Covid - 19 Response

During nationwide lock down, Irrigation Cell was directly in touch with 8,000 plus farmers in 350 poorest villages in Jharkhand. The Covid-19 Pandemic impacted their life and livelihoods in most distressful manner. Restricted movement for outsiders in the project villages forced upon suspension of project work and the farmers who produced first crop using water from newly implemented schemes got stuck finding difficulty in selling even the first harvest.

We helped farmers in connecting to traders who lifted directly from the village. In total 15 tons of vegetables were lifted from our project villages. Farmers got 20-30% extra than the price of local market

Water Melons in early April did not have buyers so are many other crops grown especially for summer.

  • Awareness on Covid-19 protection measures in 165 villages
  • Personal Protection kits distributed to 874 frontline community workers
  • Distribution of ration kits to most vulnerable identified by participatory processes 1578 families
  • MGNREGA demand generation 48 villages, 310 Acres area
  • Distribution of Paddy and Kharif vegetable seed in 65 villages 516 farmers
  • 1,500 farmers connected to traders
  • 15 tons vegetables marketed
  • 20-30% more price realisation

The Covid -19 protection measures were new to many of us and most of our farmers we work with. We carried out structured interview to assess the emerging situation in villages. We tried to pass on the advisory issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&F) Government of India, World Health Organisations (WHO) through tele-conversations and telecast to our farmers and others in the project villages. During later period we distributed Covid-19 campaign materials.

We also identified the poorest segments (women headed families, widows, differently challenged, small and poorest families) from the project villages, distributed ration kits. 455 most vulnerable families touched.