Sir Ratan Tata Trust - Institutional Grants - Programme - Rural Livelihoods & Communities

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Drought Relief Programme

During the planned period of Project Sahyog, the monsoons failed during 2002, 2004 and 2005 leading to MHSCT to seek emergent famine relief support from the Trust, which sanctioned grants of Rs. 30.0 lakhs during 2003, Rs. 24.85 lakhs during 2005 and Rs. 26.58 lakhs during 2006 for specific laid down purposes. MHSCT supplemented the grants from its own resources as also through community contribution.

During the drought years 2003, 2005 and 2006 ( due to monsoon failure in 2002, 2004 and 2005) the priority was on providing safe drinking water to people and animals, veterinary cover to reduce mortality and to provide cattle feed and fodder to retain the economic status of the families to the extent possible. In all the cases, the interventions provided limited employment to the needy, which helped in sustaining livelihood.

These three phases of ‘Operation Sahayata’ were carried out in collaboration with MHSCT and focused on installation of hand pumps for drinking water, purchase and distribution of cattle feed and fodder, holding veterinary camps for livestock and providing food security to poorest households in seven tehsils of Jodhpur district, Rajasthan. During these three consecutive droughts relief programmes, 48 hand pumps and six open wells (beries) were provided. 20 veterinary camps were organized, during which a total of 1,105 tons of cattle feed was distributed at subsidized rates. In addition, to supplement safe drinking water, 22 tankas were provided in remote areas where quality of ground water was either saline or availability of ground water was more than 300 feet deep. Further, 8,500 kilograms of wheat and 395 kilograms of lentils were distributed as food security to the destitute and the elderly people with no source of livelihood, to eliminate probabilities of death due to starvation. Thus, these three relief programmes benefited 41 villages, including Dhanis (hamlets), covering 1,000 families and 20,000 livestock.

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