Rajesh Ahirwar — Watershed Farming Transforms a Drought-Prone Village in Panna

One Crop a Year — That Was the Only Reality

For most of his adult life, Rajesh Ahirwar (42) in Panna district's Shyamnagar block had one farming season: monsoon. When the rains were good, the family of six ate well. When they weren't, Rajesh would walk 18 km to the highway and wait for labour contractors.

"My father farmed this land. His father too. Everyone said 'this land is dry, nothing more is possible.' We believed them."

PSEF's Gramin Vikas Programme Arrives

In early 2023, PSEF's rural development team surveyed the watershed potential of three villages including Rajesh's. The survey showed the land could retain monsoon water if small check dams and farm ponds were built.

PSEF applied to the MGNREGS convergence scheme and got sanction for:

• 2 earthen check dams
• 4 farm ponds (covering 8 families including Rajesh's)
• Drip irrigation kits for 2 acres

Total cost to Rajesh: Zero. All work under MGNREGS + PSEF community mobilisation.

The Transformation

Kharif (Monsoon) Season — As Before, But Better

• Water stored in farm pond meant paddy survived even in a dry spell
• Yield: 18 quintals vs old average of 11 quintals (+64%)

Rabi (Winter) Season — First Time Ever

• With pond water, planted wheat on 1.5 acres
• Yield: 14 quintals
• Income: ₹28,000 — entirely new money for the family

Zaid (Summer) Season — The Game Changer

• PSEF's vegetable cultivation training
• Planted tomato, capsicum, and bottle gourd on 0.5 acres
• Sold at Panna weekly market with PSEF market linkage support
• Income: ₹22,000 in 3 months

Annual Income — Before vs After

| Season | Before | After | |--------|--------|-------| | Kharif | ₹22,000 | ₹36,000 | | Rabi | ₹0 | ₹28,000 | | Zaid | ₹0 | ₹22,000 | | Total | ₹22,000 | ₹86,000 |

What Rajesh Says

"I thought PSEF was another government scheme that would come and go. But they stayed. They dug the pond with us. They sat with us in the field. When I harvested wheat for the first time, my mother cried. She had never seen wheat growing on our land before."

Ripple Effect

Rajesh is now a PSEF Community Facilitator — he helps 12 neighbouring families adopt the same model. His village, Brijpur, has applied for a second phase of check dam construction.

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PSEF's Rural Development Programme in Panna covers:

• 28 villages
• 340+ farmer families
• ₹1.2 crore in infrastructure created through MGNREGS convergence

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