SOCEITY FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT(SOSOD)

This Project is a research study, the general objective of this project in to study the Socio- economic and health condition of the SC population so as to identify their problems, issues and felt needs which involve S&Y based intervention for promoting their development and welfare.

Funded by DST : New Delhi
Principal Investigator : Dr. V.C.V. Retnam.

OBJECTIVES

1. To map out the location of water sources in relation to the settlement pattern, the evaluation of the hamlet and the passage of canals through hamlet.
2. To study the role-played by the local government in providing drinking water facility in the study areas.
3. To study the utilization pattern of water for different purposes with special reference to drinking water in the hamlets that face acute water problem.

The study aimed at analysising the problem of water scarcity in karingal town panchayat and Kanyakumari Township of kanyakumari district. Both the areas have been facing drinking water problem for the past few years.
The study was done in two stages. Recommendation and action plan were formulated on the basis of the survey results.

To improve the life longitivity of thatches, copper sulphate solution is utilized. This technology was developed at TRC, New Delhi and dissemination part in taken by SOSOD in rural villages of Tirunelveli district with this technology life of thatches can be improved from 1 year to 4 years.

Funded by : CAPART : New Delhi

Taking too much of ground water causes deleterious effects as seawater intrudes into the land and makes it saline. The saline water is found to be unfit for drinking and even for agriculture. So harvesting and conserving rainwater must be encouraged in order to reduce sucking too much of water from the underground using pumps.

By constructing a tank, the rainwater can be stored and made available for household needs. The common man cannot afford to store rainwater by constructing traditional brick or masonry tanks as cost involved is beyond his means. The ferrocement tanks are the suitable low cost tanks, which can be constructed in self-help way.

This programme was launched in the project area with the following objectives.

1. Creating awareness regarding the ill effects of extraction of ground water.
2. Promoting ferrocement tanks for collection of rainwater.
3. Imparting training to masons in the appropriate technology.

Under this programme 8 masons were trained in the entire process. 15 demonstration tanks were constructed in different parts of district. Scope: There is very good demand for this type of tanks, when more tanks are constructed the water problem will be solved. Trained masons are already available. Even community tanks can also be constructed.

This is an integrated approach. This programme was launched in Valliyoor block of Tirunelveli district. Integration of rainwater harvesting, biodynamic method of gardening and sanitation executed so that their water problem, nutrition problem and sanitation problem could be solved. This was an Action Research Programme. Science and Society Division of Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi funded this programme.

Water scarcity is the severe problem in the project area. Govt. agencies had constructed sanitary latrines for the benefit or rural poor, but they had not used it due to water shortage, the sanitary latrines were used to rear goats. So this project aims to tap rainwater and it will be stored during rainy season. During off-season the water could be used for drinking, and other household purpose. The water can also be used for latrines. The wastewater can be used for formation of kitchen garden.

There is an acute housing shortage in India coupled with a perceptible shift towards energy intensive materials like Cement, steel aluminium and PVC. The growth of population and societal expatiation over the next few decades will require significant quantity of building materials.We constructed 50 low cost houses in rural villages of Kanyakumari District.

Funded by : CAPART : New delhi

Presently one of the major problems the world is facing, is the ever increasing threat of global deforestation. Last few decades have witnessed a massive felling of trees in forests and elsewhere with virtually no effort to replant the depleted one. The technology of beehive briquettes is based on locally available agro wastes holds immense potential in revolutionalising the rural energy scene.

We demonstrated this technology in six rural SC villages of Tirunelveli District.

Funded by : DST : New Delhi.

Training the SC youths in masonry skills was the important aspect of the programme.<

The following technologies were demonstrated.

• Filler slab
• Rattrap bond
• Compressed Earth Blocks
• Ferro cement door and windows
• 20 low cost houses were constructed, with the help of trained masons.

Funded by : DST : New Delhi P.I : Er. J. George Joseph.

Biodynamic technique is a form of organic farming, which avoids synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and growth regulators and relied upon crop rotation, crop residues, animal manure, etc. The outcome is that cost per unit input is minimized and the yield is maximized, above all it ensures sustainability.

Two panchayat unions in Kanyakumari district – Munchirai and Killiyoor – were selected for implementation of the programme. 150 rural women were selected for training. The people of the project area live in houses where the vacant land is available but unused. So this programme is designed in such a way that the wasteland, wastewater and unused time are utilized to grow vegetables using biodynamic technique.

We observed during our interaction that job oriented training programme make SC youths self confident and they help to start small scale service centers or go get wage employment easily. We have identified the following trades which have very good job potential.

• Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
• Computer Education
• Electrical wiring & winding.

Founded by DST : New Delhi

Scavenger’s community occupies the lowest portion in the lowest segments of the society experimenting all kinds of deprivation, social, economic, political and cultural. Through State and central governments are launching several schemes for development of scheduled caste population, the benefits according to popular opinion is not fully reaching the intended beneficiaries.

The focus of the study is to find out the present status of the scavengers, occupational expectations, opportunities and their expectation from the government and financial institutions. Funded by : Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment New Delhi P.I : DR. V.C.V. Retnam.

With almost 50 percent of the Indian population fighting for survival everyday, it is of almost importance to identify new ways and means to provide resources; they need to better their lives. There is a need to identify ways to encourage survivors rather than crating helpers dependents.

With the view of this in mind we imparted skill training to the masons who are ready. The following techniques were taught during the training.

• Filler slab
• Ferro cement products
• Rat-Trap bond construction
• Compressed Earth Blocks productions.
• Concrete windows and door frames.

Collaborating agency : CRENIEO : Chennai.

Under this scheme of DST, we have implemented the project with the following objectives of the project.

• To analyse the usefulness of the coir pith.
• To prepare the compost from coir pith using pleratus sajer caju.
• To demonstrate the coir pith compost to farmers of Agastheeswaram and Rajakkamangalam block area.

20 farmers were trained in the entire process of composting; Dr. Balamurugan was worked as agro cultural consultant of this project.

The people of the target area especially the women are not having sufficient employment opportunities. The project area is basically agricultural area, so that employment opportunities are seasonal. The women are doing beedi winding as an alternate employment opportunity. So it is planned to impart training to the women in skill development through science & technology with the following objectives.

• To train 20 rural women, how to produce, preserve and use olyster mushroom.
• To train the rural women and unemployed youths in hybrid vegetables gardening using coir pith in unused land.
• To train the rural women and unemployed youths in marketing techniques of the produced mushroom and hybrid vegetables.
• To raise the income of rural women by providing skill up gradation training.
• To train the rural women and unemployed youths in production of compost using the coir pith which is abundantly available as waste.

Project funded by : DST, New delhi.

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, New Delhi funded " Needs and Expectation of SC Population for Development of Radhapuram Block of Tirunelveli District " Project.

The development of scheduled caste of Radhapuram Block and their Expectation from Govt. for development has been the focus of the study. The objective is to examine the living conditions of the scheduled caste and youths for identifying the felt needs and in the light of the same action plans with people’s participation have been formulated. The action plan is formulated in such a way that if implemented successfully they can reduce their drudgery and raise productivity and income.

The following are the objectives of the study

• To study the needs and expectations of the SC people from the government institutions for their development and to formulate future action plans.
• To study the housing condition of the SC population.
• To study their employment condition, land and livestock holdings, savings and borrowing pattern.
• To analyse the health related facilities available to them.

This programme was funded by CAPART, Hydrabad. This project helps the needy women to empower themselves economically.

The following were the objectives laid for betterment of the needy people.

• To educate the rural women to enhance the livelihood by integrated approach.
• To create income of 80 rural women by integrating goat rearing, cattle rearing and hybrid vegetable gardening, fodder cultivation and composting techniques.
• To train the rural women in rearing methods, formation of hybrid vegetable gardening and vet care techniques.
• To involve the rural women in planning, implementation and maintenance as group activity.
• To establish a cattle feed unit and train the women in production for self- sustaining.

This is one of the action research programme funded by DST, New Delhi. The PI of the programme is Mr. John David Morris B.E., and implementation has good impact in the project area on water issues.

Water is one of the essential requirements for the survival of human beings. In kanya kumari District has an average rainfall 1400-1800mm which is highest among all the districts of Tamil nadu, but during summer the people faces acute shortage of drinking water and irrigating water. There is no proper storage of rainwater system and recharging of water, the rainwater during rainy season.

The following are the specific objectives of the programme.

1. Designing the suitable community and individual rainwater harvesting system using appropriate low cost model that reduces the drudgery of women who collect drinking water.
2. Dissemination technology of rainwater harvesting for drinking purpose and recharging the ground water.
3. Identification of suitable topography of land for recharging the rainwater to ground water.
4. Prevention the intrusion of seawater into ground water by rainwater harvesting techniques.
5. To educate the public the ill effects of extracting excess ground water.

a. Water and sanitation Progamme through SDC

22 villages have been affected by tsunami waves in Kanyakumari district. 756 people were killed and 7000 houses have been damaged. The people escaped from the tsunami waves have lost all their assets /properties including houses. The houses partially damaged are also not possible to live in. They are settled in the refuge camps / government temporary shelters/sheds where the government provides food and other facilities temporarily. But some of the villages the people needs are not completely met. Since the water entered into the villages, contaminated the ground water quality. The Government provides water for particular period i.e for one / two hours per day which is insufficient for the entire village. The people who have lost houses completely have settled in the camp. The other people are in the village and the water and sanitation are not adequately met. The needs of the intervention in the proposed villages are very important.

We have intervened in three villages such as Peria vilai, Chinnavilai and Kottilpadu which solves the water and sanitation issues with the following objectives.

• To provide adequate water availability in the affected area for home consumption like, washing, bathing etc.
• To provide safe drinking water facilities to the needy people.
• To make the people aware of the system and ensuring sustainability.
• To construct community sanitation facilities with the people participation.

This project is funded by Swiss Development Corporation with the technical consultancy of AFPRO New Delhi.

b. Water And Sanitation Activities Of For The Tsunami Affected Villages In Kanyakumari District.(Through CARE-AFPRO)

Water is an essential commodity for life. The target area, which has been affected by the recent Tsunami, i.e seawater has entered in to village of the 1.5 to 2 Km affected all the water sources. The villages that we have selected also had drinking water shortage before tsunami. Now since the sea water entered destroyed the drinking water resources and sanitation facilities. By this project SOSOD as a team envisages to bring back the normal condition and also to strengthen the water available sources and sanitation arrangements in the affected area. In this situation the efforts has been made to revive the situation, find out new sources and provide with affordable water sources and sanitation for people living in those affected area. The good quality source is identified and the water is supplied to the village through pipeline and water tank arrangement. The sources selected away from the villages and through pipeline arrangement drinking water supply is revived. The software components are useful far the community to improve the sanitation condition of the villages. There are two components in the project (i) Hardware. (ii)Software components. We have completed all hardware components of the project and software components.

Project villages of the project:

The following villages are identified based on the water and sanitation needs

• 1. Muttom
• 2. Simon Colony
• 3. Azad nagar
• 4. Kodimunai
• 5. Kadiyapattnam
• 6. Azad Nagar.

Objectives of the project

1. To implement hardware components of the project, drinking water supply programme, sanitation improvement programme and pond development programme in the tsunami affected villages
2. To implement the software components of the project in the project are as to permanently solve the issues of water and sanitation.

Details of the project

• 3 villages such as Azad nagar, Pozhikkarai and simon colony have been selected for the drinking water programme. Sources have been identified outside the village and water supply is given to the villagers.
• Kodimunai village has been identified to install the shallow hand pumps and washing platform, as there is water scarcity for the other household activities.
• Muttom village is identified for the pond renovation and afforestation programme as there in water scarcity for bathing and washing purpose.

Completed Hardware Components of the project

1. Mini water supply scheme.
2. ooInstallation of shallow bore well with depth of 25 to 30 foot with plat form and hand pump
3. Construction of washing platform
4. Cover slab and the pulley arrangements for open well
5. Hand pump Mark II installation and plat form to the existing bore well
6. Pond renovation, deepening and afforestation activities.

Completed Hardware Components of the project

• Orientation training to staff members
• Health and Hygienic training to the staff
• Eco sanitation training activities for the community
• WATSAN committee formation.
• WATSAN asset maintenance training to the WATSAN committee.

European Union through the Development alternatives have funded this 5 year project. We worked in the three districts and 18 schools and every year we worked with 1500 schoool chilkdreen and 3000 community members We are proud to be part of the nation wide programme on environmental assessment, awareness, action and advocacy involve School Children and Communities.

Vision

Develop cleaner environments for towns and cities.

Objectives

• Educate and train school children on environment assessment, awareness, action and advocacy.
• Systematically assess the environmental quality.
• Generate environmental awareness.
• Mobilise community networks and implement environmental improvement actions.

We follows the following methodology to fulfill the objectives

• Training on environmental quality assessment
• Monitoring and validation
• Awareness and Networking.
• Action - individual level, Household level, community level, city level. Issues Addressed

Water, Air,Trees,Herbal Treasures, Bird WatchingBio WasteEnergy etc.,

This project is funded by DST, Ministry of Science and Technology, New Delhi and is 18 months action research project. The conventional method of burning the bricks using brick clamp/traditional brick clamp is not remunerative. The fuel efficiency is not up to the mark, most of the entrepreneurs are facing the problem with the fuel for kiln. The traditional kilns emit smoke and polluting environment. The VSBK has advantages over traditional brick kiln, the quality of bricks produced in VSBK also good over the traditional kiln. The vertical shaft brick kiln (VSBK) is classed as a continuous updraft kiln and represents a comparatively new and unique method of firing bricks.

This project was implemented in the project area with the following objectives

OBJECTIVES :

• To monitor the environmental assessment by introducing vertical shaft brick kiln technology in the project area
• To develop the design of the kiln for optimum efficiency and minimum pollution using a variety of coals and fine biomass in the form of agri waste by introducing VSBK kiln
• To compare and record the fuel combination and fuelling methods environment impact of the existing kiln with VSBK technology
• To train the stakeholders such as NGOs, brick manufactures to introduce the VSBK technology in the project area and to conduct awareness camps in the project area.
• To introduce the vertical shaft brick kiln as an alternate to the traditional brick kiln, which achieve energy efficiency and economy of operation

SOSOD has been appointed as the Nodal agency by Rastriya Mahila Kosh for 6 districts (Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore). We have trained 30 NGOs in preparation of projects and 15 proposals submitted to New Delhi for scrutinizing the loan application. The most of the NGO’s are developmental organizations that are working for the poor women who need credit support. The NGO’s not have clear knowledge on the RMK schemes and functions earlier now become clear of their functions. We improve the capacity of the NGOs of selected district by continuous interaction.

The training under the NSTEDB, DST, New Delhi is for the tsunami affected fishermen and inland people who lost their properties and agricultural land due to tsunami waves. Since they have lost all their wealth they have to start their life fresh we have given this skill training to them. The training was completed successfully and 40 trainees were imparted with all the techniques.

The trades are

1. Training on ornamental fish culture
2. Coir briquetting training.

The raw materials required for this income generating activity is available at the project area. Since the people depends on fishing and inland people depend on the coir industries have lost every thing and they have start their life fresh. This training will help them for their rehabilitation and starting their livelihood.

Objectives of the project:

1. To train the tsunami affected population in the ornamental fish culture and coir briquetting.
2. To train the 40 women and fishermen population who have affected by tsunami in the project identification, Project appraisal, and various approaches to project selection, in each trade 20 trainees.
3. To understand the financial positions and analysis of fund flow reasons for the working capital crisis and train in quality control techniques. Project Partners
4. Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology New Delhi. ( Govt. of India )
5. Ministry of Rural Development (Govt. of India), New Delhi.
6. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, New Delhi ( Govt. Of India)
7. National Minorities Development Finance Corporation,(NMDFC, Govt. Of India), New Delhi
8. District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Nagercoil and Tirunelveli ( Govt. of Tamilnadu)
9. NABARD, Nagercoil.
10. European Union through Development Alternatives, New Delhi.
11. Swiss development Corporation (SDC), through AFPRO, Bangalore
12. Ministry of earth science, new Delhi.
13. Care India, New Delhi (For tsunami activities)
14. FVTF, Bangalore.