Tagore Society For Rural Development

The Rangabelia Project, initiated by Tushar Kanjilal, began in 1975 when he was the headmaster of Rangabelia High School. Initially, the project focused on agricultural development to free local villagers from money lenders, operating in the Sundarbans, one of the world's richest and most unique ecosystems spanning the Ganges delta, with a substantial portion in India's West Bengal. The region hosts 4.5 million of India's most impoverished and vulnerable people, with a high percentage living below the poverty line. The project now encompasses various development interventions, including agriculture, health initiatives, education, environmental preservation, and mangrove vegetation restoration, serving a population of 388,500 people across four blocks in the South 24 Parganas District of West Bengal. These interventions address the pressing issues of food security, poverty, and socioeconomic well-being in this ecologically significant but impoverished region.

The Sagar Project, initiated in 1995, serving 52,500 people in South 24-Parganas, is situated on Sagar Island in the Gangetic Delta, which lies on the continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal, approximately 100 km south of Kolkata. Despite its religious significance, the island faces environmental challenges, including embankment erosion, saline water inundation, eco-degradation, and poverty. While cyclones and floods are less intense here compared to other parts of the Sundarbans, the erosion of embankments has led to the submersion of some villages. TSRD's Sagar Project addresses these issues and aims to improve the island's sustainability. It covers several islands and blocks, focusing on thematic areas like afforestation, school sanitation and hygiene education, government-sponsored self-employment programs, awareness campaigns, irrigation, healthcare, community events, and developing people's organisations.

The Tapan Project covers all blocks in the Tapan Block of Dakshin Dinajpur District in West Bengal serving 31,250 people. Dakshin Dinajpur is primarily an agricultural district with no large-scale industries and was designated as one of India's 115 most backward districts by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in 2006. The district has a significant Muslim minority population (44.01%) and low literacy rates, especially among females. TSRD has been working in this underprivileged district since 1977. The project area shares a border with Bangladesh, where illegal trade is prevalent, and many residents live below the poverty line with high illiteracy rates. Thematic areas of focus include sustainable technology transfer to enhance productivity for the ultra-poor, health, sanitation, education, group organisation, income enhancement, child labour education, adult literacy, crèche services, afforestation through the Greening India Program, and the establishment of nurseries and herbal gardens.

The Bolpur Project of TSRD, initiated in 1969, started as a flood protection and irrigation endeavor in Bolpur Block of Birbhum district. Over time, it expanded to 220 villages, focusing on promoting sustainable livelihoods for the poorest in the region. The project receives financial support from various sources, including Coal India Ltd., which aids poverty alleviation and water-sanitation efforts. Its core areas of focus include poverty eradication, women's empowerment through agriculture, self-help group formation, income generation, literacy, agricultural development, sanitation, village development, and afforestation. The project benefits a population of 3,692 people across three blocks in Birbhum district.

The Rajnagar-Khoirasol Project, situated in Birbhum district, West Bengal, grapples with challenging environmental conditions characterized by hot, dry summers, sporadic and uneven monsoon rainfall, and significant groundwater challenges due to deforestation and undulated topography. The region primarily consists of red sandy and laterite soil with fractured rocky layers, resulting in substantial erosion of fertile topsoil. The project spans four blocks in the district, covering a population of 7,970 people, and focuses on sustainable technology transfer for enhancing productivity among the ultra-poor, livelihood promotion, water and sanitation, child education, adult literacy, afforestation through the Greening India program, awareness generation, and nursery raising to address these pressing environmental and socio-economic issues.

The Patamda Project, established in 1980 in Patamda, East Singhbhum, Jharkhand, originally aimed to address severe drought conditions by creating livelihood opportunities and reducing migration through improved agriculture practices and irrigation facilities. This remote, hilly, and densely forested area in the Chhotanagpur plateau experiences an average annual rainfall of 1200mm. It is predominantly inhabited by SC, ST, and other backward communities, mainly relying on rain-fed, mono-crop agriculture. The region lacks significant industries, and some individuals work in the stone crushing industry, resulting in low literacy rates, especially among women, and poor health conditions. The project focuses on institution building, women empowerment, micro irrigation, horticulture promotion, and improved agriculture. The project spans multiple districts, covering a total population of around 85,000 people, with dedicated staff and infrastructure to support its interventions.