“Project Anantha”

A TECHNO DEVELOPMENTAL ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT

- A bird’s eyeview

-To answer agricultural distress

-To arrest desertification

Country has various regions – well and poorly endowed

Some of them are rain shadow,

Perennially drought prone,

Poor in natural resources,

Poor levels of ground water,

Low in green cover,

Mostly rain dependant agriculture,

Mono cropping traditions,

Distress sale of agriculture produce,

Devoid of local strategies to improve productivity,

Low or no credit worthiness among farmers, etc.

Anantapur is one among such districts.

GOI identified it as one of the 31 districts prone for agriculture

related suicides.

In Order to address the age long crisis of debilitating agricultural conditions in

the district,

Dr.Ayyappan,Secretary, DARE and DG,

ICAR, New Delhi

has constituted a committee in Dec., 2011 under the

Chairpersonship of Dr.A.K. Singh, DDG, NRMI, ICAR

The Committee visited the district during 18 – 20 Jan., 2012

Studied, interacted with stake holders

And made several recommendations.

As a follow up, The Collector, Anantapur had constituted a DLC

And got an Action Plan

Many departments / agencies had generated the plan

Role players :ANGRAU

Animal Husbandry / APDDC

Horticulture

APMIP

Sericulture

Ground water

DRDA

DWMA

Social Forestry

Minor Irrigation

TBPHLC

HNSS

Agriculture Marketing

Banking Sector

Project Anantha

Anantapur district has centuries of drought history Resulting in Agricultural crisis “During the period from 1870 to 1903, it recorded an

annual average rainfall of 23 inches, one of the lowest in the presidency” – Gazetteer of Inida.

Its vulnerability is also certified by Govt. of India by including Anantapur as one of the 31 districts prone to agriculture related suicides.

Many committees suggested relief to drought situations, but they were temporary succors of annual phenomenon.

But a High Level Committee constituted by Dr.Ayyappan, Director General, ICAR, under the leadership of Dr. A.K.Singh, DDG, NRMI, had visited Anantapur district twice and brought out an incredible report that suggested effective measures and sustainable solutions in order to mitigate the agricultural distress conditions on a long term basis.

It is a now or never opportunity to set Anantapur on the path of regeneration and to reduce the impact of droughts.

Project Anantha is the first and the only one of its kind experiment to “blend technology with development” inorder to make agriculture sustainable in a low rain fall district like Anantapur.

Its also a “techno – development project” that involves certain subtle researchable issues to develop working linkages for meaningful implementation of the programs of agri-horti and livestock farmers.

ICAR’s High Level Committee examined various issues like natural resource base, crops, cropping patterns, allied activities, livelihood opportunities, etc. and made sub-regional / mandal specific recommendations.

“Project Anantha” is also a systems approach towards permanent institutional mechanisms for convergence among line departments – not a replacement of ongoing mainstream activities.

Its also the logical extension of the recommendations of the High Level Committee.

It contemplates an outlay of Rs. 6563.29 crores of which Rs.2993.50 crores comes from various ongoing programs, subsidy, beneficiary contribution, etc.

Rs. 836.03 crores would be availed as intuitional finance from Banks and NABARD

The support “Project Anantha” seeks as a special grant is only Rs.2753.04 crores over a period of 5 years towards filling gaps in very crucial components.

It’s a 5 year plan during 2012-13 to 2016-17Amounts required to execute the recommended tasks are :

ANGRAU 89.77

YSR Horticulture University 3.84

Sri Venkateswara Veternary University 8.12

Agriculture 401.72

Animal Husbandry 1080.31

A.P.Dairy 90.73

Horticulture 1583.35

APMIP 588.76

Ground Water 2.31

Sericulture 541.35

Agriculture Marketing 45.50

Social Forestry 82.82

Minor Irrigation 285.19

TBHLC 8.90

HNSS 933.68

Agro based industries 838.65

6563.29

Amounts tapped through convergence Rs. 2974.22

Amount through bank loans Rs. 836.03

Net grant required through a Rs. 2753.04 crs.

a special stream

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Rs. 6563.29 crs.

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Project Anantha would achieve : Agriculture : Seed self sufficiently among 7.00 lakh farmers Promote castor, cluster bean, minor millets and add value

to them Replace existing varieties of redgram, Bengal gram, etc. IPM practices Value addition to groundnut through SHGs Promote 3 Guar gum industries Intensive trainings Strengthen ARS, Kadiri Groundnut Research Directorate to the Southern Region Promote annual fodder crops, etc.

Expected Outcomes in a nutshell :

Animal Husbandry : Enhance Dairy / Sheep livelihoods for 63,000

families Increased milk procurement to 5.74 lakh litres /

day Fodder production and conservation practices

Horticulture : Arid horticulture for 7000 farmers in 5000

Ha/annum Save 3,000 Ha of existing horticulture crops Increase pomegranate yield

Sericulture : High yielding varieties of mulberry in

4000Ha Enhanced productivity Drip irrigation in 5000Ha Transfer of Tech to 37,500 farmers Better marketing infra Region & Season specific races

GW Department : GW resource estimation Judicious / efficient use of ground water Improved Micro irrigation practices

Social Forestry : Treat 4764 Ha of forest / non forest and

develop fuel wood, fodder, small timber and other NTFP

Benefit 3.12 lakh farmers Desilt percolation tanks, construct 10000

Rmts of cattle proof walls and trenches

Minor Irrigation: Stabilise existing ayacut of 35,872 Ha Create 302 new Water Bodies Renovate 744 existing Water Bodies Benefit 48,376 farmers

Major Irrigation: Improve efficiency of existing canal systems Stabilise ayacut of 3,20,533 acres under

Tungabhadra project Improve Socio-economic standards of 69,000

farmers through making Krishna Waters walk through the District under AVRHNSS

Develop an ayacut of 3,45,800 acres Provide Drinking Water to a population of 10

lakhs

Agriculture Marketing: Strengthen Market yards Better marketing opportunities Better margins to farmers’ produce by

eliminating middle man Promote Cold Storages Credit & Banking: Delink crop loans from proposed Animal

Husbandry and allied activities Loaning Enhance scale of finance on groundnut crop Improved Farmers - Bankers interface Capacity building of the farmers and bankers Promote financial inclusion and literacy

Agro Based Industries: Study projects of Agro based activities Promote liberal lending for establishing

industries Establish manufacturing units of:-

Peanut Butter Soya Milk Tamarind Seed Powder Mango Pulp  Tutti Frutti Jowar Flakes/Pasta/Biscuits/Vermicelli Ragi Pasta/Biscuits/Vermicelli, etc.

Task responsibility of Various COMMITTEES I. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

•Capacity building.•Suggestions and Technical Interventions.

 II. IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE  A. Village level Committee: 

•Create awareness among the beneficiaries.•Identification of Beneficiaries according to intervention of the concerned department.•Physical verification.•Collection of Documents.•Forwarding for sanctions.•Grounding of the Scheme.

  B. Mandal level Committee: 

•Identification of scrutiny of the beneficiaries. •Technical Feasibility•Recommending for sanctions.•Issue of the Technical sanctions.•Monitoring and Implementation of the Scheme.•Conducting training programmers. 

C. District level Committee: 

•Issue of administrative sanctions•Inspections and Monitoring of the Scheme. •Assessment of the Target.•Review of the Progress.

“He who grows two blades of grass where one grew earlier, is the

greatest benefactor of society”

- Sir Arthur Cotton