Activities within the grant and expected impact:
The project focuses on the empowerment of community-based institutions, working towards sustainable soil and water resource management, and improvement of agriculture-based livelihood for small farmers and the landless, in the current market context.

The project extends benefit to 3,500 villagers in 30 villages. The objectives are four fold:

	Reducing water demand by encouraging farmers to adopt efficient, remunerative and sustainable practices of water use including Systems of Rice Intensification (SRI) method of paddy cultivation
	Improving cropping patterns based on market trends among small and marginal farmers
	Regulating water demand and promoting sustainable institutions through the formation of, and strengthening people’s Tank Management Institutions (TMI)
	Promoting non-farm livelihoods for marginal farmers and landless families
	Key components of the project include:
		People’s institution development through selected members’ exposure to successful Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) projects
		Water management programme consisting of rehabilitation of 30 tanks, covering a total area of 300 hectares
		Livelihoods’ programme involving the creation of a grant cum revolving fund for the poor, including the landless (from JSYS)
		Promotion of paddy straw-based Oyster Mushroom cultivation
The key impact is envisaged as follows:
			The net gain for 750 tank farmers from horticulture crops or other field crops cultivated across 750 acres would be to the tune of Rs3,400/acre totalling Rs2,550,000
			Groundwater recharge will imply greater availability of drinking water, especially in summer
			Net benefit for each farmer adopting SRI is expected to be Rs3,500 per year; hence, 80 farmers that adopt SRI have the potential of earning Rs280,000 yearly