NMM Newsletter April 2012.pdf - PEACE Institute Charitable Trust

1 April 2012
The NMM Newsletter
Vol. 1 Issue 3
Conceptualized and
designed by
Meenakshi Mohan
Nadi Naad
(Call of the River Yamuna)
From the GRIDS:
Drive to keep river banks
clean
NMMs at Ramra, Pachnada and
Hamirpur GRIDs took active part
in keeping the river banks clean
Outreach to other stakeholders
NMMs at Kharadi, Katapathar,
Kanalsi, Ramra, Hamirpur made
useful outreach to relevant stakeholders
like Panchayat and other
govt deptts
Planning & Execution of
activities
NMM members at Katapathar
GRID planning in the field and at
Gadaya GRID erecting fence
Water and Soil testing techniques Workshop
A two day training workshop
on “Water and Soil testing
techniques” for the members
of the NMMs from all the 10
GRIDS was held from 16-18
March 2012. This workshop
was ably hosted by the NMM
at Hamirpur (UP) GRID. It is
notable that the river Yamuna
is here, in its revived phase,
resulting from fresh water
brought to it by key tributaries
like Chambal and Sindh. River
Betwa meets Yamuna at this
GRID.
Day before the workshop, the
participants visited and enjoyed
boating in the river, the
first time such an opportunity
had come their way.
Day one of the workshop
was meant for water testing
techniques. Bhim, Dr Taigor
and Dr Dinesh Kumar led the
workshop.
Participants were first introduced
to the origins and rarity
of fresh water on earth and
how the purity of fresh water
is assessed.
A water testing kit, one for each
GRID, with requisite equipment
and reagents was supplied and
Dr Dinesh guided, hands on, the
participants through use of the
same.
For the participants it was a
unique learning experience,
which many relished while few
struggled. But finally all learnt
how to test water for parameters
like temperature, pH, hardness,
turbidity, nitrate, fluoride, chloride
and iron content. It is notable
that the water samples from
the hilly GRIDS tested within
safe limits. Ground water from
hand pump at Merapur village
was tested and found to exceed
safe range both for iron and
nitrate.
Due precautions to be observed
while using the test kit was also
explained to the participants.
Sri Khan, expert on soil testing
addressing the participants
On day two the participants
visited Merapur village and
planted seedlings of local
species along side the local
pond being restored by the
NMM. A visit was also
made to the river bank site
where successful plantation
from the current year exist.
Later Dr MA Khan, the
local scientist in charge of
the district Soil testing laboratory,
led the workshop on
Soil testing techniques.
After a detailed lecture on
how and why of soil health
he explained with charts and
pamphlets the method for
collection of soil sample
from a site. Later he elaborated
on why the common
practice of use of salt to
improve soil quality was
faulty and instead why and
how should potash be used.
The workshop ended with
each participant sharing his
respective experiences and
learnings gained. Dr Dhyani
from the Katapathar GRID
shared his version in form
of a memorable poem titled,
“Ye tera nahi Mera Hai”.

P a ge 2 N a di Naad V o l. 1 I s s u e 3
ECO-CLUB News:
Katapathar GRID
Mr Rawat, local district forest
officer (DFO) addressing the
members of Yamuna Ecoscholar
(YES) group
Ramra GRID
YES members with self created
paper bags
Field visit to the TITUS FARM
Mr Raju Titus, of Titus
Farms, Hoshangabad
(MP) invited interested
farmers to visit his ‘Notill’
natural farm to see
for themselves the technique
and usefulness of
the natural farming
practices. Accordingly
22 persons, including 3
resource persons visited
the Titus Farm on
21,22 February 2012.
Mr Titus explains techniques
to the participants
the participants thus had
a number of questions
regarding it that Mr Titus
endeavoured to respond
over two days.
ready adoption of
the practices of
natural farming.
Another feature of
natural farming is
the use of mud seed
balls, which was also
shown to the participants.
Formation of seed balls
shown to the participants
Pachanada GRID
Five rivers at Pachnada
drawn by YES members
Hamirpur GRID
(Prize distribution to winner)
Naturally grown wheat at
Titus Farm
There were a number of
question- answer sessions
held by Mr Titus for the
benefit of the participants.
The technique of natural
farming although traditional
in the country has
been lost over time and
One of the key ingredient
of natural farming
is the utilization
of every bit of organic
material within
the farm. Another is
the key role played
by tree crops in
maintaining diversity,
requisite shade for
moisture conservation
and as cash crop
for the farmer. The
reason why Mr Titus
finds the conditions
at the Kanalsi GRID
where farming of
Popular trees is in
vogue to be ideal for
Hoshangabad is located
on the banks
of river Narmada,
which is one of the
major and holy rivers
of India. The participants
thus took time
out to visit the river
Narmada and compare
and contrast it
with river Yamuna.
Participants on the banks
of river Narmada

N a di Naad V o l. 1 I s s u e 3
P a ge 3
Examples of good practices
Fine example of water conservation through
double soak pits to capture and soak the water
left unutilized at a hand pump, at the Hamirpur
GRID.
PROJECT COM-
PONENTS
1.Institutional
strengthening of
NMMs
2.Catchment restoration
‘No till’ Natural farming of wheat on the
banks of river Betwa at Hamirpur GRID
3.River health & Village
health Monitoring
Central drain in village pathway in
Ekdala GRID eliminates scope of
any standing waste water.
River bank being kept litter free on the occasion
of religious festival at Ramra GRID.
Solar powered drier for bakery products
at Asan Tirth (HESCO), of Dr Anil Joshi, Shuklapur village Dehradun.
4.Promotion of
natural farming;
waste management;
green yatra; improved
sanitation;
ground water recharge;
renewable
energy (solar)
5.Capacity enhancement
workshops
6.Eco-clubs (soil,
water, river and air)
7.Synergy with
WWF India activities
River dolphin sighted after considerable period on the confluence of river Yamuna
and Betwa at Hamirpur GRID

PEACE Institute Charitable Trust
(PICT) in association with
Thames Rivers Restoration Trust
(TRRT)
PEACE Institute Charitable Trust
178-F, Pocket-4,
Mayur Vihar Phase-1
New Delhi-110091
Tele-Fax: 91-11-22719005
Email: manojmisra@peaceinst.org
We are on the WEB!
www.peaceinst.org
Jiye Jamuna... Jiye Jan-Jan
Editorial
The last quarter (Jan-March) had been busy. Despite it being a severe winter, activities
at most GRIDs picked up good momentum. Due largely to good efforts made in the
field both by Bhim and Dr Taigor, the two field executives, the Nadi Mitra Mandalis
(NMM) at all the 10 GRIDs performed their assigned tasks creditably. Most notable
were the activities indulged in by the Eco-club (since renamed as YES - Yamuna Eco-
Scholar) members.
As noted elsewhere in this issue, special efforts were made early in the quarter by the
NMM members at RAMRA, PACHNADA, and HAMIRPUR GRIDs to ensure that the
river banks were kept free of waste generated during the annual bathing (nahan) festivals
held during the month of January and February.
As a follow up to training workshop held on Natural Farming, it was encouraging to
find farmers at many GRIDs beginning to experiment with NO TILL and NO PESTI-
CIDE use in their farms. A brief follow up trip on 20 February 2012 by farmers from 8
GRIDs to TITUS FARMs (Hoshangabad) to see first hand for themselves what Sri
Titus had been practicing was found useful. This we hope will help reduce river pollution
from farm based, non-point sources.
A two day workshop on “Water and Soil testing techniques” was held successfully at
HAMIRPUR GRID from 16-18 March 2012 . Following the previous two workshops
held in the upper Yamuna GRIDS of RAMRA and KANALSI, this was the fist one held
in the lower Yamuna GRID.
We hope that you have found this issue to be informative and interesting.
Manoj Misra , Editor
The Project Miscellanea
Cormorants enjoying themselves in rejuvenated river Yamuna
at Pachnada GRID. (January 2012)
ued learning from others and
meeting the many stewards of
the river.”
River Yamuna comes
alive once river
Chambal meets it
upstream of Pachnada
GRID .
This January is indeed cool !
PEACE Institute
hosts an Intern
Ms Linda Ciesielski, a
recent graduate of
MIT’s Master of city
planning program,
worked as an intern at
PEACE for 9 weeks
beginning 6 February
2012. She learnt about
the Thames-Ganges
Twinning project from
the internet and volunteered
to assist the
project activities. In
her own words:
“ I interned with PEACE
this spring, and had a remarkable
time learning about
the Yamuna and complex
issues surrounding its condition.
I joined two “Friends of
the River” workshops on notill
agriculture and water/soil
testing. Overall, I greatly val-
Linda on the river Yamuna
cruise at Hamirpur GRID
Yamuna winding its way
down, from its origins at the
Kalind range of mountains
(in the background)
Munna lal at his organic
farm in Pachnada GRID