Seva Bharati Nallashinka Drinking Water and Irrigation Project converted 30 Acres of barren land to Medicinal Farming

Attappadi, Kerala.

The Nallashinka Drinking Water and Irrigation Project located at the Nallashinka tribal colony in Sholayur Panchayat, Attappadi, Kerala, aimed at addressing the severe water scarcity faced by the Erula tribal community in Nallashinka.

The project was inaugurated by M.C. Valsan, RSS North Kerala Prant Seva Pramukh. The project, spearheaded by Viswa Seva Bharati, in collaboration with Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission, seeks to provide sustainable water resources for both drinking and agricultural purposes. The project is also part of a major livelihood project covering 5 villages of Sholayur panchayat, implemented by Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission with NABARD support.

The project involves a newly constructed borewell with a 20,000-litre capacity water tank, ensuring the distribution of water to homes and agricultural fields via pipelines. With an investment of INR 10 lakhs, the initiative has already benefited 20 families and is poised to expand, covering more families and agricultural land in future phases.

In addition to providing drinking water, the project encourages medicinal farming across 30 acres of land, aiming to uplift the community and promote self-reliance. Earlier, the scarcity of rains and lack of irrigation had severely impacted farming, with many families abandoning agriculture. The next phase of expansion expected to cover 43 acres of land will benefit more families.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Dr. V. Narayanan, Chief Medical Officer of Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission. Other notable attendees included T.R. Rajan, Joint Secretary of Viswa Seva Bharati, Ponni (President of Village Planning Committee) and Ponnan, Head of the Tribal village. The project marks a significant step in improving the living conditions of the tribal community and promoting sustainable agricultural practices in the region.