INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, INDORE

PGP

TERM - III

RURAL ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME

Submitted

by

Aravind Kavin P. S 2023PGP057

Joushita J Kennet 2023PGP151

Naveen K 2020IPM087

S Mugilavan 2023PGP289

Sivakumar G 2023PGP346

Suhasini Munshi 2023PGP476

Village: Jalwa

District: Ujjain
Executive Summary
The village of Jalwa is located in the vicinity of Ghatiya, a sprawling town in the famous district
of Ujjain. Jalwa is home to 2500 residents with a literacy rate of roughly 56% and experiences an
annual rainfall of about 1031mm. It has about 500 houses over an area of 1184 hectares.
Prominent crops grown include wheat, soybean, garlic, among others. Scientific farming
methods like intercropping are followed.

The objective of this year’s Rural Engagement Programme was to examine and gather data of the
following schemes :
1) Pradhan Mantri Jal Shakti Abhiyan / Catch the Rain (CTR)
2) Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Poultry Shed Scheme
3) Mahatma Gandhi NREGA National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

The Pradhan Mantri Jal Shakti Abhiyan : Catch the Rain was implemented by the Ministry of Jal
Shakti in 2020 to encourage rainwater harvesting with the tagline “Catch the rain where it falls,
when it falls” and implemented in the districts from 2021. Our objective was to find out the
number of CTR structures in the village, their costs, utilization and benefits they provided. Our
team conducted its research based in Ghatiya for a span of 3 days. We observed that the village
had approximately 23 CTR structures, all of which were completed. Another observation we
noted upon arrival was that there were no poultry shed structures in the village.

The MNREGA labour scheme was widely implemented in the village.. There was no ongoing
MNREGA work when we visited. We interviewed 25 labourers, of varying demographics.
Notably, families of a registered MNREGA worker signed up for the scheme under their family
member’s job card. Thus, while the holders of the MNREGA job cards may be limited, the
numbers who utilised and benefited from the scheme were far more. Often, labourers were not
local to Jalwa, but came for work from neighbouring villages like Jiterkhedi. The common
feedback recieved from the scheme referred to the gratitude for guaranteed employment, and
working for projects they benefited from not just in wages but also in usage, such as a
community well. However, majority complained about the insufficient pay, stating that they
would be better off taking another employment that gave a higher return.

We noted that the panchayat was efficient and sensitive to the villager’s needs. They held weekly
meetings headed by the Sarpanch, and proposals for improvement were noted down. There were
two schools in the village for nursery and primary education. A new hospital had just been
constructed as well. Other infrastructure developments included a CC (Cement Concrete Road)
that had been developed under the MNREGA labour scheme.
I. JSA: CATCH THE RAIN APPRAISAL

Introduction
The Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) on 1st July 2019, in
order to address the rising water scarcity problem across the country through water harvesting
and conservation measures. In 2020, the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) introduced the campaign
“Catch the Rain'' with the tagline “Catch the line rain, where it falls, when it falls” to nudge
states and various stakeholders to create Rain water harvesting structures appropriate for a given
region’s climatic conditions and sub-soil strata. Under this campaign, through the active
participation of people, drives to make check dams, water harvesting pits, rooftop RWHS etc;
removal of encroachments and de-silting of tanks to increase their storage capacity; removal of
obstructions in the channels which bring water to them from the catchment areas etc; repairs to
step-wells and using defunct bore-wells and unused wells to put water back to aquifers etc, were
taken up. In 2021 & 2022 the “Catch the Rain '' initiative was subsumed with Jal Shakti Abhiyan.

Table 1: Basic Details of CTR structures

Total structures studied 19 (82.6%)

Predominant type of structure Sokhata gadda (31.57%)
Predominant usage Irrigation for Agricultural lands
Predominant user group Community

Analysis
For analyzing the impact and understanding the functioning of the scheme, we conducted
in-depth interaction with various stakeholders in the village of Jalwa including the farmers and
Sarpanch. We also analyzed various public records maintained at the village panchayat office to
gather detailed information of the various structures built under this scheme. The various
structures which were built included Check Dams, Trenches, Rain water harvesting, Recharge
pits, Sokhata gadda (soak pits) and open wells. It was observed that most structures were built
with contribution both from the Government and Public. Public contribution was in the form of
Material and Labour. Structures were also built by utilizing labor from the MNREGA (Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme. The construction of these structures
cost anything from 22 thousand up to 8.34 lakhs and almost equal contribution from government
and public. The average water impounding for each structure was around 0.1 hectares. Most of
the structures were constructed for the benefit of the entire community. However, few of the
structures (mostly open wells) were built for the purpose of irrigation of privately owned farm
lands. The public awareness of this scheme was observed to be high with an appreciable
participation from the local community.
II. APPRAISAL OF POULTRY SHEDS
Not present in the village. The reason stated was that the villagers were not open to the
implementation of the scheme and believed it to be costly in terms of upkeep. Often they did not
have adequate space to house a shed. Thus we focused our research on the CTR scheme and
MNREGA labour scheme.
III. APPRAISAL OF MNREGA SCHEME

Introduction
The Government of India passed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act, 2005. This Act gives “legal guarantee of a hundred days of wage employment in a financial
year to adult members of a rural household who demand employment and are willing to do
unskilled manual work”. Following are some points of view from various stakeholders.

Stories
Story 1 (Male Laborer): Mr. Bherusingh Babulal availed 100 days of employment under the
MNREGA scheme. His family of 6 members found it very difficult to make ends meet,
especially during COVID when the demand for laborers was highly volatile, which was further
amplified by the inflow of migrant workers returning to their native during the pandemic.

Story 2 (Female Laborer): MNREGA has played a crucial role in empowering women. Mrs.
Sushmita, availed 100 days of employment through the scheme. This employment opportunity
gave Susmita much needed financial independence. Moreover, her participation helped her
improve her skills and confidence. She was very happy with the fact that men and women are
paid equally under this scheme (which is not the case in the open market).

Story 3 (Sarpanch): Mr. Hukum Chand, the sarpanch of the village says that even though the
scheme provides stable employment opportunities, many workers prefer to work in the open
market due to the difference in wages. An average male can earn up to Rs. 600 per day in the
open market, whereas, under the MNREGA scheme, they only earn Rs. 221. He also noted that
the wages in Madhya Pradesh are joint lowest among all states. To compensate for the lower
wages, the village panchayat provides extra daily wages on top of the prescribed Rs.221.

Story 4 (Male Laborer): Mr. Santosh Ramchand and his wife Mrs. Leela bai have been availing
employment assistance through MNREGA for the past 7 years. He is not content with the wages
given by MNREGA and often looks for work in the open market. However, he is happy that his
wife gets at least 100 days of employment through the scheme. The nature of the labor market is
such that women have less probability to be hired compared to men.

Story 5 (Village Coordinator): Mr. Vikas, the village coordinator is responsible for allocating
work to villagers (laborers) who come asking for employment assistance. According to him, one
of the biggest challenges is determining the number of laborers who will be available to work on
a given day, on a given project. This results in inability to give accurate deadlines and delays in
various construction project within the village
IV. LIVING THE EXPERIENCE
As the sun rose in the quaint village of Jalwa in the picturesque district of Ujjain, it brought with
it the promise of a visit filled with delightful experiences and heartwarming encounters. Situated
amidst the vast expanses of lush greenery and golden wheat fields, Jalwa exuded a rustic charm,
something which very few of us have experienced prior.

Eager to immerse ourselves in the daily proceedings of the village, we set out to explore the local
school in Jalwa. We were welcomed by bright smiles and the warmth of innocent children who
were equally eager to meet us. We decided to get some small gifts for all the children in the form
of stationery and supplies needed for their everyday schoolwork. We couldn’t help but be
touched by their enthusiasm for learning, their boundless curiosity and their sincerity towards
education. We also witnessed the efficient working of the midday meal program and how happy
and satisfied those young children were with their meals.

Another efficient government scheme which we witnessed was the ration system. We were glad
to see that the local ration shops were stocked with essential items which were being efficiently
distributed. It was great to see technologies like dedicated apps and fingerprint verifications be
used in this shop.

Amidst the bustling streets, we got the opportunity to visit the farmers market. The tantalizing
aroma from the freshly plucked vegetables took us right back to our childhood. We were treated
with a culinary feast with these freshly cut vegetables as an accompaniment to the savory flavors
from Dal bati and the irresistible aloo poori. The freshness, the spices, the aroma and the colors
of the meal left a lasting sensation. We were also treated with sweet treats like Mawa bati and
Jalebi, which tasted nothing like we have had before. Most of the people in our group haven’t
been exposed to this cuisine prior to REP and we absolutely loved it.

As the sun descended beyond the horizon, the villagers gathered for an evening of camaraderie
and relaxation. Around the crackling bonfires, stories were shared and laughter echoed through
the night. This night made everyone realize the trivialness of our busy and hustling life.

As we bid farewell to Jalwa, we were filled with gratitude for the warmth and hospitality we
were given at every corner of the village. We experienced a slice of rural life which left an
indelible mark of us. The essence of community, tradition and simplicity intertwined to create an
experience that was as enriching as it was unforgettable.
Appendix A (MNREGA)
Appendix B (JSA: CTR)