Activities within the grant:
The project is towards restoration of the shelterbelt in the coastal region, covering 10 villages across the talukas of Khambhat of Anand district and Dhandhuka taluka of Ahmedabad district in Gujarat. The overall goal is to evolve a sustainable and people-centric model for reducing impact of salinity ingress on agriculture and consequently, the livelihood of the communities living along the coast.

The key activities are:

	Creation of a shelterbelt to reduce the impact of salt laden winds
	Reclamation of saline affected farmlands
	Demonstration of appropriate water management practices through promotion of drip and sprinkler irrigation, construction of farm ponds to conserve water
	Promotion of intercropping of salinity-tolerant horticulture crop species, along with promotion of appropriate technologies and alternatives for drinking water, promotion of renewable energy and efficient energy devices and strengthening institutional mechanisms

The programme interventions would lead to:

	Creation of a vegetative shelterbelt of 1,100 hectares
	Reclamation of at least 550 acres of salinity affected land through moisture conservation activity
	Establishing improved cropping practices in about 110 hectares, which will be nodal demonstration plots for further scaling up and would have replicable effect on at least 500 hectares of agricultural land
	Improved water management practices in at least 110 acres through direct engagements
	Construction of 150 Roof Rainwater Harvesting Systems in six villages as supplementary source for securing drinking water security
	Promotion of 500 improved chulhas (stoves) and 70 biogas units for meeting the biomass