Mr. Tomoti Dalabehera S/o – Mr. Pintula Dalabehera,  about 47 years of age, village – Patipanka was overwhelmed in sharing his happiness before the SWAD staff of his success. He said that he had 0.5 acre of dry land and a portion of encroached government land. Every year, he used to cultivate pulse like black gram and horse gram depending on the rain. He was disappointed about volume of production in comparison to his hard labour. As the volume was less, the harvested pulses were sold at distress price which was not sufficient for his family maintenance. Apart from cultivation of pulses, the land was idle for the rest of months and he used to go for daily wage labour works.

At this frustration situation of Mr. Dalabehera, SWAD implemented a project on Soil and Water Conservation in collaboration with NABARD and CRS at Patipanka village under Kelhuru Watershed in the Capacity Building Phase 2017. In the 0.5 acre land, Plot No. 77 belonged to Mr. Tomoti Dalabehera, WDC constructed a 5% model structure at the upstream of his land. The 5% model structure now conserves the rain water during the rainy season.

With the suggestion of one of the SWAD staff, Mr. Ajaya Chandra Nayak, the Community Organizer, he changed the cropping pattern by transplanting paddy in that land. The water never dried flowing and helped the crops grow healthier with the improved methods (SRI). Timely weeding and constant water supply, the paddy yielded unexpectedly. Mr. Dalabehera harvested with 1.8 quintals of Paddy in the Kharif season in 2018 thereby secured three months food for his family consisting of eight member. He also wishes to cultivate paddy in Rabi season and vegetables rest of the months for cunsuption and surplus sales. Thus, he with satiety says, “SMC structure made my family smile with sufficient stuff for living”.

He owes his sincere thanks to SWAD for this noble initiative and he remains indebted to NABARD and CRS for their benevolent support to improve his life-style.