Jharkhand
NGO in Jharkhand
The Challenges
Parts of Jharkhand are highly vulnerable to climate change, with erratic rainfall patterns, severe droughts and heavy winds wreaking havoc on already vulnerable tribal populations. A lack of knowledge on water and soil conservation, has led to severe soil erosion and sedimentation – impacting livelihoods and driving families further into poverty.
WOTR’s Approach
WOTR reduces poverty in Jharkhand, by initiating integrated watershed development and sustainable livelihoods programs. By helping tribal households enhance their livelihood security through the sustainable management of natural resources, WOTR is tackling poverty here, at the root.
Presence
WOTR is currently working in 600 villages across 8 blocks in 4 districts of the state. These districts are Gumla, Khunti, Ramgarh, and West Singhbhum.
Flagship Programmes
Water and Land Management
WOTR has initiated watershed management and sustainable water harvesting as a base for sustainable and appropriate cropping patterns and efficient use of water for domestic needs of households. Additionally, efficient micro irrigation systems are being promoted for judicious use of harvested water. Project villages have seen a tremendous change as over 20,000 hectares is covered under different WOTR projects in Jharkhand with another 30,000 hectares in planning.
loose boulder structures built in addition to 9 gabion structures and 197 Gully plugs
hectares of land converted from non-cultivable to cultivable
million litres of water harvesting potential created
million litres of water storage through farm ponds benefitting 6000 families
Climate Resilient Agriculture
Most of the households in Jharkhand practise rain-fed agriculture and belong to marginalized communities. WOTR supports and shares knowledge on sustainable modern techniques, with an aim to enhance resilience of agriculture to climate change and extreme weather conditions through sustainable agriculture practices. From System of Crop Intensification (SCI) to organic formulations, trainings and demonstrations are provided by WOTR’s agriculture experts.
farmers supported on Climate Resilient Agriculture
families supported for kitchen gardening
farmers capacitated and supported through sustainable agricultural practices
farming households achieved year round food security
Livelihoods
Agriculture and farm-based activities are the primary sources of income in Jharkhand. WOTR focuses on generating alternative livelihood opportunities through non-farm activities. In 72 villages of Murhu, farmers have adopted lac cultivation, fish farming, poultry and NTFP collection.
households introduced to lac cultivation
households supported with with various livelihood options like backyard
poultry, pig farming, goat farming, fish farming, grocery and tailoring units
542 shareholders in the Birsa Farmers Producer Company promoted
Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) collection and marketing
Other Initiatives
WOTR’s team in Jharkhand has participated in Gram Sabhas to raised awareness on different interventions. Well-being ranking, net planning, PRA and formation of Village Development Committees (VDCs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Sanyukt Mahila Samhiti (SMS) have been initiated at the beginning of every project. Additionally, as a leading force among the NGOs in Jharkhand, WOTR has been building linkages of poor households with different government schemes as well as raising awareness among villagers on schemes beneficial to them.
VDCs and 104 SHGs
supported
protective face masks prepared and distributed during COVID-19 pandemic
people trained in Ecosystem based Adaptation (EbA)
For more information, download Jharkhand brochure
Power of a collective
In order to bypass exploitative middlemen, WOTR guided the tribal villagers of Murhu in kickstarting the Birsa Farmers Producer Company in 2016 – helping them not only obtain
better prices for their produce, but to also cut input costs by establishing an input-procurement shop. Within a year, these small landholder farmers had increased profits and grown the FPO from 51 members to 325!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Jharkhand faces major rural development challenges such as erratic rainfall, droughts, soil erosion, and land degradation caused by climate change. Most tribal and marginalized communities depend on rainfed agriculture, making them highly vulnerable to poverty, livelihood loss, and climate-related shocks.
Land degradation and soil erosion in Jharkhand are caused by both natural and human-driven factors. Heavy rainfall on the state’s hilly terrain leads to rapid runoff that washes away fertile topsoil, while erratic monsoons, droughts, and declining groundwater further weaken the land. Human activities such as overgrazing, deforestation, shifting cultivation, and poor soil and water conservation practices leave the soil exposed to wind and water erosion, making large parts of Jharkhand vulnerable to desertification.
WOTR supports integrated watershed development in Jharkhand through water harvesting systems, micro-irrigation, and soil conservation structures like gabions, gully plugs, and loose boulder structures. Over 20,000 hectares are currently covered under watershed projects, with another 30,000 hectares planned for future development.
WOTR has created significant impact across 600 villages in Jharkhand by improving water harvesting, restoring cultivable land, and supporting thousands of farming families. Livelihood initiatives such as lac cultivation, poultry, fish farming, and goat rearing have strengthened incomes, while the Birsa Farmers Producer Company expanded from 51 to 325 members within a year.