Aizawl, Dec 17 (IANS) The NABARD has been implementing TRIBES (Tribal Resilience Initiative for Building Environmentally Sustainable Livelihoods), a flagship scheme, to empower tribal communities in Mizoram and to prevent unscientific shifting cultivation, officials said on Tuesday.
In Mizoram, where shifting cultivation (locally called jhumming) is deeply ingrained in Mizo culture, unscientific agricultural practice has posed environmental challenges due to reduced fallow periods and declining land productivity.
Of Mizoram’s 12 lakh population, 94.4 per cent are tribals.
A NABARD official said that they sanctioned 13 TRIBES projects, reflecting its dedication to transforming tribals’ livelihoods in the state.
Out of the 13 projects, seven projects have been successfully completed, while six are ongoing, the official said, adding that a total of around 19 crore has been sanctioned, with around Rs 17 crore disbursed under the sanctioned projects.
The project supports a variety of crops, including orange, mango, litchi, areca nut, papaya, and banana, with turmeric, garden pea, and pineapple as intercrops.
Additionally, for landless farmers, piggery and poultry units have been developed to ensure diversified livelihood opportunities, the official said.
The projects are executed through Project Facilitating Agencies (PFAs) such as NEIDA, World Vision India – CADP, CODNERC, and Angel Business Promoters of Mizoram.
To ensure effective implementation and outcome, the projects are closely monitored at the district level by the DDMs and by consultants from NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS).
The official said that for an all-inclusive development, mainstreaming tribals by improving their livelihoods is a necessity.
NABARD is actively engaged in supporting tribal livelihoods through various promotional and skill development programmes.
A flagship programme of NABARD for sustainable tribal livelihoods is the ‘wadi’ model of tribal development, which has evolved with the support of national and international development agencies and finally culminated in the creation of a dedicated fund called Tribal Development Fund (TDF) by NABARD.
Building on the success of its Adivasi Development Programmes, NABARD launched a nationwide initiative to replicate the orchard model, leading to the establishment of the Tribal Development Fund (TDF) in 2003-04.
The TRIBES projects are being implemented in seven districts — Aizawl, Champhai, Khawzawl, Lunglei, Lawngtlai, Mamit, and Serchhip, encompassing 90 villages and benefiting and touching the lives of over 19,250 families.
According to the official, the initiative has successfully brought more than 3,500 acres of land under cultivation, significantly boosting agricultural productivity and sustainability.
To prevent shifting cultivation, the TRIBES initiative has addressed the challenges by introducing land development programs, sustainable farming techniques, and capacity-building efforts.
This has enabled tribal communities to diversify their crops and adopt practices that enhance productivity while conserving the environment.
NABARD has been the forerunner in designing and implementing programmes and projects on natural resources management and sustainable livelihoods.
Tribal communities that dwell in forest fringes are highly vulnerable and dependent on forest resources. Providing better livelihood opportunities to tribal families will minimize their dependence on forests, thus saving forest resources and also improving their standard of living and quality of life, the official stated.
–IANS
sc/dan
