Irrigation Resources Are Transforming the Lives of Tribal Laborer Families

A small helping hand can significantly change the direction and condition of a hardworking individual’s life. For tribal families residing near forested areas—many of whom have been granted Forest Rights Pattas (land titles) by the government—even small-scale support through MGNREGA has begun to bring noticeable transformation. One such story emerges from Bardar village under the Khadgawan Janpad Panchayat of Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district, where tribal families reside.

Dhan Singh, a laborer, and his wife Sughri, who belong to a Scheduled Tribe, have toiled hard to convert their uneven forest land into cultivable fields. A water resource created under MGNREGA has now brought new hope and a shift in their economic situation. Earlier dependent solely on unskilled labor jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme, the family now has ample work on their own fields, and their financial problems have begun to ease.

The success story of this hardworking tribal family is now serving as an inspiration to others. Dhan Singh and his wife Sughri, residents of Bardar village, are registered as unskilled laborers under the MGNREGA scheme. Recognizing their long-term residence on forest land, the state government had issued them a Forest Rights Patta a few years ago. Though they owned a few acres, the land was uneven and lacked irrigation. Despite years of effort to make the land arable, dependency on rain yielded minimal benefits.

However, the construction of a personal well under MGNREGA changed everything. Approved in the name of Sughri, the well project received ₹2.51 lakh in administrative sanction, with the village panchayat as the executing agency. Under the supervision of technical assistant Rahul, the well was completed on time. Since then, the family has transitioned from laborers to cultivators, now harvesting up to three crops a year, including summer paddy and pulses like urad.