Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan

In India, rain-fed agriculture predominates, but challenges like climate change, groundwater depletion, deforestation, and poor rainwater conservation are leading to water scarcity, affecting the ecosystem. With only 8% of rainwater conserved, rural areas, where half the population relies on rainwater, are facing continuous economic crises. Parmarth is addressing these issues holistically and through community engagement. Their interventions include improving water literacy, raising groundwater levels, revitalizing Chandeli-Bundeli ponds, and rejuvenating rivers to reduce ecosystem pressure. Specific actions encompass water budgeting, crop planning, groundwater mapping, community-based organization engagement, water use efficiency promotion, water harvesting structures, capacity building in water conservation, river revival, and Chandela-Bundela tank revitalization, alongside water governance measures.

Agriculture is the primary livelihood for over 60% of India's population. Still, it faces challenges like soil nutrient deficiencies, slow technological progress, limited crop diversification, and uncertain weather conditions, leading to rural poverty. Parmarth addresses these issues with various interventions. These efforts aim to reduce input costs, increase productivity, mitigate climate change and soil erosion risks, and promote food security and higher income for farmers. The interventions include Farmer Producer Companies, Community Kitchen Gardens, Micro-irrigation promotion, Soil Health Management, Seed Treatment, Pest and Disease Management, Crop Diversification, Plant Nutrition Management, Seed Banks, Organic farming promotion, High-Value crop pilots, and Irrigation Development.

Parmarth focuses on women's empowerment with a strong women-centric approach, aiming to reduce gender discrimination. Their unique model, the Jal Sahelis, prioritizes women's access to water and engages them in leading the fight for water rights and entitlements. Parmarth's interventions include forming Jal Sahelis, Pani panchayats, and self-help groups, providing capacity building, exposure visits, gender issue training, women empowerment events, and income-generating activities to promote gender equality and women's participation in social, political, and economic processes.

Traditional agriculture is the main source of livelihood In rural India, but it faces significant challenges due to unpredictable monsoons, limited irrigation, poor soil health, and outdated practices. To create a more equitable and empowered society, Parmarth is working to introduce alternative livelihood options that reduce excessive dependency on traditional agriculture. Their interventions include training on alternate agriculture livelihoods, the establishment of Wadi models, goat-rearing groups, community kitchen gardens, natural farming, backyard poultry, and skill development to increase rural incomes and diversify livelihoods.

In rural India, health, sanitation, and nutrition pose significant challenges, with poor health and malnutrition hindering societal progress. A lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities has led to waterborne diseases, while open defecation remains a widespread issue despite government efforts. Additionally, a significant portion of the population suffers from inadequate nutrition, with high rates of anaemia among pregnant women and young children. Parmarth, through various interventions, aims to address these issues by improving access to quality health services, safe drinking water, sanitation, and proper nutrition for rural communities. Their initiatives include kitchen gardens, toilet construction, awareness campaigns on nutrition, community behaviour change activities, system strengthening, targeted intervention on HIV/AIDS, wastewater management, and health and nutrition camps.

The Jal Jan Jodo Campaign (JJJA), initiated in 2013 and now operational in 22 Indian states, focuses on water literacy and community rights related to traditional water resources. Parmarth's objectives include enhancing local capacities to address livelihood challenges, reclaim rights over these resources, and stimulate interest in their regeneration. The campaign has established local, community-based, decentralised management models for water sources in every state, with a Water Resource Centre in each, advocating for water literacy, governance, rights, and community-based water management. The JJJA campaign has acted as a pressure group, actively contributing to the drafting and planning Ground Water Management and Regulation bills and acts in various state governments.

Parmarth's most successful model, the Jal Saheli, actively engages women in the community to advocate for water rights, enhance water conservation, and restore water resources. Jal Sahelis play a crucial role in advancing the water security agenda and leading collective efforts to assert water rights and entitlements, including government schemes, through awareness generation. They are actively involved in village water development and preparing water user master plans, liaising with local authorities and politicians to address water issues at the village level. Initially introduced in April 2011 in 96 villages across three districts, this model has expanded to encompass over 1,100 Jal Sahelis across six districts. Their efforts have made at least 100 Bundelkhand villages water-sufficient despite the region's challenging dry weather conditions. They have earned recognition as the best NGO model by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Union Government.