownership (which are
related to maintenance, use, innovations, etc) are useful tools during the initial phase of
establishment, before deciding for mass replication.
This process-oriented approach should be strengthened for promotion of all new technologies or
programmes with a problematic record, such as those related to rural energy, agroforestry, IGAs
etc. This would ensure that there is enough time and consideration to include all the necessary
steps. The extent to which a technology should be replicated would be the objective of a second
phase.
12.4
Involvement of NGOs
An experienced NGO could play a crucial role in assisting the HCFP for building community
capabilities by facilitating practical application, throughout the different steps of field
implementation, of the basic principles of participation on which the Project is built. In addition
to the ability to catalyse the process of grassroots institutionalisation, the required NGO should
also be interested, and have the skill and the experience to work with and within Government
systems. The role of the NGO has to be clearly defined and accepted by all the parties involved,
as it would be of no use to have an NGO working as an alternative to HFD. Interaction by parties
with different experiences should be considered as a learning opportunity by all the parties
involved.
It seems that there is a gap between a well designed training programme and the challenges of
field staff implementing the Project's sophisticated participatory operation systems. It is precisely
this gap that an NGO could address by working in association with and assist the Project's field
staff, facilitating the quality of participatory operation at field and middle levels.
The large size of the project, and the experimental nature of this proposal, suggests concentrating
the efforts in a few village clusters characterised by higher degrees of environmental degradation.
In this way the project should aim at establishing areas where best environmental management
practices are implemented through the integration of Projects main components with the specific
initiatives identified under this Study. The effort on improving environmental management in the
pilot village clusters represents an opportunity to build up experience that can trickle down to the
remaining project villages.
The ideal NGO should have three main strengths, with proven experience on: (i) implementation
of projects in collaboration with Government departments, (ii) general knowledge of participatory
methodologies and grassroots institutional building, and (iii) participatory development of a wide
range of technologies related to environmental improvement, and sustainable development.
Following is a list of suggested tasks for NGO intervention in the pilot village clusters. The
detailed ToR is given in Annexure 1.
12.20
The NGO should assist communities and project staff in:
Implementation of village PA and planning exercises;

Institutional building of VRMC;
Preparation of participatory VLUPs;
Preparation of feasibility proposals for environmental improvement initiatives.
Additional tasks would include:
Providing methodological assistance to local voluntary organisations engaged in participatory

development and transfer of new technologies for environmental improvement
Providing methodological assistance to Forest Officers on participatory implementation of
Community Forestry interventions
Each task might see different levels of NGO involvement. The general principle should be that, as
far as possible, the NGO should not be involved in direct implementation. This would go a step
further from previous project experience when the NGOs were responsible for implementation of
the participatory process in the villages and forest officers were to be associated. Under this
proposal, responsibility for tasks like PA and planning exercises would remain with the Forest
Officers assisted by the NGO.
While the Project could seek assistance from different consultants, the advantage of appointing
one NGO with experience on institutional support is to have a more comprehensive approach. For
a single organisation it could be easier to address needs in an integrated way, seek synergistic
linkages among the different tasks, and ensure a long-term commitment.
The Project's policy is to contract field implementation of specific microprojects to local NGOs.
For some of the technical areas good-quality local expertise may not be available. The ideal
situation would be that the NGO selected for the role described above has also the experience to
support the local voluntary organisations not only on methodological aspects but also on several
technical fields.
12.5
Selection of NGOs
12.5.1 Haryana-based NGOs

A list of 34 NGOs operating on environmental-related issues in Haryana was compiled from
various sources: World Wild Fund For Nature (WWF) directory, Development Alternatives
Information Network (DAINET) directory, a list from Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI),
references from Council for Advancement of Peoples Action and Rural Technology (CAPART).
Most of the information available was outdated and, therefore, every NGO was contacted by mail
and requested to send updated information on the following aspects:
Mission;
Year of establishment;
Number of permanent staff;
Number of part-time staff;
Geographical area of coverage (districts, number of villages);
12.21
List of projects (if possible for each project briefly mention type, beneficiaries, size, and
source of funding):
Projects completed;
Projects ongoing;
Projects planned.
Infrastructures
The idea was to compile a database for use as a reference by the HCFP to select NGOs operating
in project or nearby districts. However, only seven NGOs replied to the letter and some of them
with incomplete information. The list and addresses of the NGOs contacted are given in
Annexure 2. In addition, eight NGOs were met by the consultants during the Study
(Annexure 3). Given the long duration of the Project and the great scope for NGO involvement,
it is recommended that the HCFP undertake a systematic assessment of environmental NGOs in
the State in order to fully tap their potential. A consultant could be given the task to meet preselected NGOs and visit interesting field projects.
Commitment and the ability to establish sound relationships with the target communities are
considered to be the main strengths of local NGOs. On the other hand, as far as the Project's
experience and the quick survey carried out during this Study suggest, several local NGOs
themselves might need support. In particular, identified weaknesses were related to the ability to
extract and process lessons learnt from field experiences, and the ability to work in close cooperation with Government departments. None of the local NGOs contacted seems to have the
capacity to play the leading role as described under section 12.4. Three of the NGOs are already
involved in Project's field activities, namely, Society for Rural Economy and Technology
Advancement, (SRETA), DOST and Samaj Vikas Prayatan Kendra (SVPK) and one more,
Society for Protection and Conservation of Environment (SPACE) is being involved.
Comment:
Among the eight NGOs met, another one could be associated to the project. The society is made
by social workers who have completed the CAPART Young Professional Programme and are in
the process of registering the society. Their area of intervention is Panchkula and Ambala blocks.
They could work on VRMC capacity building, agroforestry and sustainable agriculture issues.
Also, they could be given the task to assess the NGO sector in the state as they have already
established contacts with many NGOs through their association with CAPART.
12.5.2 Delhi-based NGOs
A quick survey was conducted among Delhi-based NGOs and institutions. Several meetings were
organised to: i) understand the state-of-the-art and lessons learnt on environmental-related
programmes identified during the Environmental Study, and ii) select an NGO to assist the
Project and local participating NGOs in the community enhancement capability initiative.
The institutions contacted in Delhi were selected from the WWF Directory of Environmental
NGOs in India. Criteria for selection were mainly type of expertise and geographical area of
coverage. The following eight NGOs and institutions were visited (Annexure 3):
12.22
Development Alternatives (DA)

Action for Food Production (AFPRO)
Energy Environment Group (EEG)
Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI)
Council for Advancement of Peoples Action and Rural Technology (CAPART)
People's Institute for Development and Training (PIDT)
Sulabh International Social Service Organisation
Gandhi Peace Foundation - Environment Cell
Two more organisations were selected but could not be contacted: Consortium on Rural
Technology, and Development Research and Action Group. Later it was learnt that both these
organisations have stopped their activities. In addition, the documentation centres of two NGOs
were also visited: Centre for Science and Environment and the Society for Promotion of
Wastelands Development.
Although this list is not exhaustive, it is felt that the most of the relevant organisations have been
included.
The following four NGOs were short-listed, and could be contacted to present proposals based on
the ToR:
Development Alternatives (DA)

Energy Environment Group (EEG)
Action for Food Production (AFPRO)
People's Institute for Development and Training (PIDT)
Comment:
Among the NGOs contacted, DA seems to have the most comprehensive expertise to fulfil the
requirements, particularly on the institutional aspect. DA has a multidisciplinary team organised
in three branches (Technology Systems, Environment Systems and Institution Systems) and has
the experience to work at different levels: grassroots organisations, Government institutions,
enterprises, regional and national level. In addition the NGO has experience in development of
several appropriate technologies and IGAs.
The Energy Environment Group approach is also very interesting. It seems to be a small and
committed organisation with focus on local knowledge and innovations, and also village-level
institutional building including the Gram Panchayat. They work on a wide range of activities
including IGAs and rural energy.
AFPRO, which is a large organisation like DA, seems to have less comprehensive expertise. It
looks more like a technical-type of approach focused on studies and implementation of waterrelated projects (exploitation of ground water, irrigation schemes, check dams, etc.), integrated
by other actions related to food production. Their small-size biogas plant could be of interest.
PIDT focuses on grassroots capacity building, several environmental-related activities and IGAs.
They should have a sub-office in Gurgaon.
12.23
If the proposals received are worthy, the project could even consider appointing two NGOs in
two different districts, to verify different approaches. At this exploratory stage, DA and Energy
Environment Group are the most interesting NGOs among the four.
In addition, Sulabh International could be contacted for assistance on specific microprojects,
such as promotion of toilets, Johad rehabilitation-cum-pisciculture, and training on
environmental sanitation.
12.6
Communication and Awareness Campaigns
While various specific awareness campaigns have been suggested and are detailed under
respective Sections, there is an urgent need for communication and general awareness campaigns
for a clean environment and a better quality of life in the villages. The Project could, therefore,
support establishment of a network of schools and environmental clubs in the project villages to
promote awareness of various environmental and resource management issues.
There are local resources, such as schools, environmental clubs, and societies, which can be
associated with the Project for awareness campaigns. Moti Lal High School, Panchkula, has a
team of motivated school teachers and students who promote campaigns on several issues in
Panchkula and two nearby villages. The school could be instrumental in forming a network of
schools and environmental clubs in some of the project villages, for implementation of awareness
and environmental education programmes. The following suggestions could be considered for
inclusion in the programme.
Organising different types of competitions, such as painting, declamation, paper reading, and
for villages near main roads, "best of waste" to promote recycling.
Reviving traditional performing arts for spreading environmental messages.
Implement campaigns for environmental sanitation, cleanliness of the village, disposal of
plastic wastes, when they are not recycled.
How to involve students in tree planting and plantation follow up, such as in case of tree
groves and village woodlots. A group of village students could plant a tree grove and be
responsible for after-care and protection. The money budgeted for the activities could be
given to the school for the welfare of the students.
Running a small school nursery to produce trees for household distribution under the Kitchen
Garden Component. Again, the profit should be utilised for the welfare of the students.
Celebrating environmental days, such as the World Environment Day (June, 5), Earth Day
(April, 22) etc.
It is reported that GOH has decided to set-up Eco-Clubs in at least 100 selected schools of each district to create
awareness about clean environment. These clubs would help in spreading environmental awareness and also
carry out action-based programmes for protection and improvement of the environment. This is a welcome step
for the Project.
Annexure 1
12.24
TERMS OF REFERENCE
NGO ASSISTANCE ON INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING TO
SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS IN PILOT PROJECT VILLAGES
(This is a framework for the ToR, which should be adjusted based on the characteristics of the
pilot village clusters selected and the programmes implemented).
A. Background
The Haryana Forest Department (HFD), with financial assistance from the European Union (EU),
is implementing the Haryana Community Forestry Project (HCFP) in ten districts of Haryana,
targeting 300 village communities. The overall objective of the Project is capacity building of
rural communities to improve the natural environment and to preserve land fertility, by promoting
sustainable management of natural resources through activities undertaken in a participatory
manner. The Project promotes a process of self-directed community development and implements
participatory activities for re-afforestation of common property lands, agroforestry development,
promotion of energy-saving technologies and income generating activities (IGAs).
The Project is now entering Year 3 and is expanding field activities at the rate of about 50
villages every year. Assistance is sought from a qualified NGO on institutional and community
strengthening to support environmental-related actions in selected villages and to facilitate
practical field application of participatory methodologies in pilot villages.
B. Needs to be Addressed by NGO
The focus of the NGO assistance is on institutional building of the Village Resource Management
Committees (VRMCs) and participatory implementation of activities related to environmental
improvement. Initially, efforts will be concentrated in a few village clusters characterised by
higher degrees of environmental degradation. In this way the Project aims at establishing areas
where best practices are implemented through the integration of main components of the Project
with specific initiatives identified under the Environmental Study. The work on environmental
management in the village clusters represents an opportunity to build up experience that can be
useful for the remaining project villages. The NGO assistance will address the following needs:
Strengthening management capability at the local (village) level

Facilitating the practical application of participatory methodologies
Assisting in the development and transfer of environmental improvement technologies
C. Tasks of NGO
The NGO will assist the communities and project staff in the following tasks.
Implementation of village Participatory Assessments (PA) and planning exercises;

Institutional building of the VRMCs;
Preparation of participatory Village Land Use Plans (VLUPs);
Preparation of feasibility proposals for environmental improvement initiatives.
Additional tasks would include:
12.25
Providing methodological assistance to local voluntary organisations engaged in participatory

development and transfer of new technologies;
Providing methodological assistance to Forest Officers on participatory implementation of
Community Forestry interventions
2. Implementation of village PAs and planning exercises

PA and planning exercises were implemented with the assistance of three NGOs for the villages
selected during project Year 1. Starting from Year 2 trained Forest Officers are implementing
participatory exercises in the new villages. While implementation of the participatory process will
remain the responsibility of the Forest Officers, the NGO would assist during implementation and
provide on-the-job training as per requirements. Emphasis should be given to follow the process
by implementing the different steps described in the project training manuals and by ensuring that
the required time is given to each step. The PA and planning exercises lead to the establishment
of VRMCs who are the foundation of the community capacity building initiative.
3. Institutional building of VRMCs
This task requires supporting the VRMCs in the following aspects:
Ability to manage the common property areas and ensure equitable share of the benefits,
considering the needs of different socio-economic groups
Ensuring enhanced participation of low-income groups in the decision-making process
Application of VRMC bylaws
Emergence of motivated and committed leaders following attendance of leadership courses
organised by the Project
Management of groups funds
Operation of the community-based Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system
Re-planning of the village Natural Resource Plans
Project field staff and the NGO would ensure regular assistance to the VRMCs and devise an
operational strategy to address these issues. This would require participating in VRMCs meetings,
playing a facilitating role and providing ad hoc training as per requirements. As for monitoring
and evaluation, the communities need to familiarise with the system and gain ownership of
design, through a participatory process that might introduce modifications to suit local needs and
perceptions. Operation of the system would also require assistance.
Institutional building of the VRMCs should be put in the context of a process of self-directed
village development, which relies on co-operation and complementarity among several
institutions: the Gram Panchayats, the newly established VDCs, Government departments, and
other bodies of the civil society, such as schools, religious organisations, etc. There are
environmental-related issues, which are beyond the mandate of the Project, such as making pucca
roads to control dust pollution, or introducing anti-pollution measures for village industrial units
(poultry farms, brick kilns, etc). Addressing these issues would require an integrated approach
within the framework of an enhanced village-level institutional co-operation.
3. Preparation of participatory VLUPs
12.26
The Project plans to introduce participatory land use planning in villages with higher potential,
initially targeting one village per cluster. Land use planning will be based on the information
collected and results achieved during PA and planning exercises.
The general aim of VLUPs should be to ensure a stable and optimal land use in the village.
VLUPs seem particularly needed for villages with limited land available for community
plantations. As 25% of forest area is the target set by the Government for plain areas, villages
with insufficient wasteland need to find ways to achieve this goal through plantations on other
classes of land. Land Use Planning is also needed to ensure that areas targeted for plantations
remain as forest lands and are not re-converted to other uses after the plantation cycle is
completed. These plans should be prepared keeping in mind the needs of the different groups,
facilitating access to common resources by the weaker sections of the society.
The participatory VLUPs should also include integrated management of water resources that are
affected by several environmental issues, such as poor water quality, lowering water tables,
drainage of waste-water, and pollution of Johads.
The concept of land use planning will be introduced to the communities, with the interested
communities participating in the design of the necessary steps. After field testing the process in a
few villages, the NGO will prepare a document on the methodology followed, lessons learnt and
result achieved, completed by a training manual for VRMC members and project staff.
4. Preparation of feasibility proposals for environmental improvement initiatives
The NGO will prepare feasibility proposals for transfer of appropriate technologies on the basis
of the programmes identified by the Environmental Study, in particular, but not limited to:
Water harvesting
Rehabilitation of Johads
Composting of biomass to increase manure quantity and quality
Sustainable agriculture practices
Environmental sanitation and toilets
IGAs related to environmental improvement
Pollution control of village industrial units
5. Methodological assistance to local voluntary organisations engaged in
participatory development and transfer of new technologies
The NGO will provide methodological assistance to local voluntary organisations selected by the
Project for implementation of environmental-related programmes, including energy saving
initiatives. The NGO will analyse all the aspects related to technology development and transfer
in order to ensure empowerment of the users and full "ownership" of the innovations. The
methodological approach should put the beneficiary users instead of the technology at the centre
of the process. This process requires trial and error, understanding local knowledge and
stimulating local innovations, building up the necessary local expertise required for maintenance
and follow up.
12.27
The strategy to promote ownership also includes cost-sharing arrangements and identification of
indicators of ownership. The right level of incentives should be determined through a negotiation
process (which might need to be differentiated according to socio-economic groups), avoiding
higher incentive levels that risks undermine ownership. This negotiation process should be
included in the initial phase of technology development. Indicators of ownership (which are
related to maintenance, use, innovations, etc) should be identified and utilised right from the
initial trial phase, before deciding for mass replication of technology. The extent to which a
technology should be replicated would be the objective of follow up phases.
The NGO will collaborate with the local voluntary organisations in developing an overall strategy
for technology transfer, and will assist during the implementation phase to facilitate the
application of the right process approach through the necessary steps and procedures.
6. Methodological assistance to Forest Officers on participatory implementation of
Community Forestry interventions (agroforestry on private lands and woodlots on
common property lands)
The methodological assistance is aimed at ensuring that users' concerns are incorporated in the
design of plantation microprojects and in the implementation of the extension efforts. Similarly to
what has already been discussed under Task 5, priority should be given to empowerment of the
users and ensuring a feeling of ownership about the selected microprojects. Technical aspects
need to be defined related to choice of species, management practices and, in particular for
agroforestry plantations, lay out and how to minimise tree-crop competition. The process to
determine these technical aspects should combine information provided by the technicians and
farmers' experimentation and innovation based on local knowledge.
The methodological work should ensure enhanced participation by the weaker socio-economic
groups in relation to decision-making and modalities of implementation. For example, this could
imply choosing higher percentages of multipurpose species for woodlots, or working out
appropriate mechanisms to share benefits in kind (fodder, fuelwood, non-timber forest products)
for needy villagers who have limited access to alternative resources. This work requires analysis
of stakeholder needs and of the possible impact of plantations. Measures to minimise possible
negative impacts and ensuring equitable access to common property resources should be planned.
D. Qualification
The NGO should have four main strengths related to:
Proven experience on implementation of projects in collaboration with Government

departments. The NGO must have the skill and the experience to work with and within
Government systems.
Comprehensive knowledge of participatory processes and ability to provide training and
follow up on participatory methodologies to Government officers, social workers and
villagers.
Experience to work on community capacity building and grassroots institutionalisation, by
providing assistance to user groups, village committees, and local governance bodies
(Gram Panchayats).
Experience on participatory development and transfer of a wide range of technologies related
to environmental improvement and sustainable development.
12.28
Annexure 2
LIST OF NGOs OPERATING IN HARYANA CONTACTED BY MAIL DURING

THE STUDY
NGOs marked with* replied to the letter sent by ISD requesting information about their activities.
1. President
Bhartiya Gram Sudhar Sabha
225 /29, Ram Gopal Colony
Sonepat Road
Rohtak 124 001
2. President
Chaubisee Vikas Sangh, Meham
Near Chaubisee Ka Chabutra
Meham Tehsil
Rohtak 124 001
3. Director
*Dehat Vikas Kendra (DVK)
Village and Post: Dongra Ahir
Mahendragarh 123 021
4. General Secretary
Haryana Nav Yuvak Kala Sangam (HNYKS)
443/30, Dev Colony,
Delhi Road,
Rohtak 124 001
5.
Director
Indian Society for Nature Volunteers
Gokal Nagar
Rohtak Road,
Sonepat 131 001
6.
Secretary
Jawan and Kishan Sewa Samiti
B 3 477, Sonepat Stand,
Rohtak 124 001
7.
Convenor
Joint Assistance Centre
G 17/3, DLF Qutab Enclave, Phase - I
Gurgaon 122 002
8. Project Officer
Rural Agro-Polytechnic Extension Centre
Bhulwara P/O
Hodal,
Faridabad 121 106
12.29
9. President
Rural Initiative and Technology Impact (RITI)
Rahuka P/O
Indri,
Gurgaon 123 104
10. Director
Samaj Vikas Prayatan Kendra (SVPK)
Sohansara
Bhiwani 127 201
11. Director
Social Centre for Rural Initiative and Advancement
Khori
Rewari 123 101
12. Director
Society for Health Management
Maharana Pratap Nagar
Narnaul 123 001
13. President
Society for Integrated Development of Himalayas
228/29, Ram Gopal Colony
Sonepat Road
Rohtak 124 001
14. General Secretary
Super Vikas Club
Village and P/O: Bhani Surjan
Meham Tehsil
Rohtak 124 001
15. President
The Environment Society of Rohtak
665/20, Prem Nagar
Rohtak 124 001
16. Coordinator
Uttranchal Development Institute , Ambala Centre
1630, Jai Prakash Narain Marg
Ambala Cantt. 133 001
17. Director
Voluntary Organisations Fedration
B3 477, Sonepat Stand
Rohtak 124 001
12.30
18. Director
*Society for Rural Economy and Technology Advancement (SRETA)
Village Tehna Dipalpur
Post Mastapur
Rewari
19. Director
Society for Service to Voluntary Agency
18 20 First Floor, Sector 2
Karuna Sadan
Chandigarh
20. Director
Institute of Development and Communication
SCO 1126 27, Sector 22 B
Chandigarh
21. Director
*Adarsh Gram Udyog Samiti
Raisina village, Pundari
Kaithal
22. Director
*Arya Research Institute Samiti
Village Bocharia, Narnaul
Mahendragarh
23. Director
Deep Gram Udyog Sansthan
450/5 Mohan Nagar
Kurukshetra
24. Director
*Grameen Vikas Anusandhan Kendra
Village Bocharia, Narnaul
Mahendragarh
25. Director
Haryana Rural Development Farmers
66/22, Kishanpura, Sonepat Road
Rohtak
26. Director
Institute for Rural Development and Research
1630, Jai Prakash Narain Marg, Kuchcha Bazar
Ambala Cantt
27. Director
Kasturba Gandhi Rashtriya Smark Trust
Radaur,
Yamuna Nagar
12.31
28. Director
Navyuvak Kala Sangam
Saini Chaupal, Chuni Pura,
Near Saini Girls School
Rohtak
29. Director
Pooja Gram Udyog Mandal
Sanch Village, Pundari
Kaithal
30. Director
Social Awareness for Humanitarian
2494 Sector 17, Housing Board
Yamuna Nagar
31. Director
*Utthan Institute Of Development Studies
62, Shiwaji Market, 1st Floor, Camp Office,
Lal Dwara Colony.
Yamuna Nagar
32. Director
*Survival for Women and Children Foundation
Sector 16, Neep Snatan Dharam Mandir
Panchkula
33. Director
The Rural Development and Research Centre
B3 477, Sonepat Stand
Rohtak
34. Secretary
The Environment Society of Chandigarh
Karuna Sadan, Sector 11 B
Chandigarh 160 011
12.32
Annexure 3
PROFILE OF NGOs AND INSTITUTIONS VISITED

NGOs AND INSTITUTIONS IN DELHI
DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES (DA)
1 and 6 February 2001 - Meeting with:
Mr. G. Varghese - Vice President
Mr. S. Vashist - Natural Resources Scientist
Mr. S. Tiwari - Rural Management Executive
DA was founded in 1983, and has grown into a large organization with headquarters in Delhi, two
regional offices (in Bangalore and Jhansi), an appropriate technology centre and two field
stations. The NGO has a multidisciplinary team of nearly 100 professionals divided in three
branches, namely Technology, Environment and Institution Systems Branches. The strength of
the organisation is to work on development issues in a systematic manner and at various levels:
grassroots, local Government institutions and departments, private enterprises, regional and
national level.
The Environment System Branch has expertise on many relevant issues such as wasteland
regeneration, management of water systems, sustainable agriculture, Community Forestry and
JFM, NWFP, and geographic information systems. In addition several appropriate technology
packages are available for income generation and improved livelihood in rural energy, low-cost
houses, handmade paper from wastes and by-products, textiles, pottery etc. The NGO has been
recognised by the Ministry of Science and Technology as a research institute.
The NGO also works on institutional building and facilitation of institutional co-operation
between grassroots, Government and private sectors.
ACTION FOR FOOD PRODUCTION (AFPRO)
2 February 2001 - Meeting with:
Mr. Bose Croos - Executive Director
Mr. C. Udaya Shankar - Programme Coordinator
AFPRO was set up in 1966 to provide technical and financial support to voluntary organisations
for implementing environmentally sound food production and livelihood generation projects.
Since its inception, AFPRO has supported almost 1200 local organisations. Over the years,
AFPRO approach shifted from welfare-oriented services to integrated programmes based on
community needs. Therefore, AFPRO promotes both technology generation and transfer, and
capacity building at the grassroots level including skills for project management. The main
technical area of expertise is around water issues, such as water resource development
(exploitation of ground water, appropriate irrigation schemes), soil and water conservation (check
dams, gully checks, trenches etc.). Other areas of expertise that integrate this main focus are
sustainable farming practices like organic farming and IPM, livestock production, agroforestry,
biogas, rural sanitation, income generation etc. AFPRO is also running a few Community-Based
Natural Resource Management and Joint Forest Management programmes in Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and the northeastern region. Among technologies
developed by AFPRO that are relevant to the HCFP area are: i) an innovative low-cost biogas 66
plant of smaller size (1 cubic metre) suitable to farmers with only 2 big livestock heads, ii)
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different types of toilets that require minimum water - programme implemented in the North-East
and sponsored by United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF).
Besides AFPRO head office in Delhi there are 9 field units based in regional offices. Presently
they have no activities in Haryana.
ENERGY ENVIRONMENT GROUP (EEG)
3 February 2001- Meeting with:
Mr. Sudhirendar Sharma, Adviser
Ms. Shalini Sharma, Adviser
The organization was set up in 1985 by a group of scientists and development professionals. It
has a small secretariat in Delhi and a larger field office in Una District (southern Himachal
Pradesh) where they work in 60 villages. At national level the NGO is active through publications
and networking. The development strategy of EEG focuses on empowering people with
information and skill to bring about a change. They moved from an earlier approach based on
simple transfer of technologies to a more holistic approach that valorizes local knowledge for
technology development. This effort is witnessed by their active involvement in the Honey Bee
Network of grassroots innovators, which includes preparation of a computerised database on
innovations. In the same line they have developed an approach called "Knowledge Panchayat" to
support the self-help groups and Panchayat institutions in taking informal decisions.
The NGO can impart training on over 30 technologies and skills related to natural resource
conservation and income generation, ranging from biogas (they have developed a low-cost
design), to rooftop rainwater collection systems, adobe cooker, low cost toilets, furniture making
with Lantana weed, production and processing of medicinal plants, etc.
TATA ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE (TERI)
Dr. S.P. Banerjee, Visiting Fellow (Forestry)
Dr. T.P. Singh, Senior Fellow (Forestry)
Mr. R.C. Pal, Energy Environment Technology
TERI was contacted for its vast research and demonstration experience on rural energy matters,
including improved chulhas, biogas plants and solar cookers. The lessons learnt were discussed
during the visit and documentation acquired from the library. Other topics discussed included
participatory JFM, reclamation of saline soils.
COUNCIL FOR ADVANCEMENT OF PEOPLES ACTION AND RURAL TECHNOLOGY
(CAPART)
23 November 2000 and 5 February 2001 - Meetings with:
Dr. Arun Sud, Member Convener, Chandigarh Office
Mr. Arun Shah, Deputy Director, Delhi Office
CAPART, being a funding agency for voluntary organizations and a nodal point for
dissemination of appropriate technologies, could play different roles within the frame of HCFP,
mainly on three levels: identification of voluntary organizations in Haryana, know-how on
relevant rural technology packages, and as a funding agency for implementation, by local
organisations, of independent programmes linked to the project's effort.
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As for the first point, it was confirmed that the grassroots NGO sector in the state is less
developed than in many other parts of the country. Most of the local NGOs in the State specialize
in the handloom sector. There are only four organizations which have been associated with
CAPART in activities related to environment, all of them working on vermicompost. Two of the
NGOs are working in Mahendragarh, one in Hissar and one in Karnal. A relevant feature of
CAPART is the Young Professional Programme. Under this scheme, young graduates are
recruited for 2 years to work both in CAPART offices and in the field with voluntary
organizations. After completing their tenure these young professionals can apply for a Starter
Package to start their society and initiate work at the grassroots level in the district. There are
three professionals who have recently registered new societies and are going to initiate work in
Panchkula and Ambala districts.
Among the several technical packages disseminated by CAPART, the followings are of interest:
traditional water harvesting methods, bamboo handicrafts, promotion of local tree species,
training on biological pest control, vermicompost, toilets, backyard poultry breeding, energy
saving programme.
PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING (PIDT)
Ms. C. Indira, Research Officer
Mr. Sanjai Dasgupta, Chief Administrator
PIDT is a medium organization that focuses on sustainable rural development, grassroots capacity
building and empowerment of women. It provides support for a given number of years to rural
people through the process of catalyzing the formation of Village Samities (societies),
empowerment and then withdrawing. The main technical areas of expertise are watershed
management (including reclamation and construction of Johads), Community Forestry,
sustainable agriculture (IPM, composting, biodiversity of seed resources), income generation
(revival of traditional craft skills and their market-oriented development), and documentation of
traditional knowledge. The organization has not worked on energy programmes such as
smokeless chulhas and solar cookers.
PIDT currently operates field programmes in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Assam,
while programmes have been completed in Haryana (Rohtak District) and Himachal Pradesh.
They have a sub-office in Gurgaon.
At national level, PIDT works on advocacy and networking in collaboration with the International
Association for Voluntary Effort - India Chapter.
SULABH INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANISATION
Ms. Madhu Singh - Chairperson, Administration
Prof. S. Ramachandra - Director General
Dr. P.K. Jha - Advisor Technical and Vice Chairman
Sulabh was created in the 70's with the aim to liberate the scavengers by providing effective lowcost and appropriate alternatives to scavenging. In addition, the organisation promotes education
and income generating opportunities to rehabilitate members of the scavenging castes. The
Sulabh complex houses a school cum vocational training centre, a demonstration ground where
the different technologies are displayed, and a museum of toilets. Sulabh has grown into an
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international organization with programmes in several countries, and has won the year 2000
international environmental award DIABP for best practices.
The most popular technology developed by Sulabh is the pour-flush twin pit toilet, a low-cost
structure that enables onsite safe disposal of human excreta. Since the two pits are rotated every 2
or 3 years, the excreta ferment and rest for enough time to become free of pathogens and foul
smell, and can then be used as manure. The toilets are designed to require minimum amount of
water. Another interesting technology concerns the use of a particular weed (duckweed) to
rehabilitate Johads from polluted water and utilize them for pisciculture. Besides Sulabh is
working on other technologies such as biogas, composting, and solar energy (a solar water pump
for tubewell irrigation). The NGO has also prepared a training package on environmental
sanitation.
GANDHI PEACE FOUNDATION - ENVIRONMENT CELL
Mr. Anupam Mishra
The Environment Cell began its activities about thirty years ago. Their main fields of work are
watershed management and Community Forestry, with emphasis on the role of women and
marginalised groups. In particular the Cell has acquired experience on reviving traditional
methods of water harvesting, which has also been extensively documented. Relevant is the
experience of Alwar District, in the north-eastern part of Rajasthan, bordering Haryana. In Alwar
more than 2,500 water bodies (Johads) have been rehabilitated or constructed in 500 villages,
thanks to the work of the local NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh. This intense effort has reversed a trend
of desertification in an area affected by frequent droughts and lowering of the groundwater table,
boosting economic and social development. The degree of people's participation achieved in this
programme has been extremely high and could provide useful lessons for the Dam Construction
Programme under the HCFP.
NGOs IN HARYANA
SAMAJ VIKAS PARYATAN KENDRA, SOHANSARA, BHIWANI (SVPK)
13 December 2000 - Meeting with:
Mr. Mahabir Prasad, Director
SVPK is well known to the HCFP project since it has been involved in the initial Participatory
Rural Appraisal and planning exercises in ten villages of Bhiwani Project Division. The NGO is
presently assisting the income-generating programme in the same villages. As for environmentalrelated activities, SVPK has experience on several programs including rural energy, nursery
raising, afforestation, agroforestry, watershed management, and awareness campaigns. The
geographical area of coverage of SVPK includes also Mahendragarh District.
SOCIETY FOR RURAL ECONOMY & TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT - TAHNA
DIPALPUR, REWARI (SRETA)
16 December 2000 - Meeting with:
Mr. Sardar Singh, Director
SRETA is the other local NGO already involved in project's implementation (PA, village
planning and IGAs) in ten villages of Jatusana Project Division. The NGO was established in
1996 and is active in 50 villages of 6 districts in the State.
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CHAUBISEE VIKAS SANGH MEHAM, ROHTAK

Mr. Jasphool Singh, President
Meham Chaubisee is a group of villages in Meham Block with a long tradition of local
governance dating back to the Mughal time. The NGO is active in these villages on health and
family welfare programmes including running an old age home, a health center and a crche.
Other programmes are skill development and awareness campaigns on environmental issues.
From 1991 to 1993 the NGO began a programme on Community Forestry funded by the National
Wasteland Development Board, which involved plantation on more than 100 ha of land, partially
encroached. The NGO was successful in recovering the land from the encroachers and planting
the trees. However, in 1994 a severe flood destroyed the plantation. The area reverted to its
previous status and the organisation, due to lack of funds, was not able to re-engage in a new
plantation effort. The NGO acknowledged that in addition to lack of funds this programme was of
low priority and there was interference from the encroachers.
HARYANA NAV YUVAK KALA SANGAM , ROHTAK (HNYKS)
Mr. J. Singh, Executive Director
Mr. C.S. Dalal, Legal Advisor
Mr. Satish Kumar Behl, Manager
HNYKS has been operational since 1983 and is presently engaged in health related activities
(day care centre, health centre, promotion of Indian system of medicine and Homeopathy), nonformal education, crches for slum children, environmental campaigns, skill development. In the
environmental field they focus mainly on awareness raising on various issues, such as pollution
from factories, pesticides, protection of environment in general etc. The society has long-term
partnership with the grassroots NGO Chaubisee Vikas Sangh. HNYKS works mainly on projects
funded by the State or Central Governments, and has recently requested the Central Government
to be appointed as the mother organisation for grassroots support programmes in the districts of
Rewari, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, and Rohtak.
The NGO owns land equipped with a solar powered tubewell that could be developed for a
nursery.
In the environmental sector, the strength of HNYKS is the experience in awareness campaigns on
several issues. However, the approach seems to be more theoretical without a strong linkage with
practical applications. The impression was also of weak follow up and assessment of the impact
of the campaigns.
THE ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY OF ROTHAK
Mr. Jarjeet, President
The society was founded in 1992 as an independent organisation but with close linkages with the
Environment Society of India. The NGO is active mainly on environmental education and can
facilitate campaigns planned by other institutions. The organisation has collaborated with the
Forest Department to raise awareness for Social Forestry plantations and has facilitated a
campaign by the Gyan Kendra, Haryana Agriculture University of Hissar, on organic manures. In
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both cases the NGO has not been involved in the follow up to these programme. The districts of
interventions are Rohtak, Sonepat, Karnal and Jhajjar, all outside the project area.
Society for Protection and Conservation of Environment (SPACE)
Mr. Y.P.Sood, President
Prof. S.K. Sharma, Watershed Specialist
SPACE is a consortium of experts, most of them retired Government officers, with experience in
the fields of environment, agriculture, forestry, rural development and related topics. The
organisation has been established in 1998 and has worked so far on three assignments for the
Kandi Project in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, dealing with watershed management
and community participation.
MOTI LAL MODERN PUBLIC SCHOOL
Sector 7, Panchkula
Ms. U. Kapatia, Principal
Ms. Behl, Teacher and Co-ordinator Environmental Activities
The school is member of the Environment Society of Chandigarh and it is quite active in
implementing awareness campaigns in Panchkula and two nearby villages. Their environment
club activities are part of the normal school routine. Campaigns include marches and rallies to
sensitise on issues like tree planting, clean environment, pollution, recycling etc., and rallies in
collaboration with local associations to clean streets and public places from garbage. Painting,
declamation, paper reading and "best of waste" competitions are also organised. The school has
experience in involving village schools on tree planting and environmental issues.
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13.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In the previous sections, a detailed account of baseline environmental assessment for HCFP
villages has been presented. For each of the environmental components, major issues have been
discussed along with case studies from the villages. In order to meet the objectives of this Study,
it is important to have a compilation of all the environmental issues for all the HCFP villages
studied. This is also necessary to accomplish the following objectives:
To understand the nature of environmental issues that require attention in different project
regions of HCFP;
To understand how different environmental issues are perceived (and prioritised) by the
villagers;
To identify the nature of interventions i.e. capacity building or technical interventions;
To prioritise actions in terms of developing and implementing the suggested environmental
interventions.
A compilation of environmental issues is presented in Table 13.1. For each environmental issue,
the level of its intensity has been marked. A blank in the table indicates that the specific
environmental issue was not considered to be significant either by the villagers or by the ISD,
team. The indicated level of intensity is based on combined assessment of the villagers and the
ISD team. The villagers perception on each of the environmental issues was noted during a
village meeting held in each HCFP village. The field team also visited each village alongwith the
villagers to have a first hand knowledge of the environmental situation in the villages. The data is
represented graphically in Figure 13.1. The ten most important environmental issues (presented
in a descending order) in the HCFP villages are noted to be as follows. The figures in bracket
indicate the total number of villages that reported High, Medium and Low intensity of a specific
issue:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Damages by blue bulls (29, 16, 12)

Pollution of Johads (15, 11, 8)
Drainage of domestic wastewater (5, 16, 11)
Dying of trees due to termite attack or other diseases (2, 13, 13)
Dust storms (3, 7, 17)
Wastage of domestic wastewater (2, 11, 12)
Pollution from garbage collection/Hadda rodis (3, 12, 6)
Quality of drinking water (3, 10, 8)
Fuelwood pressure on forest resources (3, 8, 8)
Lowering of the groundwater table (2, 6, 9)
For all significant environmental issues, we have suggested environmental interventions that
could be taken up either by HCFP or other state or central level agencies. As all suggested
interventions do not directly come under the framework of activities that are planned under
HCFP, it would be necessary to involve other agencies in implementation of corrective actions
for some of the environmental problems. These agencies have been indicated in the respective
interventions. Depending on the availability of technical and financial resources, HCFPs role in
the process could be defined. Before full-scale implementation of the suggested interventions, it
may be necessary to conduct a detailed feasibility to develop specific environmental microprojects for each of project villages. These micro-projects could then be integrated into the
overall project framework of HCFP.
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Table 13.1
12.40
Figure 13.1
12.41
13.1
Air Environment
From the point of view of ambient air quality, the main problems in HCFP villages are
because of air emissions, both fugitive and stack, and odour problems from rural agriindustries including brick kilns, poultry farms, stone crusher, etc. From poultry farm units,
there have been problems of flies and foul smell due to inadequate wastewater drainage
and waste disposal practices. These problems are mainly confined to Ambala Project
Division because most of these agri-industries are located in that Division with no major
industrial development seen in other project divisions. As most of these industries are
located within agricultural areas, in many cases, the impact has been severe on
agricultural crops, fruits and even health of the villagers in the nearby areas.
13.1.1 Suggested interventions
Brick kilns
At the Project level, HCFP should request the HSPCB for strict implementation of
environmental regulations and emission standards related to brick kilns. Particularly
important is the provision of fixed type of chimneys with a minimum height or to install
specified pollution control equipment such as Gravitational Settling Chambers as per
stipulated requirements.
At the village level, VRMC should educate villagers about the ill-effects of air pollution
caused due to brick kilns. As villagers have already been affected by some of these problems,
the acceptance of VRMCs suggestions is expected to be better. Though the cash income
offered by kiln owners supersedes all other considerations, it is likely that, over a period of
time, villagers would feel discouraged to provide their lands for brick kilns. The situation in
some of the villages such as Natwal has reached a serious stage and demands immediate
intervention by the VRMC and project authorities.
As brick kilns have become an important source of employment for some of the villages, and
leases have already being given, it is necessary to establish a dialogue between the villagers
(VRMCs) and the brick kiln owners. The owners would be made aware about the problems
of the villagers and asked to provide the stipulated pollution control equipment and required
stack heights, as envisaged under environmental regulations. As the leases go on expiring, the
villagers and the VRMCs should reconsider grant of further leases in the context of adverse
environmental effects of this industry.
Poultry farm units
At the project level, HCFP should write to the HSPCB to draw their attention to the pollution
caused by the poultry farm units. The Board should be persuaded to introduce specific
emission/effluent standards, environmental management practices and operational guidelines
for the poultry farms. It is also necessary that ultimately these guidelines are strictly enforced
by the Board and adhered to by the poultry farm units.
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As poultry farm units have become an important source of income for some of the villages,
and many poultry farms are already operational, it is necessary to establish a dialogue process
between the villagers and the poultry farm owners. The VRMCs of the respective villages
should meet with the representatives of poultry farm units as also with the PFA and apprise
them of the environmental problems faced by the villagers as a consequence of these farms.
As a solution, it is possible that PFA gets insecticides sprayed, at regular intervals, in the
affected villages. PFA/farm owners should provide the insecticides.
There is already a new initiative being taken48 based on cooperation between poultry farmers
and villagers. Backed by the PFA and the district administration, the endeavour focuses on
the community as a whole. Several poultry farms have adopted villages in close vicinity to
their farms and implemented the recommendations made by the authorities. Many poultry
farms have started mixing Flyban with the feed of the birds. It ensures that the excreta of the
birds are free from the larvae of the fly, thus preventing flies from multiplying. The PFA has
also ensured that the villages are sprayed with the anti-fly pesticide, Nuwan, and the poultry
farmers are bearing the cost. Streets, sewage lines, the interior of the houses, open pits, water
bodies, and in fact all corners of the villages are being sprayed from time to time to ensure
that all areas where the flies can breed be cleansed.
As villagers are also the consumers of poultry litter, an arrangement could be arrived at
between the villagers and the poultry farm units whereby the droppings could be removed
more frequently and stored at some designated locations, before their use as fertilizer.
The PFA should advise and encourage poultry farm units to install bird droppings area with
appropriate size of wire meshes to prevent mosquitoes and flies from going out of the mesh.
Also the PFA could have internal environmental guidelines (such as provision of minimum
level of effluent treatment before wastewater is discharged outside the poultry farm units,
etc.) to be complied with by all the poultry farm units. This would also lead to improved
working conditions within the poultry farm units and would better overall productivity.
The villagers/VRMC should reconsider setting up of any poultry farms in the village either
by selling/leasing of individual holdings of the villagers.
Stone crusher
At the Project and village level, the HCFP and the VRMC should write to the HSPCB to
draw their attention to pollution caused by stone crushers. As stone crushers are now
regulated under the EPA, 1986, pollution control authorities should be persuaded to strictly
implement the stipulated emission standards and environmental management guidelines.
The VRMC should organise a meeting between senior villagers and owners of the stonecrushing unit to make them aware about the hardships that the villagers are facing due to their
unit. Recognising the mutual benefits of such an initiative, this dialogue process between the
villagers and owners of the unit plus strict enforcement of regulations by the HSPCB, may
persuade the owners of the stone crushing unit to provide the stipulated pollution control
equipment and comply with the prescribed environmental norms.
48
As reported in Indian Express dated 2nd June 2001.
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Charcoal kilns and Aawas
One way to reduce emissions from charcoal kilns and village brick kilns is to increase their
thermal efficiencies. An improved thermal efficiency would automatically mean better
combustion efficiencies and reduction in emissions from these kilns. This could be achieved
by introducing changes in the fuel mix and design of the kiln. For example, by adding roofs
to clamps, enclosing these with permanent walls that are insulated with mud, increasing the
height of the kiln and using enclosed fire box with a grate. It has also been reported that fuel
consumption can be reduced by mixing rice husk or saw dust into bricks while making these
and placing the same materials in between the bricks in the clamp.
The Project should consider improvements in the design of Aawas so as to reduce fuel
consumption per unit of the product. With better combustion efficiencies, the air emissions
would be reduced as well. Specific solutions may include the following:
Construction of a roof over the Aawas;

Base should be made pucca/brick lined;
Depth of Aawas should be increased;
The design of Aawas should be modified as per the recommendations of a specialist on fuel/
energy conservation.
The estimated cost of the work involved is approximately Rs. 25,000/-. The project
authorities could bear the cost of the materials, whereas the labour costs could be borne
by the villagers.
Dust and odour related sources
The problem of dust generation within the village is mainly due to wind erosion which makes
more dust air-borne, leading to air quality problems such as haze and higher levels of SPM in
ambient air. Plantation and sand dunes stabilization activities, planned under HCFP, would
help in checking this problem to a great extent.
Odour problem within the village is mainly because of nearby Kurdis, stagnant water in the
village drains, wastewater from toilets in the village households, decomposition of animal
carcasses in Hadda Rodis, etc. This problem can be mitigated by educating villagers to adopt
better waste disposal and wastewater drainage practices.
Sources with GWP

The two major rural activities that are considered for analysis of their GWP are (1) Biofuels
combustion in the rural households, and (2) Decomposition of organic wastes.
With appropriate technical and knowhow interventions, improved biofuel cookstoves (with
better combustion efficiencies) should be introduced and promoted in the villages. As
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combustion efficiencies of cookstoves presently used is very low, this would enable to
control emissions of the PIC such as methane, CO, and non-methane hydrocarbons. These
PIC are all even more powerful GHGs per gram of carbon emitted than CO2. Just from the
GWP point of view, it looks likely that there may be substantial GWP benefits to be derived
by switching from various kinds of biomass stoves to modern fuels such as kerosene and
LPG. Although these fossil fuels produce significant GWP, the overall GWP impact may be
lower because of high emissions of PIC from some types of biomass stoves.
The decomposition of organic wastes such as (1) human wastes, (2) waste from
cattle, and (3) other organic wastes, are all a source of greenhouse gases such as
methane and CO2. To control GHGs from these sources, the human wastes and
livestock wastes should be treated in a biogas plant and the gas so generated should
be used for various purposes such as lighting, heating and cooking within the village
households. The slurry could be used as fertilizer. To promote biogas plants, a small
size biogas plant, which could be operated and managed at household level, should be
designed. Community level biogas plants have generally failed.
The GHG emissions also take place due to decomposition of other organic wastes in the
villages like in Kurdis. However, these emissions are minimal and the end product of
decomposition is manure, which is used in the agricultural fields. Therefore, this is probably
the best alternative, although the efficiency of composting in Kurdis could definitely be
increased by appropriate techniques such as vermi-composting, etc.
13.2
Water Environment
The main sources of water for domestic, agricultural and livestock usage are piped water supply,
dug wells, hand pumps, Johads and tubewells. The traditional water harvesting structures are
generally dying out, but there is limited dependence, in some project villages, on rainwater
harvesting structures such as Kunds, Diggis and Tanks. In many villages, dug wells and Johads
are no more usable for their traditional purposes because of wastewater drainage and solid waste
disposal into these sources. At many places these are now defunct due to natural causes as well.
The main problem with respect to availability of water in villages is linked to erratic power
supply and less number of taps. Due to uncontrolled exploitation of groundwater, water table is
going down in many villages affecting water availability for irrigation as well as domestic use.
On the other hand, canal irrigation has brought a large area under water logging. Part of this area
is now affected by problems of salinity, alkalinity and sodic land formations. In Jatusana, Hissar
and Bhiwani Project Divisions, the groundwater is saline in most of the villages.
13.2.1 Suggested Interventions
Rehabilitation of Johads
Pollution of Johads is a serious environmental issue in many villages. The traditional system,
which is based on keeping three types of Johads (in villages) for different purposes such as
drinking water, livestock and drainage of wastewater, has now been mostly lost. Some of the
suggested interventions with regard to rehabilitation of Johads are as follows:
Under the awareness generation programme, experiences of other places on similar initiatives
should be shared with the villagers. The Project should study the feasibility to replicate the
12.45
experience of TBS, an NGO, on water harvesting in Alwar District of Rajasthan, bordering

Haryana. TBS has done commendable work in this regard and has supported and facilitated
the villagers of the district in the revival of traditional water sources, particularly Johads. It
will be useful to solicit support of such NGOs in generating awareness. This experience
could provide useful orientation for the HCFP Dam Construction Programme, on aspects
related to ensuring enhanced participation such as sharing the cost of the infrastructure with
villagers, operation and maintenance, and treatment of catchment areas.
In many villages, heavy silt has eroded the water storing capacity of Johads. Lack of
desiltation and kuchcha embankments have contributed to siltation to a large extent.
Restoration of Johads would, therefore, require desiltation and making pucca retaining walls.
The desilted alluvium deposits can be used along the embankment for creating a productive
bed for plantation. This activity can be initiated under HCFP with the help of the villagers.
Restoration of Johads would also generate employment, for the local villagers, as it is labour
intensive. In addition, the Executive Body of the VRMC can solicit contributions from the
village cash or kind (in the form of free labour). Some shade and fruit bearing trees can be
planted on the Johad embankments. This, if managed well by the VRMC, can be a source of
income for the village.
The village community in some villages, such as Bodla village of Ladwa CD Block, has
taken up the task of maintenance of Johads. This initiative should be extended to other
villages under HCFP. Details of their initiative are provided in Para 5.1.3.
In some villages, Johads are also being used for pisciculture (Sanghaur village in Babain CD
Block). The Johad in this village is leased at Rs. 15,000/- per year for 10 years for
pisciculture. A related programme that could be considered is "Rehabilitation of Johads-cumPisciculture". Sulabh International Social Service Organisation has developed a technology
for converting Johads contaminated with organic pollutants into pisciculture ponds. The
technology is based on a weed (duckweed) which grows very fast in polluted water and it is
then harvested to feed fish. The Johads should be divided into two or three parts to allow for
decontamination of water and fish breeding. Sulabh is now implementing this programme in
29 villages of Panjab, at the average cost of Rs. 250,000/- per village, which comprises
building the infrastructure and establishing pisciculture on a 0.5 ha pond area. This could also
be tried in some of the HCFP villages depending on villagers interest and suitability of
Johads for the purpose.
In some villages, a few Johads are irretrievable. They cannot be revived due to heavy silt and
stagnation of dirty water. For instance, in Hangoli village, one Johad, located right in the
middle of the habitation, is filled with brackish foul smelling water of and has become a
breeding ground for mosquitoes. The villagers have made number of representations to the
Block Development Officer (BDO) for getting the said Johad filled up. Such Johads have no
utility and their desiltation and revival would be an effort-taking task. Therefore, it is
considered best to close these Johads.
Restoration, essentially means restoration of the entire traditional system of Johads wherein
there are different Johads for different end uses. As the villages are now more spread out, it
would also mean that possibilities of digging new Johads are explored by VRMCs wherever
necessary. Digging up new wastewater Johads is contingent upon land availability and hence
would require discussions with the villagers. Restoration of Johads would also help in better
ground water recharge thereby improving the ground water table.
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Revival of traditional rainwater harvesting structures

Rainwater harvesting systems have been traditionally used in villages all over India including
Haryana. However, these traditional systems have been irretrievably destroyed in many of the
project villages. There is a growing realisation among villagers that complete dependence on
Government water supply is not realistic and, therefore, traditional systems should be preserved
and, in fact, improved upon. Incidental intangible benefits of traditional rainwater harvesting
systems such as soil and water conservation also make it an attractive proposition for the
villagers. However, to promote revival of traditional water harvesting systems, it is necessary that
villagers be made aware of the importance of these systems. Some interventions on this aspect are
suggested below:
Within a village ecosystem, rainwater can be harvested for two purposes: (1) Stored for ready
use in containers above ground or below ground; (2) Charged into soil for withdrawal later
(groundwater recharging). The basic principle in all these systems is to catch rainwater where
it falls and not to allow it to go as runoff. Whether the harvested water is used for direct
usage or for recharging the groundwater, it is of utmost importance to ensure that the
rainwater collected is free of any pollutants that might be added to rainwater from the
atmosphere or the catchment.
Hodhis, Kunds and Diggis used in the villages of Hissar Project Division are good examples
of rainwater harvesting structures for domestic usage. As regards quality of stored water,
rainwater collected from rooftops or ground catchments is free of mineral pollutants like
fluorides and calcium salts, which are generally found in groundwater. But, it is likely to be
contaminated with (1) air pollutants, and (2) surface contaminants (e.g. silt, dust) and should,
therefore, be filtered before consumption. Specific techniques to avoid contamination of
harvested rainwater and for cleaning the collected water have been discussed in Paras 5.1.3
and 5.2 of the report.
Alternative to storing, rainwater may be charged into the groundwater aquifers.

Various kinds of recharge structures are possible, which can ensure that rainwater
percolates to the ground instead of draining away from the surface. These include
dug wells, borewells, soakaways, recharge trenches, recharge pits and permeable
surfaces, etc. Precautions need to be taken to ensure that physical matter in the
runoff like silt and floating debris do not enter the wells since it may cause clogging
of the recharge structures. Polluted water recharged into the groundwater would
cause long-term (and sometimes irreversible) problems of aquifer pollution. Details
of these recharge structures have been presented in Para 5.1.3 and 5.2.
Water quality control

Generally, water quality in HCFP villages is considered to be acceptable for all the water sources
and villagers reported no major water borne diseases. The quality of water supplied from Jal
Ghars is considered to be relatively better than dug wells because they get water from deeper
aquifers. However, in some of the villages, some water sources were noted to be contaminated
and causes of diseases among human and livestock population. An exceptional case of surface
12.47
water pollution due to industrial wastewater discharges is of Markandya river, which flows
through Dehar and Nagla Rajputan villages.
In some villages, groundwater that is being used for domestic purposes, was analysed to be either
acidic or alkaline, hard, with higher (than permissible) levels of fluoride and calcium, etc. With
the limited level of investigation conducted on this issue, it is not possible to draw any
conclusions as regards the sources of this contamination. However, excessive use of pesticides
and fertilizers in agricultural fields and resulting soil and groundwater contamination seem to
have led to deterioration of water quality in some of the villages. It has been observed that use of
urea as fertilizer is substantial and is being increased each year due to pressures of enhancing
productivity. Suggested interventions in the villages include the following:
The environmental awareness programme in the villages should include a module on safe
drinking water. The "Low Cost Water Testing Kit" used by ISD's field team to create
awareness among the villagers on water quality issues, should be provided to each VRMC.
This kit is available from CPCB and their staff also provides training on its usage. The kit
enables the user to assess the physical, chemical, bacteriological and biological quality of
water in the field. The kit provides information on whether the pollutants are above or below
the permissible/desirable limits based on quantitative as well as qualitative analysis. It has
been developed by the CPCB, as a portable laboratory provided with the apparatus and
reagents needed for the field-testing to assess the quality of water under field conditions.
Safe drinking water can be ensured by a number of preventive and mitigatory measures.
Preventive measures essentially focus on prevention of contamination of water sources. Some
of these methods are maintaining safe distances of drinking water sources such as open wells
and shallow hand pumps from feacal contamination and other sources of pollution. The
VRMC should take part in creating villagers' awareness on these issues and should take an
active role in village planning process. Specific preventive measures for ensuring safe
drinking water are discussed in Para 5.2.
Further, specific water filtration method should be used for ensuring safe drinking water
quality. Boiling water is simplest of them all. Most of the methods are based on coagulation
and sedimentation or filtration process. The coagulation can be achieved by natural
coagulants like Nirmali seeds, Choti Elaichi, or drumstick seeds, etc. Water can be filtered
using a simple cloth filter or using a pitcher with a filter bed of alum, coal and sand or by
ceramic filters in a commercial water filter. Chlorination is the best method for periodic
disinfection of vulnerable sources of water like wells, canal and water tanks.
Avoidance of wastage of water
In most of the villages, taps have damaged bibcocks and water runs freely even after the
villagers have completed their chores, resulting in wastage and drainage problems. Provision
of bibcocks for the taps, which has been taken up by the Project as an Entry Point Activity in
some cases, should be coupled with awareness veterinary campaigns on the dangers posed by
polluted water to livestock.
13.3
Most of the HCFP villages have well-managed waste management systems which incorporate
maximum recycling and reuse of wastes, though lately there have been some problems on this
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aspect. Main problems are with regard to disposal of non-biodegradable waste such as plastics,
and lack of land available for composting of biodegradable wastes. Most of the waste water
disposal from households is through village drains which are generally kuchcha, clogged and
damaged at many places where wastewater spills over, accumulates, imparts foul smell and acts
as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects, and poses a risk of polluting water
supplies. Uncontrolled disposal of wastewater has also resulted in severe damage to Johads in
most of the villages. The waste collection and disposal practices in most of the villages were
noted to have scope for improvement. Suggested interventions are as follows:
Solid waste collection and segregation
At the household level, wastes should be collected in a dustbin, which should be of a durable
and water proof material such as plastic or metal. This should be easy to wash and should be
covered with a lid to prevent entry of insects and flies.
The same dustbin could be used for transferring wastes to the Kurdis. As the dustbin will be
closed with a lid, the chances of the waste falling, during transfer, will also be minimised.
Inorganic wastes should be segregated at the household level, because once thrown into the
Kurdi, it hampers the waste decomposition process and creates other problems.
Vermicomposting
The current methods of composting are largely inefficient, take longer time for conversion of
waste to manure, and lead to loss of important nutrients. The quality of manure can also be
significantly improved through vermi-composting process. The process of vermi-composting
involves stabilisation of organic solid wastes through earthworm consumption, which
converts the material into worm castings. The preparation of vermi-compost (an activity
already planned by the Project) is considered to be an important IGA for women belonging to
low-income groups. Details of vermi-composting process and advantages of using vermicompost instead of ordinary compost are provided in Para 6.1.
The expected moderate increase of organic wastes (including animal dung), resulting from
forestry and energy-related activities of HCFP, will put more pressure on finding land for
storing and composting. Therefore, local authorities need to be sensitized on the importance
of efficient composting for conserving the village ecosystem. Village land use planning may
be the right forum to address this issue and to designate an appropriate place, for example
under the shade of trees and near a water source (not for drinking water). Alternatively, water
and shade could be provided (and developed) near existing Kurdis.
Soak pits for sullage
To reduce the amount of wastewater drainage into the village Johad system, it is suggested
that sullage from village households be disposed of either into a soak pit or directly into a
kitchen garden. This would also reduce wastewater load on the village drains and, in addition,
provide the required nutrients for plants grown in the kitchen gardens. Kitchen gardens are an
important component of HCFP and villagers have shown keen interest in it.
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As a community venture, it is important to educate the village community about the

environmental health hazards of water collection in the vicinity of houses. Each village
household should be advised and helped in constructing a soak-pit to utilise sullage in their
kitchen gardens. This is a simple and cheaper method for drainage of wastewater, but would
not be successful in water logged areas. Direct flow of sullage water into the kitchen garden
may not be desirable because of sanitation problems. Details regarding construction of
soakage pits are provided in Para 6.2.1.
Spill-water recycling units
The spill-over water from the community water sources should be conserved for recharging
of groundwater or recycled for other uses. It is estimated that from a water source serving 50
families, more than 1,000 litres of water is spilled every day. As this spillwater is not heavily
contaminated (except for some mud and dirt), it could be either recycled after passing it
through a spillwater recycling unit or it could be disposed of into a soak pit. The soak pit
method would allow recharging of groundwater. The recycled water can be used for feeding
and caring of livestock, washing of clothes, gardening and household operations (cow-dung
plastering). A spillwater recycling unit is basically a community project and hence the
willingness of the community to maintain the unit is necessary. Details regarding
construction and maintenance of a spill-water recycling unit are provided in Para 6.2.1.
Creating Awareness on Environmental Sanitation

A major problem with respect to environmental sanitation is that of open defecation. In fact,
wastewater discharges from the toilets is not observed to be a major cause of concern because
most of the village households, both men and women, do not use toilets but open fields, for
defecation. Villagers are generally unaware of environmental and health risks of open defecation
and, therefore, do not see this as a priority environmental issue. This seems to be further ignored
within the resource constrained environment of a village because of lack of availability of water
and money. A close analysis reveals that the problem is not, so much, that there are no toilets in
the villages or that there are too few toilets available; the problem lies in that the villagers have to
be motivated to use their toilets. This should not be difficult, as there are examples in the project
villages (Hangoli, Korwa Khurd) where the existing toilets are being fully utilised. Some of the
suggested interventions are as follows:
It is necessary that Environmental Sanitation programmes are run at regular intervals to create
awareness regarding environmental sanitation at the community level. In this regard Sulabh
International Social Service Organisation has developed a comprehensive environmental
sanitation training package which, besides latrines, deals with solid waste management,
disposal of liquid waste, personal hygiene, safe drinking water, etc. This training package
could be used for creating awareness on environmental sanitation among the village
communities.
It is also suggested that selected VRMC members/villagers from non-toilet using project
villages visit other project villages where toilets are in use (Hangoli and Korwa Khurd). This
would create the necessary awareness/impact for the use of toilets.
Sulabh has also developed a pour-flush twin pit toilet, which has earned international
recognition. It is a low-cost structure that enables onsite safe disposal of human excreta. As
the two pits are rotated every 2 to 3 years, the excreta ferment and rest for enough time to
12.50
become free of pathogens and foul smell. It can then be used as manure. The toilets are
designed to require minimum amount of water. The cost of one household toilet is about Rs.
2,000/- to Rs. 3,000/- at platform level, without superstructure. There are different levels of
Government subsidies depending on socio-economic group; subsidies for SC should be 50%,
plus a 45% loan. Such low-cost toilets could be constructed where no toilets exist at present.
Sulabh has also developed community type of latrines linked to biogas plants. Such a
structure could be discussed among the Entry Point Activities in villages where the priority is
on latrines and sanitation. However, based on Sulabh experience, community latrines in rural
areas are not recommended, rather it would be better to promote two to four seated public
toilets in schools, health sub-centres, Aanganwadi centres etc., so that villagers could get
familiarised with them and become motivated in the use of toilets in their houses.
One of the major reasons, cited by the village community, for non-use of toilets is the
shortage of water. With the interventions suggested under Section 5 (Water Environment),
the overall supply of water should improve in due course, which should motivate the
villagers for the use of toilets.
13.4
Energy
Biofuels such as wood, agricultural residues and dung cakes are the most common sources of
energy in rural domestic and industrial sector mainly because of their easy use and availability.
The fast depleting biomass resource base is, however, posing a strain on the rural natural
resources, further exacerbated by the inability of the people to shift to commercial fuels such as
electricity, LPG and kerosene because of high cost and unreliable and irregular supply of
commercial fuels in rural areas. It is generally observed that more and more villagers want to
move up the fuel ladder towards fossil fuels, in spite of the fact that their availability is becoming
difficult. It is also seen that rich households of the village are able to meet energy requirements
from their own land, whereas poor people are more dependent on cattle and landowners for
meeting their energy requirements. Use of inefficient combustion devices and indoor air pollution
problems are noted to be the major problems in rural households. Suggested interventions are as
follows:
Promoting improved cookstoves/Chulhas
Various attempts in the past to promote improved cookstoves/Chulhas in the villages have met
with limited success. The reason is that technology has been given to the users rather than
empowering users to develop their own right technology, thus putting Chulhas at the centre of
the process instead of the interested users. What is suggested is to adopt an enhanced
participatory approach. The change should be not only from a target approach, as was done by the
NPIC, but also from a need approach, conceived as the provision of right technology and training.
This is also stipulated in the Project Logical Framework, which under the objectively identifiable
indicators, states that "by end of the project (EOP), 50 disadvantaged groups assisted to design,
field test, produce and market energy efficient cookstoves in 10 districts". This should be done in
consultation with women folks since they are the users and ultimate beneficiaries.
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This process approach should start with groups of users identifying problems and solutions in
brainstorming workshops and thereafter through interaction with technicians, select a set of
solutions for field verification. The technician should act as facilitator in a process of local
innovation and testing. By developing the technology, the users will be able to master technical
aspects related to maintenance and to the possible modifications required to adapt the Chulhas to
specific conditions. Situations and needs might also change over time, requiring ability to handle
modifications. Different models could be developed according to users' priorities. For example,
what could be seen is that some women put priority on fuel efficiency while the majority is more
interested in the smoke removal ability of cookstoves.
The Project could consider promotion of two different types of Chulhas, the improved cookstoves
made of traditional mud material, and the new, longer-lasting cookstoves made of pottery or
cement that are now on trial. These new Chulhas are expected to last 4 to 5 years and can be built
by crafters in a standardised manner, thus overcoming the technical problems related to ensuring
the right design during construction and maintenance. However, their higher cost, Rs. 180/- and
Rs. 210/- for one and two-pot models, can prevent adoption by low-income groups unless subsidy
rate is high. To ensure that low-income groups are reached by a technology that they can afford,
the Project could still promote low-cost improved Chulhas made of mud, provided the lessons
learnt discussed above are incorporated in the programme.
The same organisation that carried out the Energy Study have already installed around 200
improved Chulhas in 5 project villages (made of cement) and has recently been contracted by the
Project to install such Chulhas in another 20 Project villages. Installation is preceded by
awareness camps and household surveys to find out consumer preferences, for better
participation, and is succeeded by post-installation follow-up to ensure proper utilization.
Manufacture of Chulhas is planned to be linked to women self-help groups, as an IGA.
Fuelwood plantations
HCFP should lay more stress on plantations of fuelwood species under Village Woodlots and
Farm Forestry components of the Project. At present, most Farm Forestry initiatives are targeted
at timber species such as poplar and Eucalyptus. Very few interventions concentrate on
improving fuelwood availability to the villagers. An analysis of the village microplans reveals
that very few farmers have asked for fuelwood species, both under the Farm Forestry and Village
Woodlots components. They have shown preference for timber species mainly due to their
income earning potential. Though fuelwood scarcity was not identified as a major problem by the
villages at present, it is a crisis in the making with depleting forest cover. The farmers should
therefore be sensitized about the long-term impacts of depleting fuelwood resources and
importance of planting more fuelwood species. It is essential to promote plantation of fuelwood
species on a priority basis. This can be achieved through making it mandatory for farmers to
plant fuelwood species under the Farm Forestry Component. There is a need for a programmatic
change, which should ensure that for every 3 timber species that a farmer asks for, at least one
fuelwood tree is planted. Similarly, plantations of fuelwood species should also be undertaken
under Village Woodlots component. This will help in improving the overall availability of
fuelwood in the study area.
Energy efficient crematoria

One of the activities under HCFP is to promote improved crematoria for energy efficient burning
of dead bodies so as to reduce the consumption of biofuels. HCFP has already completed
construction of two improved crematoria in the Project villages and five more are to be
12.52
constructed in the near future. However, adoption of improved crematoria among villagers would
require strong and effective awareness programmes. This particular aspect is linked to villagers
attitude emerging out of age-old traditions, religious superstitions and above all their emotions
and sentiments.
13.5
Land Environment
From an environmental status point of view, almost a quarter of states land area is degraded,
with mobile sand dunes in the southwest, saline and alkali soils in the central plains and severely
eroded hills in the south and north. This degradation is largely caused by over cutting and
overgrazing of vegetation on public, community and even private lands, poor management of
irrigation water in the central plains; increasing population pressure and uneven distribution of
wealth in rural communities. Population pressure has further manifested itself in change of land
use with more and more common and forest lands being encroached and brought under
cultivation. Besides, agricultural land is being diverted for rural agri-industries such as brick
kilns, poultry farms, etc. in many Project villages. Also, land is subjected to intensive agriculture
(comprising excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) to enhance productivity. All
these pressures and other biotic interferences have had their implications on land including
deforestation, depletion of vegetation with diminished yields of wood and grasses, soil erosion,
loss of habitat and biodiversity, water logging, salinity and alkalinity, shifting sand dunes, soil
and groundwater contamination and wildlife damages to crops. Suggested interventions are as
follows:
Soil erosion
Many ongoing projects in the region have identified and worked on the problem of soil erosion.
Some plantations have been raised/planned in the catchments of some of the Chos as also check
dams constructed in the upper reaches, the intensity of erosion is often such that these measures
are not sufficient. Down stream bank protection measures such as construction of spurs, Gabions
have also been undertaken. While afforestation programmes along with construction of check
dams in the upper catchments need to be intensified, down stream bank protection measures
should also be strengthened and continued. The concerned areas need to be fully protected
through peoples participation.
Problem soils
The problems of soil salinity/alkalinity and water logging conditions prevail either in isolation or
in combination with each other, generally in arid and semi-arid irrigated areas, the main reason
being extension and improvement of canal irrigation. The potentiality of land, present land use,
cost of operations and other socio-economic factors of the region are some of the factors which
have to be taken into consideration for identifying specific reclamation measures. Another
important consideration is that community approaches of land reclamation are expected to be
more successful. The small and fragmented size of land holdings is incompatible with the
technological interventions required for controlling water logging. Therefore, community based
interventions are required to make available options financially viable for small farmers. All
programmatic interventions should aim at farmers' participation by creating the right type of
institutional infrastructure. CSSRI, Karnal, and HAU, Hissar, in Haryana. Have tried some
12.53
technical reclamation methods; some of which (the more successful ones) are mentioned
hereafter.
Reclamation of saline land: Saline lands are to be reclaimed to check long-term impact of this
problem. CSSRI has developed a technique based on the use of fertilizers, gypsum and specific
high yielding varieties of rice and wheat that have been found to be effective on these soils.
Application of gypsum with adequate and appropriate irrigation and fertilization helps in pushing
down the sodium salts deeper into the soil, thus improving upto about top 15 cm of the soil,
which is sufficient, if a proper choice of crop is made.
Rehabilitation of sodic/alkali soils: For reclamation of alkali/saline patches

(called Rann), CSSRI, Karnal has proposed an agroforestry system
based on association of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) with Karnal
grass (Leptochloa fusca). These plants are resistant to high sodic
conditions and can be established on barren land without
amendment. After growing Karnal grass for four years, other useful
agricultural crops can be grown in association with mesquite,
through succession phases and without application of amendments.
Green manuring for reclamation of sodic land: Increase of organic matter in soil is
another way to decrease the negative impact on crops of brackish water used for
irrigation. Green manuring with species like Sesbania, is a traditional practice that is
now being lost in favour of modern agricultural practices characterised by high level of
chemical inputs. Farmers are also well aware of the benefits of high organic matter in
soils, as they say that the negative effect of salt on the crops is less felt in case of
application of high rates of FYM. In fact, organic matter hastens the process of sodic soil
reclamation by decreasing pH and exchangeable Na. Extension work, on these topics,
could be promoted with NGOs in villages affected by utilization of brackish groundwater
for irrigation.
Shifting sands
The problem of moving sand dunes is prevalent in the Project Divisions of Hissar, Bhiwani and
Jatusana, where the topography is undulating and characterised by sand dunes, 5 to 6 ft. high, that
are being cultivated. There are is prone to heavy dust storms during summer, so much so that
crops in this area cannot withstand strong winds and get lodged. Sand forms a layer on the
topsoil, hindering germination of seeds, leading to loss of summer crops. There are no sand dunes
in Ambala and Kurukshetra Project Divisions. Suggested interventions are as follows:
Promote farm bunding: In areas prone to sand storms, farm bunding should be promoted to
retain the topsoil and to obstruct deposits of sand in the farms. Farmers should be involved in
contour bunding. Direct sowing of fodder grasses and tree species can be promoted in
combination with fencing work. Villagers didn't plan any windbreaks in the fields, but their
preference for linear plantations is expected to have a positive impact. When planning farm
forestry interventions in areas at risk, care should be taken to orient the tree lines to contrast the
prevailing winds.
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Monetary incentives for farm protection: Some adjustments should be considered in relation to
tree establishment and protection. Provision of monetary incentives to the farmer (survival
bonus), as per the Farm Forestry model with a possible increase of the bonus due to the harsher
conditions of sand dunes, might work better than giving to the Forest Department the
responsibility for planting and protection of trees for the first three years. Special arrangements
for assessment of the survival rate should be made in case of direct sowing of Jhanti. For
example, the project could pay up to a maximum number of surviving seedlings based on the
agreed maximum density per line unit.
Soil and groundwater contamination
Two main causes of soil and groundwater contamination in the study area are (1) wastewater
management and solid waste disposal practices of rural agri-industries, and (2) excessive use of
fertilizers and pesticides. Interventions with respect to improvements in waste management and
wastewater disposal practices of rural agri-industries have already been discussed in Para 13.3.
Extensive and excessive contamination of soil, water crops, and other products used as food and
fodder and pollution of the environment with pesticide residues are matters of serious concern.
Some of the suggested interventions are as follows:
Though consumption of pesticides in India is very low as compared to United States, Europe
and Japan, the level of pesticide residues in human tissues is much lower in these countries
and regions. The main reason for high residues in India is the indiscriminate use of persistent
organochlorine pesticides (POPs). Farmers are mostly illiterate and do not use these
pesticides as per recommendations. Besides leaving residues, consistent use of these
pesticides has also led to development of resistance among pests and vectors, and adverse
effect on non-target organisms. The Project should initiate extension work to educate
villagers on optimum use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, highlighting negative impacts
of excessive usage. Farmers should be trained in the safe use of pesticides.
The use of most pesticides that are toxic and persist in the environment for long periods have
been banned in India. Twelve pesticides - endrin, chlordane, heptachlor,
dibromochloropropane, toxaphere, penta-chloro-nitrobenzene, pentachlorophenol, ethyl
parathion, nitrofen, tetradifon, paraquat dimethyl sulphate and aldrin - were banned in June
1993 and BHC on April 1, 1997. Alternatives are now available, like DDT can easily be
replaced with synthetic pyrethroids, which are biodegradable, effective at low dosages with
low toxicity for mammals. However, these alternatives are more expensive and require
proper handling and application. Over last few years, there has also been an emphasis on
IPM where chemical and biological pesticides are used together. All these need to be
promoted in the HCFP villages through extension work.
Under intensive cropping, soil fertility can probably be built up only with balanced manuring.
Integrated use of chemical and bio-fertlizers should, therefore, be encouraged in villages
through extension methods emphasizing the use of FYM in agricultural fields rather than as a
fuel, for obvious reasons. As dung is largely being used as a fuel in most of the villages,
substitution may only be possible by making more fuelwood available to the villagers.
12.55
Wildlife Damage
There is lot of wildlife damage to crops mainly by Nilgai (blue bull), wild boar, and black buck
and this has turned out to be the most important environmental problem in HCFP villages.
Reportedly, Nilgai causes the maximum damage which in some villages is estimated to be upto
40-50%.
One of the interventions in similar situation, by Government of Maharashtra has been to

allow farmers to kill wild boar and Nilgai found damaging their crops under the Wildlife
Protection Act, 1972. However, this is not believed to be the best solution as culling of
wildlife should generally be the last-resort to be carried out by trained and authorised
personnel and not by issuing permits to the farmers, which may defeat the very purpose of
wildlife conservation. Some other solutions that have been under discussion include (1) A
crop insurance scheme for farms falling within five km of national parks and forest lands. At
present, livestock loss because of predators is compensated at a maximum of Rs. 3,000/- for
cows, bullock and buffaloes; and a maximum of Rs. 1,000/- for goats and sheep (2) Also crop
protection measures such as building fences and trenches, planting crops not popular with
grazers are some other methods to be explored. The situation should be monitored closely
because in several villages damages are reported to be on the increase.
The most important measure, however, is to rehabilitate the depleted habitats of wildlife to
increase resource availability for their shelter and food so that they do not damage the crops.
In this context, HCFP with its various components is trying to achieve this objective.
Termite damage
Damage by termites of woodlots established earlier is an important problem in most of the

villages. In the last 3 years, termite attacks have increased, especially on Kikar trees leading to
their death. It was found that little is being done in this regard. Interviews revealed that one of the
reasons is that people need access to wood resources, which on an individual basis is perceived as
more important than monetary benefits for the Panchayats. Termites serve the purpose of killing
trees, which then can be harvested by people in need. This problem needs immediate
investigation, as it seems to be resulting in substantial losses.
13.6
Livestock
For villages, livestock means transport, power, fertilizer and food. The main problem with respect
to livestock is to meet their fodder requirement. The pressure of grazing is thus high, both in
forest and common lands. There are areas with (i) high livestock pressure (Ambala, Kurukshetra
districts etc.), (ii) moderate livestock pressure (foothills of the Shiwaliks), and (iii) low livestock
pressure (Bhiwani, Rewari Districts etc.) where sheep and goats predominate. Suggested
interventions are as follows:
Fodder scarcity
Farm and Social Forestry programmes should focus on fodder cultivation. The HCFP should
support regeneration of grazing lands, which are mostly degraded. This will improve the fodder
12.56
availability in the villages and especially help landless and poor households in meeting their
fodder requirements. Under HCFP, suitable varieties and species can be planted, which should be
managed by the VRMC. This approach has been successfully tried elsewhere and is documented
in Para 9.4.
13.7
Assessment of Village Resource Management Microplans
Information on various aspects of a village was collected during the earlier phases of the
Project for all the 60 projects villages under study. This data has been processed in VE
reports, PA reports and VRMM proposals which were reviewed by the Study Team. In
particular, all the 60 VRMMs (45 in English and 15 in Hindi) were studied to assess the
extent to which the VRMCs had included environmental concerns in these proposals.
The results are as follows.
13.7.1 Summary results
A review of the above reports revealed that though they were quite comprehensive with respect to
other parameters, the coverage of environmental issues such as water supply, waste water
disposal, drainage, solid waste management, pollution control, energy sources and consumption,
local industrial activities, etc. were not adequately covered in all the reports. However, in some
villages, the environmental issues had also been addressed because the local community had
expressed their interest to development some environmental improvement microprojects.
13.8
A sample of forty-five Village Natural Resource Plans was analysed to assess the plantation
patterns set by the communities and individual farmers, followed by an EIA) carried out on the
basis of 18 indicators related to forest cover, land, water and air. The results are summarised
below:
Villagers planned woodlots on 66% of the total available panchayat land, a fact that should
have high positive impact on the quantity and quality of the forest cover. Interestingly, more
than half of the planned interventions concerns replanting of very low density degraded areas
or mature woodlots. In addition, villagers are interested in agro-forestry development of a
sizeable percentage of panchayat land used for agriculture, a land use class that was not
expected to be available for plantation.
Most of the available land within and around villages has been earmarked for tree planting.
Farm forestry has been planned on approximately 16% of the total private farmlands. Farmers
prefer low-tree-density agro-forestry systems rather than block plantations. This pattern of
promoting trees on larger areas could have more environmental benefits (improved soil &
water conservation and protection against winds) as compared to concentrating trees on a few
woodlots.
With the exception of village woodlots in the two northern divisions, in which villagers wish
to establish a monoculture of eucalyptus, the degree of biodiversity of the proposed
plantations is generally good.
12.57
Eucalyptus woodlots in the project villages do not show negative environmental impact
related to soil and water conservation. Some negative impact of eucalyptus on crop growth
can be expected for agro-forestry interventions.
Medium positive impact is generally expected on degraded areas. It is estimated that about
30% of marginal agriculture sand dunes in Bhiwani and Hisar divisions have been earmarked
for plantation under the sand dune model, however, farmers prefer very low tree densities
since they wish to continue practicing agriculture. As for eroded lands, the intensity of the
erosion threat is often such that plantations alone are not deemed sufficient.
As regards increasing the availability of dung for farmyard manure (FYM), which is one of
the expected benefits of the plantation programme, the impact is likely to be modest. This for
two reasons: farmers' preference for earning cash with timber and fruit species rather than
planting firewood species, and the higher value of dung when it is used as fuel rather than
manure.
Unsustainable pressure on common forest resources might not decrease as expected mainly
on two accounts: the general preference for timber species in village woodlots to provide
cash for the panchayats rather than forest products to the villagers, and the lack of benefitsharing arrangements to facilitate access to resources by landless or marginal farmers.
13.9
Recommendations for adjusting HCFP activities
A gap analysis has been carried out to compare with the HCFP plantation models, both the
plantation patterns and the results of the EIA, also keeping in mind the need to enhance
community participation as requested under the Institutional and Community Capacity Building
Initiative. The results suggest that the HCFP should consider adjusting the standard plantation
models on different aspects, which, depending on the model, should include diversification into
sub-models, refining the approach, and/or revision of targets. In particular the project should
consider to:
Model 1 (Village Woodlots) could be differentiated into two sub-models to allow for
replanting of low density degraded areas and mature woodlots. This change is required not
only to improve the quality of forest cover, but also to meet the targets set for the village
woodlots.
The modified Model 2 (Sand Dune Fixation), characterised by wider spacing, should be
promoted on large scale as almost the entire sand dune areas belong to individual farmers
who wish to continue practicing farming along with tree planting. However, the tree-density
proposed by the project is still too high for many farmers and therefore an extension
programme should be introduced.
The target for Model 3 (Tree Groves), for which the demand is approximately six times
higher than the target, has to be increased. The opportunity to introduce a modified submodel to increase community participation and reduce costs may be considered. Meeting the
demand is essential to saturate villages with trees and greenery.
For Model 4 (Farm Forestry), an extension programme to minmise tree-crop competition may
be introduce as planning of linear plantations is much higher than expected by the Project.
Projected data for the village sample show that the target for this model could be achieved
but the actual area planted, with low-tree density, could be even 6 to 7 times bigger.
12.58
A lot of extension activity needs to be undertaken for Model 5 (Poplar Planting), to promote
this model whose request is by far below target. Poplar can be an alternative to Eucalyptus,
and more environment friendly. In addition, it is necessary to maintain flexibility in planting
because farmers are interested mainly in linear planting while project documents assume
block planting.
In terms of geographical areas of interventions, priority should be given to the three southern
and western divisions of Hisar, Bhiwani and Jatusana, and to Yamunanagar district in the
north. This priority is based on several factors related to environmental considerations,
interest expressed by communities and availability of land to meet project targets.
13.10
Institutional and Community Capacity Building Initiatives
The study team contacted several NGOs based in Haryana and Delhi, and prepared a framework
for the involvement of NGOs on institutional and community capacity building to facilitate
community-based environmental management in the HCFP villages.
13.10.1 Recommendations
It is recommended that the project select an experienced NGO that could be involved mainly on
three aspects:
Assist local NGOs in implementing the environmental programmes outlined above, which
should include both participatory development of the selected technologies and transfer to the
beneficiary users.
Assist project field implementers in the general process of grassroots institutional and
community capacity building. In particular the assistance should include: the initial
participatory process (PA and Planning phases), establishment of VRMCs, on-the-job
training of VRMC members as follow up to the regular HCFP training programme, and
implementation, on a pilot basis, of participatory Village Land Use Plans for integrated
management of village natural resources.
Provide methodological assistance to forest department field staff on social forestry aspects,
including planning, management and benefit-sharing of village woodlots, and extension
activities for agroforestry plantations.
It is recommended that the Project concentrate efforts on pilot village clusters affected by high
degree of environmental degradation. The aim is to promote implementation of best
environmental management practices through integration of project mainstream activities with
new initiatives designed to address specific issues.
It is suggested that the Project should support establishment of a network of schools and
environmental clubs in the Project villages to promote awareness campaigns on various
environmental and resource management issues. It is reported that GOH has decided to
set-up Eco-clubs in the least 100 selected schools of each districts to create awarness
about clean environment. These clubs would help in spreading environmental awarness
and also carry out action-based programmes for protection and improvement of the
environment. This is a welcome step for the Project.
12.59
14.
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1.
Agarwal, Anil (1999). Indias environment A look at the future. Down to Earth,
7(21): 24-37.
2.
Agarwal, Anil and Ajit Chak (1991). State of Indias environment 3 Floods,
floodplains and environmental myths. Centre for Science and
Environment, New Delhi.
3.
Agarwal,
4.
Agarwal, Anil and Sunita Narain (1989). Towards green villages A strategy for
environmentally sound and participatory rural development. Centre for
Science and Environment, New Delhi.
5.
Agarwal, Anil and Sunita Narain (1997). State of Indias Environment 4 Dying
wisdom: Rise, fall and potential of Indias traditional water harvesting
systems. Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi.
6.
Agarwal, Anil and Sunita Narain and Srabani Sen (1999). State of Indias
Environment 5 National overview. Centre for Science and
7.
Agnihotri, N.P. (1998). Poplar poisons. Down to Earth, 9 (21) 54-55
8.
Anonymous (1992). Indoor air pollution from biomass fuel. World Health
Organization, Geneva.
9.
Anonymous (1996-98). Sector strategy paper on natural resource management.

Actionaid India, Bangalore.
10.
Anonymous (1997a). Manual for water testing kit. Central Pollution Control
Board, New Delhi.
11.
Anonymous (1997b). Pollution control in the problem areas. Parivesh Newsletter

3(4): 10. Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
12.
Anonymous (1998a). A social force called water . Down to Earth, 7 (10): 21-38.
Anil, Ravi Chopra and Kalpana Sharma (1982). State of Indias

environment
1 - The first citizens report. Centre for Science and
12.60
13.
Anonymous (1998b). Johad Putting traditions back into practice Watershed

in Alwar District, Rajasthan. UN-Inter Agency Working Group on Water
and Environmental Sanitation, New Delhi.
14.
Anonymous (1999a). Haryana Community Forestry Project - An overview.

Haryana Forest Department, Panchkula.
15.
Anonymous (1999b). Vermiculture biotechnology for solid waste and sewage

management. Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
16.
Anonymous (2000a). Air quality status and trends in India (NAAQMS/14/19992000). Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
17.
Anonymous (2000b). Manual for fluoride testing kit developed for United Nations
Childrens Fund. Central pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
18.
Anonymous (2000c). Manual on municipal solid waste management. Central

Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation, Ministry of
Urban Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi.
19.
Anonymous (2001a). A water harvesting manual for urban areas Case studies
from Delhi. Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi.
20.
Anonymous (2001b). Down to Earth Survival primer. Centre for Science and
21.
Anonymous (2001c). Handbook of agriculture. Indian Council of Agricultural

Research, New Delhi.
22.
Anonymous (2001d). Renewable energy for all. Department of Non-Conventional

Energy Sources, Govt. of India, New Delhi.
23.
Anonymous (2001e). Vermicomposting of organic waste. Project profiles related

to waste utilisation. Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation
of Tamil Nadu Limited, Chennai.
24.
Anonymous (2001f). Wild killing. Down to Earth, 9 (21): 9-10.
12.61
25.
Birdie, G.S. and J.S, Birdie (1990). Water supply and sanitary engineering
including environmental engineering. Dhanpat Rai and Sons, New
Delhi.
26.
CPCB (2000). Annual Report 1999-2000. Central Pollution Control Board, New
Delhi.
27.
Garg, S.K. (1988). Water supply engineering. Khanna Publishers, New Delhi.
28.
Joshi, Sopan (2000). The great divide. Down to Earth, 9(2): 27-40.
29.
Joshi, P.K., B.L. Gajja, and Jai Singh (1997). Adverse effects of land degradation
on the agriculture economy: Some evidence from saline and
waterlogged areas. In. The Challenge of the balance: Environmental
economics in India. Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi,
pp 193-199.
30.
Kamala A. and D.L. Kanth Rao (1988). Environmental engineering: Water

supply, sanitary engineering and pollution, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing
Company Limited, New Delhi.
31.
Kapadiya, Payal (2001). The easy way out. Outlook, 9(2): 74.
32.
Mahapatra, Richard (1998a). Bridging the gap. Down to Earth, 9(4): 38-47.
33.
Mahapatra Richard (1998b). Sukhomajri At the crossroads. Down to Earth,

7(14): 29-36.
34.
Mittal, D.K. (1993). Improved Chulha programme: Alleviating fuel crisis and
uplifting quality of rural life. Urja Bharati, 3(3): 25-28.
35.
Prabaharan, R. (2000). Livestock Research investment crucial. Survey of

Indian agriculture 2000. The Hindu, Chenni.
36.
Shambhu Nath (1995). Training manual on women and sanitation. Sulabh

International Institute of Health and Hygiene, New Delhi.
12.62
37.
Sharma, S.K. (2000). Report on consultancy on appropriate energy saving

technology. Haryana Community Forestry Project, Haryana Forest
Department, Panchkula.
38.
Sharma, S.K. (2000). Report on study of energy consumption patterns and

technology in villages of Haryana. Haryana Community Forestry
Project, Haryana Forest Department, Panchkula.
39.
Smith, Kirk R. (1993). Household fuels and heath. Urja Bharati, 3(3): 31-32.
12.63
Appendix 1
ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE DATA

Name of the Village: ____________________________________________
C.D. Block: ____________________________________________________
Division: ______________________________________________________
S.
No
1.
Item
Details
House hold
Total Households (No)
SC Households (No)
BC Households (No)
OC Households (No)
2.
3.
Population
Total Population (Nos.)
M(
)F(
) Total (
SC population (No)
M(
)F(
) Total (
BC population (No)
M(
)F(
) Total (
OC population (No)
M(
)F(
) Total (
Land Tenure
Total Area (Acres)
Common land (Acres)/No. of blocks
Grazing land (Acres)
Woodlot (Acres)
Leased land (Acres)
Encroached land (Acres)
Waste land (Acres)
Others # (Acres)
Private Land
Agriculture land (Acres)
Irrigated land (Acres)
Unirrigated land (Acres)
Tree Lands/Orchards
Marginal Land (Acres) ##
# Johads, roads, habitations and other areas of common use

## Sand dune land/unused land
SC
BC
12.64
Schedule Caste
Backward Caste
OC
S.
No
4.
Item
Other Caste
Details
Farmer Category
Marginal Farmer (No)
Small Farmer
(No)
Medium Farmer (No)

Large Farmer
(No)
Landless
(No)
5.
Livestock
Cows (No)
Buffalows (No)
Camels
(No)
Sheep
(No)
Goats
(No)
Horses
(No)
Pigs
(No)
Fodder Availability (%)

6.
Water
Does water Works exists (Y/N)
Is it operational (Y/N)
Water quality test result
Depth of Water Table
Max. Depth (ft)
(Wells)
Min. Depth (ft)
(Wells)
No. of Wells
Operational (No)
Dry/Dirty (specify) (No)
No. of Johads/Ponds
Operational (No)
12.65
Dry/Dirty (specify) (No)

No. of Hand Pumps
Water Table Trend ( )
S.
No
7.
Item
Details
Water Pollution
Johads/Ponds
Households Waste ( )
Fertilizer/Pesticide/ Weedicide ()
Industrial Waste ()
Human Excreta ( )
Water Supply
Households Waste ( )
Fertilizer/Pesticide/ Weedicide ( )
Industrial Waste ( )
Human Excreta ( )
8.
Air Pollution
Industry ( )
Dust ( )
Garbage Collection (
)
Thrashing ( )
Hadda Rodi ( )
Others (Specify) ( )
9.
Sanitation
12.66
No of toilets in the
village
No. of households using toilets
No. of households going to fields
Area specified for human Easing
(Y/N)
Proper/Adequate drainage (Y/N)
S.
No
10.
Item
Details
Waste
Domestic waste produced for day
(Kg)
Dung produced for day (Kg)
11
Wildlife
Status (Specify) ( )
Wildlife damage (specify) ( )
12.
Energy
Households using fuelwood (No)
Households using dung as fuel
(No)
Households using gobar gas (No)
Households using smokeless
Chulha (No)
No. of brick kilns
No. of Aawa
Households using Agri. waste as
fuel (No)
12.67
13.
Environmental issues
Soil Erosion (specify type of
erosion) ()
Shifting sand dunes ()
Improper drainage ()
Waste disposal ()
Saline soils ()
Water logging ()
Saline water ()
Sitting of dams ()
Industrial waste (specify) ()
Mining (sand & gravel) ()
Appendix 2
ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE DATA (AVERAGES)
Name of the Village: ____________________________________________
C.D. Block: ____________________________________________________
Division: ______________________________________________________
S.
No
1.
Item
Details
Average amount of fuelwood consumed/

family/day
2.
Average amount of fuelwood

collected/family/ day
3.
Average amount of fertilizer/crop/acre

Wheat
Rice
Sugar cane
Fodder
4.
Average amount of pesticides/crop/acre
12.68
Wheat
Rice
Sugar cane
Fodder
5.
Average amount of weedicides/crop/acre

Wheat
Rice
Sugar cane
Fodder
6.
Average irrigation/crop/acre
Wheat
Rice
Sugar cane
Fodder
Appendix 3
CHECK LIST OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

(ATTACH THIS SHEET TO EACH VILLAGE REPORT FOR DATA PROCESSING)
After identification of major environmental issues during the village meeting, the team should
check the detailed list below. Add new items whenever they come up.
Description and analysis should be carried out for each issue considered of high priority; for low
priority items it is up to the team to decide if and which one should be analysed. The column
notes is for clarifications or to specify what is requested in brackets.
No
Priority (tick)
High
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Notes
Low
Degradation of Panchayat land:

Dying of existing trees (species)
Illegal/excessive tree cutting
Loss of land due to encroachment
Land converted to agriculture for leasing
out
Overgrazing from villagers
Overgrazing from migrant cattle
Spreading of weeds
12.69
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Loss of medicinal plants (specify)

Loss of non-timber products (specify)
Others (specify)
Erosion: (Specify location, area, if it is
on common or private land)
Gully
Landslide
Eroded hillsides
River bank
River bed
Sheet erosion (on farmland or other land)
Siltation of dams
Other types of erosion (specify)
Water
19
20
22
23
24
Pollution of drinking water

Insufficient drinking water (entire or part
of the village)
Waste of drinking water due to
missing/broken bibcocks on taps
Pollution of Johads (all or only a few)
Lowering water table
Rising of table
No
21
Priority (tick)
High
25
26
27
28
Notes
Low
Saline irrigation water (all tubewells or a

few)
Seepage from canal
Waste of irrigation water (over/wrong
irrigation)
Waterlogged areas
Soil, Agriculture
29
30
31
32
33
34
Pollution from fertilisers

Decrease of agricultural soil fertility
Saline soils
Pollution from pesticides
Pollution from weedicides
Pollution from burning rice straw
Industrial units
35
36
Poultry farms
Brick kilns, air pollution
12.70
37
Waste land due to brick kilns

area)
Charcoal making
Others (specify)
38
39
(specify
Sanitation
40
41
Pollution from domestic garbage

Pollution from defecation in
space
Drain of waste water
42
open
Animals
43
44
45
Pollution from livestock breeding

Wildlife damages
Pollution from Hadda Rodhi
Wind, sand, dust
Moving sand dunes
Sand storms
Wind damages
Dust pollution
Any other (specify)
46
47
48
49
50
Annexure 4
VILLAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT
Village:
Block:
1.
RASIDPUR
Raipur Rani
District:
Ambala
Division:
Ambala
No. female
members
6
No. office
bearers
5
No. female
office bearers
1
Background information
Village Resource Management Committee

Date of
Formation
January
2000
Status
Panchayat Subcommittee
No. of
members
11
12.71
Located off the MouliShahzadpur road, at a distance of about 4 km from Kakkar Majra village.
Total Population
1,007
Male
566
Female
441
The community is relatively homogeneous comprising 157 households belonging to three social
groups namely Gujjar, Harijan and Lohar.
Social Group
Gujjar
Harijan
Lohar
Number of households
118
31
8
157
Land owners
118
1
0
119
Total
Farmer categories
Marginal
Small
Medium
Large
Total
Landless
47
47
22
119
38
In terms of landownership, 76% (119) households of the village own land whereas 24% (38)
households are landless. All Gujjars are landowners. The only non-Gujjar in the village that owns
land is a Harijan, his landownership status comes from being a Nambardaar (Government
official at the village level).
Total no. of houses
157
Literate male
344
Pucca
105
Semi-pucca49
38
%
61
Literate female
137
Kuchcha
14
%
31
A total of 238 males in the village are engaged in economically productive activities50.
Occupation
Harijan
Lohar
Total
21
0
16
37
0
0
18
18
156
5
77
238
Gujjar
Farming
Agricultural labour
Others
Total
135
5
43
183
Women from Gujjar and Lohar households normally do not work outside their houses whereas
women from the Harijan community work as daily wage labourers.
2.
49
50
Natural resources and environmental issues

Semi - permanent
All able-bodied men in the age group of 15-56 years are included here.
12.72
2.1
Common land
The total common land in the village is 45 acres of which 24 acres are managed by the Panchayat
and remaining 21 acres is Shamlat. Most of the land categorized as Shamlat is under cultivation
(and occupation of) by landowners and they are generally reluctant to divulge information about
it or to allow tree planting on it.
Land use
Area (acres)
Status
Grazing land
11 4 acres is encroached by the villagers and is used for
(Gocharan)
cultivation. The remaining land is barren, undulating
landscape with no vegetation except a few shrubs of
Kareer/Della (Capparis aphylla).
Forest land
13 8.5 acres of forest land has a natural stand of Kikar,
approximately 150-200 trees. This area was re-planted
under the Kandi Project the previous year, but survival is
poor. The soil is clayey and there is no source of water for
irrigation. Remaining 4.5 acres also has some vegetation.
Vacant/Unutil
9 There are 3 separate plots of land of 4 acres, 4 acres and 1
ised land
acre that are lying unutilized.
Others
12 School and Maadhi (temple):1.5 acres
Mahila Mandal and tubewell: 0.75 acres
Rest House: 0.5 acre
Harijan Shamshan Ghat51and Hadda Rodi: 0.5 acre
Jamindar (Landowner, Gujjar Community in this case)
Shamshan Ghat: 0.5 acre
Remaining area is occupied by houses. Within the
habitation, a number of shade trees have been planted in
homesteads consisting mainly of Eucalyptus and Kikar.
Dying of trees: Over last 3 years, the problem of termite attacks on trees has increased
significantly, especially on Kikar, which has led to drying up of these trees in the village.
2.2
Private Land
Land use
Irrigated
Unirrigated
Moving sand dunes (cultivated)
Total agriculture
Other private land (specify)
Area (acres)
600
555
0
1,155
0
The survey team was informed that earlier residents of the village Rasidpur arrived from the
neighboring village of Katwad. At that time, the land was highly undulating and unfit for any
agricultural use. Subsequently, the land was leveled, initially manually and later with tractors.
The main agricultural crops include wheat, paddy, sugar cane and fodder grass (Barseen and
51
Cremation ground
12.73
Chari). The average inputs of fertilizers, pesticides and weedicides that are commonly used in the
area for the key crops, are given below:
Crop
Wheat
Paddy
Sugar cane
Fodder crops
Fertilizer/acre
150 kg Urea
Pesticide/acre
5 kg chai patti
7 litre Gamaxene
-
Weedicide/acre
1 litre Meltron
-
Note: In addition to the above 10 kg of Zinc is added to the soil every year in paddy crops.
Decrease of land productivity: Villagers feel that use of chemical fertilizers has increased
substantially over the last 20 years. In as much they realise the negative environmental impact
of increased fertilizer use such as reduction in long-term productivity of land and their
increased dependence on expensive chemical fertilizers, they believe that economic pressures
have forced them to opt for intensive agriculture, which requires more fertilizers and
irrigation.
Sheet erosion: As per the village farmers, nearly all the agricultural fields are subjected to
sheet erosion, which affects crop production.
2.3
Livestock and wildlife
Livestock heads
Cattle
150
Buffalo
1,600
Sheep
150
Goat
150
Camel
0
Others
0
Total
2,050
The average livestock holding per household is 13 animals, (above average). This is mainly due
to the large Gujjar community, who are traditional cattle breeders. Main fodder for cattle is Tudi
and Parali.
Lack of fodder resources: Fodder availability is reported to be inadequate. As a result, 50%

of the fodder requirement is bought from nearby villages (mainly in the form of agri-wastes
and green fodder).
Wildlife damage: within last couple of years, wildlife damage to crops has increased
drastically. Villagers feel that the increased forest cover on the foothills of Shiwaliks has
caused wild animals to come down in these newly established forests. These wild animals
include blue bull, deer, monkeys, etc. Reportedly, the maximum damage is caused by blue
bulls. Villagers mentioned that frequent attacks by wild animals have forced them to guard
their fields all through the day and night, in shifts. However, as agricultural fields are spread
over large areas, 100% guarding is impossible, crop damage is reported to be of the order of
40-50%.
2.4
Domestic water supply
Main source: Jal Ghar was established in the village by the Public Health Engineering
Department in the year 1984. Water is supplied to the village (from this Jal Ghar) through a pipe
network system with taps placed along the village lanes. Water is supplied every alternate day,
12.74
for 2 hours in the morning and evening. The tap water system,, though important from health and
other aspects, is reported to be erratic due to frequent power cuts, and as such inadequate to meet
domestic requirements. Therefore, villagers have opted for other means too.
Other sources. There are five wells in the village, of which only two are currently functional
and in use (very limited use; not for drinking purposes) these are located in the Harijan and
Lohar Mohallas (locality). The other three wells are dirty. The advent of tubewell in the village
led to abandonment of wells as a drinking water source. Subsequently, villagers stopped
maintaining these and, with time, the condition of these wells deteriorated. Today, these are
completely defunct. There are about 100 private hand pumps in the village, which are most
widely used sources of domestic water.
Lowering of water table during the last 20 years. Whereas the old handpumps were installed
at a depth of 40-45 ft., most of the new ones are reported to be at a depth of 90-95 ft.
Low water quality: Water from two handpumps of different depth was tested52. The results
are as under
Test
Hardness
PH
Calcium
Nitrate
Fluoride
Permissible (desirable)53
600 (300) mg/l
6.5-8.5
200 (75) mg/l
100 (45) mg/l
1.5 (1) mg/l
Sample 1 (70 feet)

568 mg/l
9.5
227.2 mg/l
25 mg/l
2 mg/l
Sample 2 (90 ft.)

136 mg/l
8.5
54.4 mg/l
25 mg/l
2 mg/l
As is indicated, for Water Sample-1, pH is high indicating alkaline water, and values of calcium
and fluoride are also higher than the permissible limits. Other parameters are within the
permissible limits. In Water Sample-2, all parameters are within the permissible limits except for
fluoride. However, villagers consider water quality to be acceptable for all the sources and they
did not report major water borne diseases.
2.5
Water supply for livestock
There are four Johads, which are primarily used for meeting water requirements of livestock,
both for drinking as well as bathing. However, over time the use of Johads for these purposes has
declined and currently Johads are mainly used for bathing of cattle only. One of these Johads is
located within the habitation, two in the Gocharan and one in Shamlat. However, the Johad
within habitation is also a collector of domestic wastewater as most of the village waste water
drains into this Johad, which is severely polluted. The two Johads situated in Gocharan, appear
to be cleaner. The Johad located in Shamlat is seasonal and water is available for about 4 months
in a year. One of the Johads in the Gocharan is perennial.
Presently, the common practice in the village is to provide water to cattle at the house itself in
tasla or buckets. The source of this water is either hand pumps or water taps. This is contrary to
the earlier practice of taking cattle to Johads for drinking water.
52
For the purpose, the Low Cost Water Testing Kit developed by CPCB was used. The kit has been fabricated as a
portable laboratory provided with the apparatus and reagents needed for field testing to assess the quality of water
under field conditions. The kit enables the user to assess the physical, chemical, bacteriological and biological quality
of water in the field.
53
As per the Indian Drinking Water Quality Standard-IS 10500-1991.
12.75
2.6
Water supply for irrigation
Sources: Three MITC tubewells; 6 privately owned tubewells (all of which belong to the Gujjar
community); no canal irrigation.
The first tubewell was installed in the village in the year 1968 under MITC. Of the 3 MITC
tubewells, only one is reported to be functional and irrigates about 150 acres of agricultural land.
The other two tubewells have been non-functional since 1995. Villagers expect the Government
to get the tubewells repaired. Each of these tubewells irrigated an area of 200 acres and their nonavailability has led to reduced agricultural productivity. Wheat production per acre had come
down from 20 qt (with irrigation) to 15 qt due to lack of irrigation facilities.
2.7
Domestic and livestock waste
Amount of waste generated by a typical family of 5 members is approximately 6 to 8 kg per day.

This is mainly disposed off in Kurdis which are traditional pits for composting livestock and
domestic wastes and are individually prepared by each household. Manure is removed from these
Kurdis every six months and is either sold to an outside contractor or is used for agricultural
fields. The pit then becomes available again for the next cycle of composting. Waste movement
from the household to the Kurdi is mainly the responsibility of the women. As Rasidpur village
is significantly away from a city or town, the extent of non-biodegradable waste such as plastics,
etc. were noted to be very minimal. Villagers also confirmed that use of plastic bags, etc. in the
village was much less compared to other villages, which were close to the main road. Still nonbiodegradable waste management is poor in the village. Women do separate, to some extent, the
non-biodegradables, and throw them in a common place, where it stays till some ragpicker come
to collect the same, or till somebody tries to take whatever biomaterial is mixed and the plastic is
then scattered all around. Farmers separate plastics from the FYM once it reaches the field, and
sometimes they burnt it; sometimes just throw it somewhere.
2.8
2.9
Agricultural waste
Mild air pollution due to burning of crop residues in fields and use of thrashers.
Wastewater and sanitation
Lack of toilets. There are only three households with soak pit toilets in the village.
But they are seldom used. Two specific areas have been earmarked for defecation
separately, for men and women. Though at the outset, inadequate sanitation facilities
appear to be a problem, more so because of increasing pressure on the land (people
have to now walk miles), the villagers did not identify this to be a major problem
because they believe:
that water availability in the village is anyway less and therefore enough water
may not be available for upkeep and maintenance of proper toilets; and
that toilets should not be within the house as they are considered to be
unhygienic.
12.76
Two plots, measuring 10 Marla (160 Marlas make one acre) each, have been set aside
(outside the Phirni) for construction of a lavatory for women. The plans for constructing
toilets have also been included in the Village Microplan.
Drainage of household wastewater, finds its way into the village drainage system. While
some drains in the village are pucca, some are still kuchcha. These drains were noted to be
clogged, but, this was not perceived as a major problem by the villagers. Some of the drains
were observed to be overflowing causing water logging in the lanes. All the wastewater of
the village drains into a Johad that is located within the habitation and is a low-lying area
within the village. During the village visit, it was noted that Johad is also used for bathing
cattle, mainly buffaloes. The water in the Johad was very dirty.
2.10
Energy
Rasidpur village is electrified since 1965-66 and most of the households have electricity.
Electricity is used to operate tubewells, flourmills and fodder cutting machines. However,
supply is erratic and diesel is used as an alternate.
Domestic fuel for cooking: Villagers mentioned that with time, the availability of
fuelwood had reduced, thus increasing dependence on dung cakes as a fuel. This has,
therefore, reduced availability of dung for use as FYM. There is a local sawmill, known
as Aara, which sells fuelwood (slabs, edgings, trimmings and other waste wood) at Rs
2.5 per kg.
2.11
Pollution
Source of indoor pollution is smoke from Chulhas that are using fuelwood and
cowdung cakes. A scheme for construction of smokeless Chulhas is being
implemented by the BDO. Currently the number of households with improved
Chulhas is 100.
Pollution from poultry units: There are several units in the area. Villagers have
reported that due to these poultry farms, incidences of sickness have increased over
the last 5 years.
12.77
Pollution from stone crasher: A crusher is located at approximately 3 km from the

village, towards east. It was set up in 1998 and since then there was increased
incidence of breathing problem among villagers. Other problems include loose
motions in cattle (as the dust gets mixed with the fodder), and some negative impact
on crop productivity and retarded growth of trees in nearby fields (as the dust settles
on leaves). Though the village per se appears to be sufficiently away from the stone
crusher (to have any direct impact), agricultural fields of the villagers are located
closer. As villagers spend significant amount of their time in the fields, it is likely that
there may have been some health impact of dust on human as well as cattle
population. This issue would require further investigation particularly the impact on
crop productivity and growth retardation of trees.
2.12
Roads
Roads conditions. The Link Road to the village from the Kakkar Majra village is pucca
since 1965 66. Also, most of the village lanes are pucca. However, the Phirni is about 50%
kuchcha, resulting in mild dust pollution. The road (Ghaat wala rasta) to the Johad is also
kuchcha and is severely eroded. This causes considerable inconvenience to the villagers, as
this is the only road to Johad. The villagers have now started work for the repair and
reconstruction of this road.
3. Assessment of Village Development Plans

3.1
Village general development plan
Relevant activities
Making the road to Johad pucca;
Making the road to school pucca;
Making all lanes pucca;
Making all drains pucca;
Environmental impact
Reduced erosion (road to Johad) and dust generation.
Making a lavatory for women;

Construction of a retaining wall for the
Johad (including planting Eucalyptus
around the Johad);
Development and/or improved
management of water resources
3.2
Better drainage, reduced choking and clogging

problems, reduced water stagnation, and better
hygienic conditions within the village.
This would improve the overall sanitation, however,
the villagers acceptability of this concept appears to
be poor.
Prevent entry of soil/silt into Johad, thus avoiding
reduction in its capacity, and ensuring better quality of
water.
The microplan proposes to initiate these activities at a
later stage. However, there is no indication of
modalities.
Resource development plan
Plantation on common land:

Model No
Model
Area
(acres)
Main species
12.78
Village Woodlot
Village Woodlot
(Gocharan)
Along nallah
Tree Groves
20.5
11.0
Kikar and Eucalyptus

Shade trees
1 km
length
6.0
Eucalyptus and bamboo

Eucalyptus, Neem, Kikar, mango, Anwla, grapevine
Plantation on private land:

Model
Type of
plantation
Farm Forestry
(Block planting)
Farm Forestry
(Bund planting)
No. of
farmers
2
Area
(Acres)
2.25
Main species
60
219.25
Poplar (90.5 acre), Eucalyptus (116.75 acres),

bamboo (12 acres)
Model
Activity
Kitchen Gardens
No. of
farmers
92
3.3
Poplar (1.0 acre) and Eucalyptus (1.25 acres)
Species
Fruit trees and
Vegetables seeds
Total no. of
households
157
% interested
households
61%
Environmental issues related to plantation program:

Plantation of available Panchayat land - Plantation of woodlots is planned on 20.5 acres, or
93% of all available land (see table under 2.1, showing 22 ha classified as 'forest" and
"vacant" lands).
Increase of forested area - from the present 8.5 ha to 20.5 ha, or a 141% increase.
Rehabilitation of existing forests - New plantation recently raised by the Kandi project has
failed and will be re-planted with Kikar and Eucalyptus.
Improvement of grazing lands - Plantation of scattered shade trees is planned on entire 11
acres of Gocharan; however, the development plan does not mention any measures to
improve the quality of pasture, such as growing of grasses, or improved management. This is
important in the light of fodder deficit in the village.
Treatment of environmentally sensitive areas - Main area, the nallah is targeted for planting.
Development of agroforestry systems - farm forestry is planned on 19% of the farmlands;
more than 50% of the farmers have shown interest in this component. However, farm forestry
is highly dependent on two species only, Eucalyptus and poplar account for 53% and 41% of
the area respectively.
12.79
12.80

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Community Environmental Management Study in Haryana Villages

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COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

STUDY IN HARYANA VILLAGES

Haryana Community Forestry Project

Atul Kansal, Paolo Mori, O.N. Kaul, Bharti Solanky

Institute for Sustainable Development

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Mr. Shashikar Bharadwaj

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

June 30, 2001

Action for Food Production

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Hill Resource Management Society

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Samaj Vikas Prayatan Kendra

Institute for Sustainable Development

A village level institution concerned with pre-primary

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Institute for Sustainable Development

Mixed wheat and barley flour

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Damages by blue bulls (29, 16, 12)

A review of the 60 Village Resource Management Microplans (VRMMs) revealed that

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

In terms of geographical areas of intervention, priority should be given to the three

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Communities are generally reluctant to carry out environmental management activities,

Technical support for environmental management by communities is limited, and technical

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Haryana Community Forestry Project

Improved capabilities of village communities to undertake a process of self directed

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Village Woodlots: Establishment of villages woodlots over 7,400 ha of Panchayat lands,

Tree Groves: Establishment of 200 ha of tree groves at 2,500 sites.

Water Harvesting Dams: Development of micro-watersheds through construction of 18

Poplar Planting: Planting of poplar on 5,000 ha of prime agricultural land in four

Kitchen Gardens/Homestead Plots: Establishment of 36,000 Kitchen Gardens over an

The key results of project activities are expected to be:

Disadvantaged groups, including women, scheduled castes, landless and marginal/small

Institute for Sustainable Development

Community Env Mgt Study-HCFP

Poplar plantations are established on prime agricultural land;

Households establish improved homestead plots and/or kitchen-gardens;

Alternative income generating micro-enterprises are undertaken by disadvantaged groups;