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VILLAGE FIELDWORK SEGMENT (PRM 2014 – 2016) An Exploratory Study of the Village VILLAGE: Kavalam BLOCK PANCHAYAT: Velliyanad THALUK: Kuttanad DISTRICT: Alappuzha STATE: Kerala HOST ORGANIZATION: Kudumbashree Submitted by: Akhil G (P35008) Sushanta Kumar Das (P35099) Vinayak Rajeev (P35105) In partial fulfilment of the requirements of the VFS of the

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VILLAGE FIELDWORK SEGMENT (PRM 2014 2016)

An Exploratory Study of the Village

VILLAGE: KavalamBLOCK PANCHAYAT: VelliyanadTHALUK: KuttanadDISTRICT: AlappuzhaSTATE: Kerala

HOST ORGANIZATION: Kudumbashree

Submitted by:Akhil G (P35008)Sushanta Kumar Das (P35099)Vinayak Rajeev (P35105)

In partial fulfilment of the requirements of the VFS of thePost Graduate Programme in Rural Management

INSTITUTE OF RURAL MANAGEMENT, ANANDJANUARY, 2015

Contents

1. INTRODUCTION91.1 Objective of the study91.2 Scope of the study91.3 Methodology101.3.1 Primary sources of data collection101.3.2 Secondary Sources112. INTRODUCTION TO KAVALAM112.1 Location & Access112.2 Agro-climatic Conditions122.2.1 Rainfall122.2.2 Temperature132.2.3 Topography132.3 Natural Resources133. VILLAGE SOCIETY133.1 Population133.2 Literacy and Level of Education143.3 Caste and Religion153.4 Culture153.5 Food164. VILLAGE INFRASTRUCTURE174.1 Transport174.1.1 Roads174.1.2 Railways174.1.3 Waterways174.2 Communication174.2.1 Telecommunication174.2.2 Post Office174.2.3 Internet184.2.4 Mass Media184.3 Electricity184.4 Market194.5 Education194.5.1 Anganwadi194.5.2 School204.5.3 College224.6 Health224.6.1 PHC224.6.2 Sanitation234.6.3 Drinking Water234.6.4 Government Ayurvedic Hospital234.6.5 Homeopathic Dispensary244.6.6 Veterinary Hospital245. VILLAGE INSTITUTIONS245.1 Government Institutions245.1.1 Krishi Bhavan245.2 Community Institutions255.2.1 Kudumbashree255.2.2 Kakka Co-operative Society256. VILLAGE LIVELIHOODS266.1 Asset Base Available To People266.1.1 Human Asset266.1.2 Natural Asset266.1.3 Financial Asset266.1.4 Social Assets266.1.5 Personal Assets266.1.6 Organizational Assets276.1.7 Physical Asset276.2 Vulnerability Context277. VILLAGE ECONOMY287.1 Agriculture297.2 Service sector317.3 Toddy Shops317.4 Middle East Income317.5 Labour317.6 Money and finance328. VILLAGE POLITY328.1 Gram Panchayat328.2 Politics and Public participation329. THEMATIC INSIGHTS339.1 FPCR - Impact of Flood & Its Coping Measures339.2 Theme paper - Socio Economic Impact of Urbanization in Village life3410. REFLECTIONS ON VFS35

List of Tables Table 1 - Profile of Kavalam...........................................................................12Table 2 Gender Ratio...................................................................................14Table 3 Literacy Rate ..................................................................................15Table 4 Electricity Infrastructure Details......................................................18Table 5 Types of shops and their frequencies...............................................19Table 6 Government Lower Primary School details.....................................20 Table 7 Government Upper Primary School details......................................21Table 8 Little Flower Higher Secondary School Details...............................21 Table 9 Schools outside Kavalam and their distances ..................................22Table 10 Colleges outside Kavalam and their distances.................................22Table 11PHC details....23Table 12Area wise distribution of crops.30

List of Figures

Figure 1 Sources of data collection ..............................................................................10Figure 2 Religion wise Population distribution ............................................................13Figure 3 Caste wise population distribution................................................................. 14Figure 4 Distribution of the source of Income.............................................................. 28Figure 5 Distribution of the livelihood...29

List of Annexures

Annexure 1: Typical daily life schedule of villagers...............................................................37Annexure 2: Focus Group Discussion Details.........................................................................38Annexure 3: Household details of five poor families..............................................................39Annexure 4: Household details of five non poor families.......................................................40Annexure 5: Services and Opportunities map of Kavalam......................................................41 Annexure 6: Case study 1.........................................................................................................42Annexure 7: Case study 2.........................................................................................................43Annexure 8: Crops Calendar....................................................................................................44 Annexure 9: Time Activity chart.............................................................................................44Annexure 10: RAC-Vinayak Rajeev (35105)..45Annexure 11: RAC-Susantha Kumar Das (35099)..47Annexure 12: RAC-Akhil G (35008)...48

List of Abbreviations PHC - Primary Health Centre KSRTC - Kerala State Road Transport Corporation NH - National Highway RAC - Rural Action Component FGD - Focus Group Discussion FPCR - Faculty Participant Collaborative Research SC - Schedule Caste IUML - Indian Union Muslim League LP - Lower Primary UP - Upper Primary HSS - Higher Secondary School CPI (M) - Communist Party of India (Marxist) CBSE - Central Board of Secondary Education ASHA - Accredited Social Health Activist FGD - Focused Group Discussion

1. INTRODUCTIONKavalam, located in Veliyanad block of Alappuzha district was the village chosen by IRMA for our fieldwork of PRM course. Through our stay of 7 weeks, we were asked to experience the rural life that resides in the village. Kudumbashree a name known to every household in Kerala, facilitated our stay in the village for our entire VFS. Through VFS we had an opportunity to interact with such professional people who worked towards improving rural life. We reported at the NRO office of Kudumbashree on our arrival, where we were given a heartfelt welcome followed by a briefing about the kind of work that Kudumbashree does. It was quite a learning experience for us to interact with IRMANs who were working there and hearing about their experience of working in a rural sector. The head of the organisation Mr Liby Johnson himself was an IRMAN from the batch of PRM 15. Through the briefing we were enriched about different ways in which Kudumbashree helps the poor and how they facilitate different services to the needy. Also we were given an opportunity to work on a project for Kudumbashree through our Rural action Component. After the briefing session we took on an expedition towards our village Kavalam a beautiful place situated around 150kms far from our reporting stations. Through our VFS we went through a learning process which no amount of book reading could have enlightened us.

1.1 Objective of the studyThe objective of our stay in the village through VFS was to experience, understand and to an extent enculturation of the local custom and practices. It also helps us to witness diverse problems which people in the rural area exposed to. Alongside which our learning process involved broader aspects like:- Experiencing life styles of villagers, their attitudes, customs, livelihood patterns as well as production and consumption patterns Understand the function and role of various Government and Non-government institutes and the impacts of different schemes on village community Blend the classroom learning with the field experience and develop skills for coping with different issues faced by the local people

1.2 Scope of the studyIn the report we have included the scope of the study that we have witnessed in 7 weeks of our stay in the village. The scope of the study includes various factors like literacy, employment and livelihood, culture, health, savings, religion, caste, accessible to various natural resources as well as various other factors which we have covered in different sections of the report. We have tried to learn about the village life style their culture and different other factors that influenced their life in the village. In this report we have tried to amalgamate the experience of life in the village both as a villager as well as that of a learner.

1.3 MethodologyTo study different aspects of the village as a whole we needed our self both the qualitative as well as quantitative data of the village, which we acquired through adopting different techniques and methodologies. These methodologies involved two broader aspects involving Primary and Secondary Sources of data collection. These collection of data was a very intrigued way of collecting information as it was very important in determining different aspects of rural life. The villagers as well as people in Government and Non-government organisation were very cordial as well cooperative in sharing information in this regard. Figure 1- Sources Of Data Collection

1.3.1 Primary sources of data collection Household surveyHousehold survey was an important part of our survey that we conducted for collecting information.We conducted questionaire survey. Our village had 3142 households according report made by the village panchayat We decided to conduct cluster sampling to select the household that we would survey.Cluster sampling helped us to get a detail qualitative idea regarding the village. Detailed on sampling has been covered on following sections as well as annexures.

Semi structured interviewsInformal interviews were the second best important method of collecting information from target people through one to one interview session.This important method of data collection involved visiting selected households to carryout interviews and gather information regarding culture and livelihood of the village.

Focus Group DiscussionsFocus group discussions helped us to gather information regarding specific issues related to the villagers. It was a great way of collecting information because of the level of enthusism showed by the villagers. Through focus group discussions methods we were able to collect different perspectives of the villagers regarding a single problem.

ObservationsThese process of collecting informations gave us a better understanding of village society. The people in the Panchayat office helped us a lot in collecting information regarding the same as they themselves accompanied us to some of the places initially. The process of Transect walk turned out to be a huge leraning exercise as it not only helped us to collect datas but also helped us to involved with villagers more in a personal level. Through transect walk process we were able to identify problems of the villagers in more of a personal level.Altogether these interviews and discussions gave us an opportunity to know the villagers in a better way.

1.3.2 Secondary SourcesOther than the methods we adopted to collect primary data we also relied on some other resources to collects datas as well. These resources involved institutions as Village Panchayat Schools Krishi bhavan Anganwadi Post office Veterinary hospitals PHC Kudumbashree office

2. INTRODUCTION TO KAVALAM2.1 Location & AccessKavalam is located in the Veliyanad block of Kuttanad Taluk in Alappuzha District. Kavalam is located on the border of Alappuzha and Kottayam districts. Kavalam is a green haven surrounded by back waters in all sides. It is a low lying area with an elevation below the sea level.Kavalam is easily accessible by bus from Changanacherry & Kottayam which are around 13km and 25 km from it. KSRTC buses are available at regular intervals from Kottayam & Changanacherry. For people coming from Alappuzha, there is boat service at regular intervals. It takes 45 minutes to reach Kavalam from Alappuzha by boat. Changanacherry is the nearby railway station. Most of the passenger trains & some of express train have a halt at Changanacherry. Another railway station is in the city of Kottayam which is 25 Km away. All the trains in the Trivandrum- Konkan corridor have a halt at Kottayam. Nearest Airport is Kochi International Airport which is 112 Km away from Kavalam.Kavalam profile

Name of the VillageKavalam

Number of wards13

Name of the Gram Panchayath Kavalam

Name of the Block PanchayathVeliyanad

Name of the TalukKuttanad

Name of the DistrictAlappuzha

BoundaryNorthKazhiyoormangalam

EastPulimooduUchethara Canal

WestAttumukham-Kurishu Canal

SouthVandakapally Canal

Name of the Parliament ConstituencyMavelikkara

Name of the Assembly ConstituencyKuttanad

Table 1- Profile of Kavalam

Source: Kavalam Panchayat Office

2.2 Agro-climatic Conditions2.2.1 Rainfall Kavalam receives an average rainfall of about 3000 mm. Although distributed throughout the year Kavalam receives 60% of rain during southwest monsoons (May August) and 30% during northeast monsoon (October- November). Most of the areas in Kavalam are subjected to floods during the monsoon periods. These floods cause severe agricultural losses & household losses.2.2.2 TemperatureThe climate in Kavalam is hot and humid. The average summer temperature is 35 C and the average winter temperature is 20 C. April is the hottest month & January is the coldest month. There is heavy mist during the winter seasons so that fisherman find it difficult to do fishing after the mist set in. The humidity is high during the monsoon season with peak humidity ranging from 80% to 90% during the morning hours.2.2.3 TopographyKavalam has a plain topography with 0% forest land. Its elevation ranges from 0.6m above to 2.2m below the sea level. Most of the area is covered with water throughout the year.

2.3 Natural Resources Kavalam has Clay Loam Soil. All thirteen wards have soil which is high in acidic content. The soil here is very fertile and is good for agricultural purposes. Kavalam is located on the banks of Vembanad Lake. Pamba river flows through the village to merge into the vembanad lake. Rajapuram lake and Mangalam lake are also in the vicinity of Kavalam. Kavalam has zero percent forest land.

3. VILLAGE SOCIETY3.1 PopulationKavalam has 3142 households among the 13 wards of the village. The Kavalam village has population of 13089 of which 6433 are males while 6656 are females. Population of children within the age of 0-6 years is 1359 which constitutes 10.58% of the total population. The child sex ratio is 975 which is higher than the Kerala average of 964. The area is dominated by Hindu Community.

Figure-2Religion wise Population Distribution

Figure-3Caste wise Population DistributionKavalam has a satisfactory Gender ratio of 1035. The reason for high Gender ratio is that there is no visible preference for male child as in most parts of Kerala & there is no reported cases of female foeticide. Sex determination test is prohibited by law.PlaceGender Ratio

Kavalam1035

Alappuzha1100

Kerala1084

India933

Table 2 Gender ratioSource-Census 2011

3.2 Literacy and Level of EducationKavalam is one of the most literate villages in Kerala with a literacy rate of 97.72. Though the village has only 3 schools and has no graduate colleges, the people here go to nearby cities like Changanacherry or Kottayam for educational purposes. People here have high awareness about education and send their both boy and girl child to school. Majority of the students here are going for graduate courses after passing out from school. Most of the students attend coaching classes in order to prepare for Engineering or Medical entrance exam. Two years ago a student from Kavalam topped the All Kerala Engineering Entrance Exam.

Place Literacy Rate

MalesFemalesTotal

Kavalam98.5496.9497.72

Alappuzha97.3694.2495.72

Kerala96.0892.3493.91

India82.1465.4674.04

Table 3 Literacy RateSource: Census 2011

3.3 Caste and ReligionHindus are in majority in Kavalam. The major Hindu castes present are Nair, Ezhavas, Chettiars, Thandar, Kollan, Ashari, Thattan & Pattanmar. Nair and Pattanmar belong to the Upper caste. Ezhava community constitutes almost 70% of the hindu population. They belong to the OBC category. They have a major say in Panchayat elections due to their large majority and political parties are fielding candidates from Ezhava community to get Ezhava votes. Present Panchayath President of Kavalam belong to Ezhava caste. Christians are the second largest community in Kavalam after Hindus. The major Christian castes present are Suriyanis, Roman Catholics, Marthomites, Jacobites & Latin Catholics. Scheduled caste constitutes 10.51% of the total population. They are not backward and are highly educated. Ward 4 & Ward 11 are reserved for SC members in Panchayat elections. Even Mavelikkara which is the Parliamentary Constituency to which Kavalam belongs is an SC reserved Parliamentary Constituency. Muslims constitutes only a small part of the total population.Hindu celebrate Onam during the harvest season and Vishu during the Malayalam new year. Christmas & Easter are the major festivals celebrated by Christians. Muslims celebrate Eid & Bakrid. All the festivals are celebrated in communal harmony with each community inviting the other communities for their festivals.

3.4 Culture The village boasts a snake boat called Kavalam Chundan. It is a regular participant in the prestigious Nehru Trophy Boat Race & has won it 6 times. Kavalam Chundan has served as a source of cultural pride for years. People of Kavalam have a great affinity for Sports. Tug of War is the most prominent sport played in the region followed by Football and Athletics. Tug of war tournaments are conducted frequently. Another major tournament conducted in Kavalam is sevens football tournament which is seven players a side and is played at night under floodlights. Athletics is very popular among teenagers. Cricket has a very less penetration in the village. Kavalam Panchayat Office conducts Kavalam Sports Meet every year to identify hidden talents. The winners gets a chance to participate in Alappuzha district sports meet .Cultural & sports clubs are seen at every alternate junction in the panchayat. They conduct interclub competitions. This helps in bringing people out from their introvert nature. Girls in Kavalam have a great interest in dance. They take dance lessons from their young age. Kathakali, Chakyar Koothu & Mohiniyattam are the traditional art forms of Hindus. Margamkali & Parichamuttukali are the art forms of Christians here. Pulluvan Pattu is the art form of SC community in Kavalam. Pooram( Temple festivals ) takes place at all temples during the months of March to May. These festivals are a treat to watch with wide variety of fireworks, ornately decorated elephants and Panchavadhyam which is an orchestra of five musical Instruments.

3.5 FoodStaple food is based on rice and its derivatives. Coconut oil is used to prepare most of the dishes. People here are mostly non vegetarians with preference for fish and beef. People eat fish throughout the day. Kavalam is very famous for its seafood delicacies. Weddings here are known for its sumptuous food. Hindu weddings have a completely vegetarian meal. The plate of choice is banana leaf. Rice and various kerala vegetarian dishes like Sambar, Avial , Rasam are served. Christian marriages by contrast serve Non vegetarian food which includes beef, Fish and Pork dishes with rice or biriyani. We attended a Christian wedding where we were served Beef biriyani.Most common food available in breakfast were puttu, dosa, idly, appam, porotta which were served with some curry. In the afternoon people usually had rice with sambar, rasam, pappadam(papad) , fish curry, beef fry and pickle. In the evening people had chappati or porotta with vegetarian, fish or chicken dishes.

4. VILLAGE INFRASTRUCTURE4.1 Transport4.1.1 RoadsA decade back kavalam was accessible only by boats. Now Kavalam is connected by roads to nearby towns Alappuzha, Changanacherry & Kottayam. 70% of the roads are kacha roads and only 30 % of them are pacca. Condition of roads is really bad with major portion of them having potholes mostly due to flood. KSRTC buses to Kottayam & Changanacherry are available at regular intervals. Some of the houses are having narrow muddy paths through which even bikes do not pass4.1.2 RailwaysThe nearest railway station is Changanacherry which is around 13kms from Kavalam. The station has a stop for all passenger trains and most of the express trains. It is of great help to people who work in the nearby towns,. The nearest major railway station is Kottayam which is around 25kms from Kavalam. All the major trains have stop at Kottayam station & Kottayam is connected to all major cities across the country.4.1.3 WaterwaysWaterways had always been a major mode of transportation in the panchayat. Earlier days people here used to procure food items and sell their produce to nearby town using private or individual boats. The backwaters and rivers surrounding the panchayat and the lack of bridges at some parts of the panchayat makes waterways an integral part of transportation here. People here are still dependent on jangar and boat services to reach nearby panchayats and Alappuzha. Some people have also utilised this dependency on boats for transportation to small distances as means of their livelihood.

4.2 Communication4.2.1 TelecommunicationMobile phones are commonly used in the region and there is atleast one mobile phone in every household. Airtel, Vodafone, BSNL and Idea are the major service providers due to good connection and coverage area. Due to Kudumbashree intervention mobile phones are extensively used by village women for various purposes. Smart phones are widely popular in village among younger generations. There is colour television in every household with richer households having lcd/led televisions. Radio has become almost extinct with only some of the older people using it for hearing news.

4.2.2 Post OfficePost office is located near to the Panchayath office. It started functioning in the year 1980. Earlier post office played an integral part in lives of the villagers but now with influx of mobile phones and other modes of communication it is becoming a thing of the past. Now function of post office has been reduced to collecting official letters, admit cards, electricity bills and telephone bills. There is a growing trend of people preferring saving schemes at post office over banks.. There is a Post Master, 4post men, 2 post woman and 3 other employees in this post office. The post office is computerized and it also offers other services like speed post and money order.4.2.3 InternetThere is an Akshaya centre in the village which is used by villagers to know job notifications, online form submissions and to check exam results. Computer training is provided at the Akshaya centre to the villagers free of cost. There is also an internet cafe in the village. Almost all rich households have internet connections. It is very heartening to see that some of the poor households have provided internet connections to their children for their educational purposes. BSNL and Asianet are the major broadband connection providers in this village. Majority of the youngsters utilize internet connections in their smart phones. The village has 3G facility for Idea, BSNL & Airtel.4.2.4 Mass MediaMost of the people subscribe to either Mathrubhumi or Manorama which are the leading Malayalam dailies. Keralakaumudi daily is very popular among the Ezhava community. Newspapers owned by political parties like Chandrika which is owned by Muslim league and Deshabhimani which is owned by CPM are popular among their respective party followers. Christian community prefer Manorama over other dailies. English dailies like Hindu and Indian Express are subscribed in some of the households but their popularity is very less compared to Malayalam dailies. Large number of local periodicals & fortnightly magazines related to religion & culture are published in the village. Womans Fortnightly magazines like Vanitha & Grihalakshmi are subscribed in most of the households. All households have cable tv connection. The region has its own cable tv sevice provider called Kuttanad cable vision.

4.3 ElectricityThe village is 100% electrified with power supply available 24 hours a day. Village gets electricity from 66 KV substation Kuttanad. KSEB office is located at a distance of 5kms from panchayath office. Street lights are installed in all major roads.

Number of Transformers27

Number of street lights a)40W b)tube lights210105(40W * 2)

Electricity lines 1)H.T 2)L.T38 Km114 Km

Table 4: Electricity Infrastructure Details(Source: Panchayath office, Kavalam & KSEB office, Kavalam)4.4 MarketKavalam has a local market with shops situated in the roadside itself. These shops provide essential items for the residents like groceries, vegetables, medicines, stationary & other necessary items. There is no monopoly for any items in the market. There are a large number of roadside vendors selling wide variety of fishes. Large numbers of beggers are found in the market during daytime. Normal timing of shops are from 9.30 am -7.00 pm.There are 2 fast food restaurants which are open till 2.00 am in the morning. For the purchase of luxurious & expensive items rich people go to either Changanacherry or Kottayam which are at a distance of 13Km & 20Km from Kavalam respectively. Types of shops & their frequencies are listed in the following table.Table 5: Types of shops & their frequencies(Source: transect walk) Type of shopNumber of shops

Restaurants7

Tea Stalls4

Medical shops1

Bakeries6

Vegetable & Fruit shops5

Jewelleries1

Barber shop2

Textiles & tailors1

Provisions & General Stores7

Garage3

Electronics1

Mobile shops3

Books & stationary store1

4.5 Education4.5.1 AnganwadiThere are 17 anganwadis in the village. These were established under the Integrated Child Development Scheme. All these anganwadis have an anganwadi worker who looks after the education & administration & a helper. The anganwadis provide 2 meals a day to the children. Most of the anganwadis have a strength of 10-12 & it is generally the BPL families & immigrant labourers who sent their children to anganwadis. Rich families prefer private day care centres or play schools over anganwadis. Some of the additional activities carried out in anganwadis are as follows: Immunization of children against Polio, Malaria, Jaundice etc. are provided Anganwadi staffs carry out various surveys like farmers pension survey, widow survey, senior citizens survey, handicapped survey etc by visiting each household. Distributing Nutrimix food supplement units to children between 6 months to 3 years Maintaining records like weight of children between 0-6 years & pregnant woman.

4.5.2 SchoolGovernment primary schoolThe government primary school was established in 1977. In the current academic year the school has 41 boys and 18 girls.. An headmistress & 3 teachers comprises the staff. The medium of instruction is Malayalam. There is a large dropout of students as people are opting for English medium CBSE schools. As per RTE provision free textbooks & uniforms are provided to the students. Students are given mid-day meals under the mid-day meal scheme. Table 6:Government Lower Primary School DetailsBoysGirlsTotal

I6410

II13114

III16723

IV6612

Total411859

Government Upper Primary SchoolThe government upper primary school was established in 1980.In the current academic year the school has 69 boys and 58 girls. There are 9 teachers including Headmaster. The medium of instruction is Malayalam. English subject is taught from 1st class & Sanskrit & Hindi are taught from 5th class. Students are provided text books and uniforms free of cost & are also given mid-day meals every day. The total number of students has decreased compared to previous years due to people preferring English medium CBSE schools. Students belonging to Christian & Nair community are less because they prefer schools run by Christian management & Nair Service society respectively.

Table 7: Government Upper Primary School DetailsRoll StrengthSCOECChristianHindu NairOBC

BGTBGTBGTBGTBGTBGT

I369000033000101235

II369000011011000347

III5813011112000011459

IV109190001340000119514

V1952431451600012310111

VI19123120245920212310515

VII1012221123251010115813

Total6958127639141630314437433174

Little Flower Higher Secondary SchoolLittle flower higher secondary school was established in 1999. It is a CBSE affiliated school with English as medium of instruction. The school is well equipped with modern facilities like Computer lab, science lab, library, playground etc. School buses are there to pick students from different wards and nearby villages. The number of students studying here is 706. A large number of students join here from government schools. The school has a 100% pass record in 10th class since its establishment.Table 8:Little Flower Higher Secondary School DetailsTotal Strength Boys Girls706361345

Staff Strength Teachers Others402713

Number of students in 10th class105

OthersChanganacherry has a large number of English medium schools with modern facilities. A majority of students in Kavalam studies in those schools. School buses are there to pick children from Kavalam. It is observed that 85% of rich people sent their children to schools in Changanacherry. Reason for people preferring these schools over those in Kavalam is that they have high quality of teaching with ultra-modern facilities & also some of the schools provide Engineering & Medical Entrance coaching to students.

Table 9 : Schools Outside Kavalam & Their locationSchoolLocationDistance

Good Shepherd Public School Thengana, Changanacherry15 Km

Sacred Hearts Public SchoolKilimala, Changanacherry19 Km

Placid Public SchoolChanganacherry14 Km

Kristujyothi Public SchoolChanganacherry12 Km

St Theresas Girls High SchoolLissio5 km

NSS Higher Secendary SchoolVeliyanad3 Km

Nair Samajam SchoolPerunna, Changanacherry8 Km

(Source: Informal Interview, Kavalam)4.5.3 College Government Industrial training college is the only college in Kavalam. There is no notable institutes in Kavalam catering to the villagers graduate level or post graduate level needs. Students in Kavalam have to travel to Alappuzha, Kottayam or Changanacherry for higher studies.Table 10: Colleges outside Kavalam & their distancesCollegeDistance

Engineering College,Pulinkunnu5 Km

Government Medical College, Kottayam25 Km

T.D Medical College, Alappuzha32 Km

B Ed Training Centre,Kunnumma6 Km

St Berchmans College , Changanacherry13 Km

Kristu Jyothi College for Arts & Visual Media15 Km

(Source: Informal Interview, Kavalam)

4.6 Health4.6.1 PHCPHC is located near to the Panchayath office.

Table 11: PHC DetailsStaffNumber

Medical Officer1

Staff Nurse1

Pharmacist1

Health inspector1

Lady Health Inspector1

Junior Health Inspector2

Junior Public Health Nurse5

Clerk1

Office Attendant2

Nursing Assistant1

Hospital Attendant1

Doctor is available everyday between 9am to 4pm. PHC has 15 beds & medicines are also provided here. Critical cases are given first aid & then referred to Government medical colleges in Alappuzha or Kottayam. There are two ASHA volunteers for each ward. There is a Ward Health & Sanitation Committee in each ward in which ward member is the chairman & Junior health inspector is the convenor. It consists of 15 members & they meet every month to discuss about health & sanitation conditions in the ward. Kudumbashree members are a great help to all medical camps as they provide necessary manpower. Mental Health Action (MHA) which is an ngo based in Kochi conducts a medical camp for mentally challenged people every month. Other activities carried out by PHC are as follows: Immunization of children below the age of six in collaboration with Anganwadis Distribution of vaccine against Dengue, Leptospyra, Jaundice, Malaria etc Carrying out sanitation & cleanliness awareness camps Aiding pregnant & lactating mothers with the help of ASHA workers.

4.6.2 SanitationSanitation is not an issue in Kavalam. Every household has a toilet & there are no cases of open defecation. The villagers are very conscious about personal hygiene & they take bath two times a day. Major sanitation issue people here face is during the time of flood. There is leakage of septic tank & so there is spread of water borne diseases like cholera, Jaundice & also toilets gets flooded with river water.4.6.3 Drinking WaterDrinking water is a major cause of concern in the panchayath. Most of the people here use river water for drinking purpose while some people purchase drinking water from outside. Earlier there was pipe line connection but due to the lack of intermediate storage tanks water did not reach the low lying area of panchayath. Drinking water issue becomes severe during the time of floods. People wont be able to purchase water from outside due to transportation problems as roads will be filled with water. River water will be contaminated with human waste, dead bodies of animals ,wastes from farmlands. When people consume this water for drinking they will be affected with water borne diseases like Jaundice, Cholera. People use rainwater harvesting as a coping measure during floods but its not that effective.4.6.4 Government Ayurvedic HospitalGovernment Ayurvedic hospital is located near to the panchayath office at the heart of Kavalam. It was established in 1999. The hospital has one medical officer, one pharmacist, one pharmacy attendant & one part time sweeper. The medical officer is available every day between 10 am to 3.30 pm. Last year the hospital was allocated a fund of Rs 4.50 lakhs by the panchayath for renovation & purchase of medicines. The Ayurvedic hospital has come up with a unique project called Shadangathoyam with the help of Panchayath. Under this project every household is given a medicinal powder called Shadangam free of cost. The powder can be used with drinking water. This powder increases immunity level of body and can be used as a preventive against most diseases.4.6.5 Homeopathic DispensaryHomeopathic dispensary was started in 2001 & is located in ward 8. The dispensary has one doctor & one attendant. The normal working time is 10 am to 6 pm. People approach dispensary for taking preventive against contagious diseases. Villagers in Kavalam prefer homeopathic medicines for their children over Ayurveda & Antibiotics.4.6.6 Veterinary HospitalThere is one veterinary hospital in Ward 12. It was established in 1999. The hospital has one veterinary surgeon, one livestock inspector, one attendant and one part time sweeper. Normal working time is between 9am to 3pm. The services offered here are artificial inseminations, pregnancy diagnosis, first aid & vaccination. Veterinary hospital conducted an awareness camp in November for the villagers regarding artificial insemination & feeding help.

5. VILLAGE INSTITUTIONS 5.1 Government Institutions 5.1.1 Krishi BhavanKrishi Bhavan helps in the promotion of agricultural activities in a panchayat. The Krishi Bhavan in Kavalam is located nearby the panchayat office and is constituted by an Agricultural officer and two assistants. The office has now started looking into processing and marketing of the agricultural produce apart from giving technical advice for enhancing agricultural production. The office provides seeds, fertilizers and pesticides for the farmers on a subsidised rate. Paddy which is the main crop cultivated in the panchyat is procured directly from farmers through Krishi Bhavan. There is also a coconut procurement program through which coconut collected from the farmers is given to KERAFED. The office promotes farm mechanisation as there is an unavailability of agricultural labours in the panchayat. A programme by the Krishi Bhavan named Karshika Karma Sena aims at attracting youth to agriculture by giving them job as Technicians rather than mere labourers. Under this programme the office provides technical training, uniform and vehicle to the youth and appoints them as Agricultural Technicians. The future plans of the office include promotion of organic farming and introduction of a scheme named Integrated Farming System wherein the farmer is engaged in agricultural activities like cattle rearing, fisheries apart from the regular paddy cultivation so that he/she has a regular source of income from agriculture throughout the year.5.2 Community Institutions 5.2.1 Kudumbashree Kudumbashree functions hand in hand with the panchayat office in Kavalam. The fund that the panchayat office receives for women and children welfare is directed through Kudumbashree for various programmes. The three tier structure of Kudumbashree in the panchayat has 143 NHGs at the bottom level, followed by an ADS at the ward level and finally a CDS at the panchayat level. The NHG is a group of 15-20 members, each from different houses in a particular area. They involve themselves in income generating activities like farming, stitching and sale of food items. Every week they conduct a review meeting of their activities and also collect individual contributions towards their joint bank account. Every NHG in a ward elects 5 members from their group to constitute the ADS for the ward. The ADS supervises the activities of all NHGs in a ward, conducts monthly review meeting and also helps them out with their problems. A representative from every ADS constitutes the CDS and it supervises all the initiatives and programmes by Kudumbashree in the panchayat. A recent initiative by Kudumbashree was Mechanisation of Agriculture in which the members were given training to use sprayers for fertilizers and pesticides and also the use of a machine for seeding. The participation of women in agriculture is encouraged through the Joint liability group programme of Kudumbashree in which they engage themselves in collective farming of paddy on a leased paddy field. Kudumbashree also promotes small scale businesses among their NHGs by giving them training to impart technical, managerial and financial skill and also with a financial support of Rs 50,000 subsidy and loans with no interest up to 6 months and later on with an interest of 1%. Some of the members of Kudumbashree also work as ASHA members in the village. A case study based on Kudumbashree is attached in Annexure 6.5.2.2 Kakka Co-operative SocietyThe proximity of the panchayat to sea and brackish water is a good source of oyster for the people living here. The meat from the oyster is used as food and the shell is supplied as a source of calcium carbide for gas welding in companies. The Kakka Co-operative Society in the panchayat looks after the procurement of the oyster shells from different households and supplies it to the companies on a large scale. The payment from the companies is distributed among the households and this act as a good source of income for the people engaged in fisheries. The working of the society is affected only during flood when the people would not able to collect oysters. Any oyster collected during the period is stored and supplied to the companies after the flood.

6. VILLAGE LIVELIHOODS6.1 Asset Base Available To People6.1.1 Human AssetKavalam has a literacy rate of 97.72. High newspaper reading habit & High TV and other mass media penetration has improved peoples information & awareness on various matters. The health has improved under various government schemes like Mukulam, Abhayam and various awareness programmes. People here are very hardworking & are entrepreneurial in nature. Woman in the village are involved in various business activities like hotels, catering units, shops etc. People here have great affinity for sports like tug of war & football. The diet is mainly non vegetarian with high preference towards beef and sea food. 6.1.2 Natural AssetThe cultivable area in Kavalam is 1694 hectares. The village has a clay loam soil which is highly acidic. The soil terrain supports the cultivation of paddy, coconut and a wide variety of vegetables. Water streams connected to the river at low lying areas provide water for irrigation. Other modes of irrigation are pump sets and common ponds. Most of the households use river water for drinking purpose. The region has an abundant wealth of a variety of fish due to its network of rivers and canals.6.1.3 Financial AssetMajor source of income is Agriculture. There are 7250 agricultural labourers in Kavalam. A large part of the population is engaged in service sector like hotels, shops, bakeries. There is a large number of people engaged in toddy tapping and fisheries. Only a small part of the population works in Middle East. There are nationalized banks, cooperative banks and non-banking financial institutions in the village. Most of the families have a bank account. Kudumbashree provide loans to its members without any collateral. This has brought down exploitation of poor by cunning moneylenders who have almost vanished. Women are very fond of jewellery as they find it as a status symbol. They also use gold as a source of liquid cash in emergency situations.6.1.4 Social AssetsPeople belonging to different castes live with harmony & solidarity. There is no segregation of household settlements based on caste lines. But people have a strong community feeling amongst them. People actively participate in elections & make full use of Government facilities. Woman in the village are empowered. They play an important role in household and are the familys savings keepers. Kudumbashree has brought a sense of cohesiveness among woman belonging to different communities6.1.5 Personal AssetsPeople are ambitious & hard working. Bonding among villagers is very high and they care for each other. Although the people are well aware about the rules and laws, only a small part of them exercise those. Kudumbashree has infused a sense of confidence among the woman which has acted as a catalyst in the overall development of the village. Most of the younger generation are not interested in agriculture as they perceive it as an out-dated profession which holds no prestige.6.1.6 Organizational AssetsKudumbashree has a strong presence in the village. It acted as a catalyst for woman empowerment and poverty eradication which resulted into inclusive development. Various Sports and cultural clubs in the village are instrumental in bringing people from the comforts of their home and provide them with a platform to enjoy and participate in various cultural and sports activities.6.1.7 Physical AssetThe village is well connected by roads to nearby towns. 70% of the roads are kacha. There is an efficient public transportation system with buses available at regular intervals. The village is 100% electrified with power supply available 24 hours a day. Health and Educational infrastructure available in the village are of average quality. There is a well-established market in the village in which all necessary items are available. The village has good sanitation facilities and there are no cases of open defecation. Drinking water is a cause of concern in the village as there is no pipeline connection. Proper telephone and internet facilities are also available in the village. Nationalized & cooperative banks function in the village. People use fertilizers, pesticides and latest technologies for paddy cultivation. During the recent years there is a change in building structure from huts to concreted houses.6.2 Vulnerability ContextThe village is severely affected by flood during the monsoon period. It causes household losses & agricultural losses. Most of the people shift to government relief camp during this period. Transportation loss will be there due to roads being filled with water resulting in income loss to the people. People are severely affected by diseases like leptospyra, Malaria during this period which sometimes even leads to death.Kavalam face severe drinking water problems. There is no pipeline connection & people use river & lake water for drinking purpose. These water bodies are filled with household wastes, animal wastes & farmland wastes. Consumption of these water for drinking purposes result in water borne diseases like cholera, Jaundice etc. Now there are increased cases of cancer reported in Kavalam.Agriculture has been on a downturn over the years. Younger generation is not interested in agriculture as they are interested in service sector & white collar jobs. Increased population has resulted in the reduction of agricultural lands considerably. There are repeated cases of private parties buying agricultural lands from farmers for setting up resorts or residential colonies.

7. VILLAGE ECONOMYIn the past, the main source of livelihood for people in Kavalam was Agriculture and Fisheries. The women were mostly involved in mat making at their own houses and supplied it to nearby town through boats. As time went on, the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides had resulted in the extinction of many types of fishes and on the other hand the high returns from construction labour and service sectors had made agriculture less attractive for youth. The predominant service sectors that the people of Kavalam now engage themselves in are hotels and bakeries, stationary shops, toddy shops, mobile and automobile industries. Small sector of the population who have now gained technical competence have also started migrating to the Middle East countries.

Figure 4- Distribution of the source of Income

Source - Kavalam Panchayat Office

Figure 5- Distribution of the livelihoodsSource - Kavalam Panchayat Office

7.1 Agriculture

Agriculture has always been an important sector of the village economy of Kavalam and it still continues to be the main source of income for the people here even after an increase in turnout for the service sector. Nearly 45 % of the working population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. Paddy, Coconut, Banana, Pepper and Areca nut are the major agricultural produce in the village. The panchayat has one of the most fertile soils in Kerala and is most suitable for the cultivation of paddy. The total cultivated area in the village is 1694 hectors and the average production in one season is 10,425 metric ton. Total number of farmers in the village is 7250 of which 3450 are men and 3800 are women. Major sources of irrigation are water streams, tube wells and ponds.

Crop Area under cultivation (ha)

Paddy 1322

Coconut 250

Banana 100

Vegetables 8

Cocoa 1

Fruits Plants 15

Pepper 5

Arecanut 5

Others 6

Table 12 Area wise distribution of cropsSource Krishi Bhavan, Kavalam

Kuttanad region has one of the most fertile soils in the world. Four major rivers namely Achenkoil, Pampa, Manimala & Meenachil originating from nearby higher ranges discharge their water into the Arabian sea through this region and the sediments deposited at the river banks makes the region suitable for agriculture. The soil found in Kerala is generally acidic and it is highly acidic in the case of Kuttanad region. The soil in Kavalam is hence neutralised by washing it off with a mix of water and lime and in this way made suitable for cultivation. The flood that happens in this region can be seen as beneficial for the farmers in this aspect.

There are mainly three crop seasons in Kerala namely: Virippu(Kharif season), Mundakan (2nd crop) and Puncha (Rabi season). Virippuis the main season of cultivation in almost all parts of Kerala wherein the sowing happens in June / July, immediately after the South-West monsoon, and the harvesting in September/October. Mundakan is mainly the season for second crop in Kerala and takes place during the period September/October to December. In the third season named Puncha the sowing takes place during November / December, immediately after the North East Monsoon, and harvesting in March / April. Though it is the period for the third crop in other parts of Kerala, Kavalam has this season as their main cultivation period as the region has no shortage of water during the nearing summer time. After the south west monsoon the additional crop for Kavalam is cultivated during the Virippuseason wherein the agricultural lands bounded by waterways have bunds erected along the flow of water. During the Virippu season an area of about 100 Ha are brought under cultivation. The cultivation of second crop started after the placement of shutters at two places namely Thotapally and Thanneermukkom to prevent the inflow of saline water during tidal rise.

Agricultural fields in Kavalam can be seen as contiguous blocks or padasekharams or polders bounded by rivers & canals. Padashekara Committee which is a group of farmers is officially recognised under the Societies Registration Act and promotes group farming practices. The area of cultivable land for a committee can vary from few hectares to 1000 ha. Kavalam panchayat has a total of 17 Padashekara Committees.

The average harvest of paddy on a 1 Acre land in the panchayat is around 3 tonnes. The total return for this harvest comes around Rs. 60,000 with a market price of Rs. 20,000 for 1 tonne.With the total input cost for paddy cultivation on a 1 Acre land around Rs. 15,000, the profit earned by the farmer on 1 Acre land paddy cultivation comes to Rs. 45,000. The farmer can also get additional earnings from the paddy straw produced.

7.2 Service sector

People in Kerala now have a high preference for service sector jobs as they offer an attractive pay package when compared to agricultural labours. The trend is the same among the workforce in Kavalam and a number of people in the panchayat are working in government service sectors like bank, schools, hospital and other institutions. With the Government service sector jobs and the inflow of money from Middle East, the purchasing power of the people started increasing and in this way the local economy started prospering. Majority of the youth are now working in restaurants, bakeries, stationary shops, mobile shops and automobile workshops.

7.3 Toddy Shops

Coconut is found in abundance in the panchayat as in any parts of Kerala and there are also a number of toddy tappers in the village. They supply the toddy to the hotels here and the cuisineand the toddy available in these hotels are renowned for its taste and hence attract a lot of tourists to this place. Most of the men in the village are also regular customers of these toddy shops. The panchayat has a total of 7 toddy shops and it acts as a good source of income for the people engaged in these shops and also for the toddy tappers.

7.4 Middle East Income

The section of the population in Kavalam which had migrated to Middle East countries is limited only to skilled workers who have gained competency in one or the other technical aspect. A small section of about 3% of the total population of the village is working in Middle East.

7.5 Labour

There is a scarcity for local labours in the panchayat as people here are now more engaged in service sector jobs. Any available local labours also demand high wages. The prevailing Government wage rates for labours are Rs. 350 for men and Rs.250 for women, but in reality the high demand for labours have shot up the rates to Rs.600-700 for men and Rs. 300 for women. These high wage rates by local labourers have now attracted many labourers from other states like Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal and they are in high demand in hotels and construction works. The panchayat also finds it difficult to get labourers for their works as there is huge difference between the market wage rates and the rates allotted in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

7.6 Money and finance

The panchayat has both nationalized and private sector banks, namely SBI and Federal Bank respectively to cater to the banking needs of the people living here. There are also other non-banking financial institutions that are involved in money lending, investment and other financial activities. The co-operative bank in the panchayat plays an important role here as they provide loans at lesser interest rates and hence acts as a support to the lower income earning families.

8. VILLAGE POLITY

The village community is mostly dominated by Ezhavas. The other main communities found in the village are Christians, Nairs, Muslims and Pulayars or Parayars. Cast based politics is prevalent in the Panchayat as the political parties only select a member of a particular caste as their nominee in an area dominated by that particular caste. An election between different castes based candidates thus never results in the power getting vested with a particular community and the overall constitution of the panchayat has always seen members from different communities.

8.1 Gram Panchayat A total of 13 wards in the panchayat have most of its ward members from CPI (M) and the others from INC. The panchayat has more than 50% reservation for women and currently has women ward members in 7 out of the 13 wards. In this way women play an important role in the decision making process in the panchayat. Mr Omanakuttan Janardhanan is the current Panchayat president. The discussions and review of various development programmes by the Panchayat happens at least twice in a month. The president has a good bonding with everyone in the office and the experience of the vice president as the Assistant District Mission Commission of Kudumbashree had come handy for him to setup a smooth functioning Kudumbashree office in the panchayat. Apart from the president and the ward members, the panchayat office is constituted by government appointed secretary and other officers, Kudumbashree CDS chairperson and Accountant. Gramsabhas are conducted in every ward once in three months to understand the issues faced by the public and also to come up with various development programmes. The panchayat also conducts public meetings and various other awareness campaigns at anganwadis, public health centre and in government schools.

8.2 Politics and Public participation

CPI (M) and INC are the two major political parties present in the panchayat. BJP has a very low public support here. Both the political parties have local area committee offices as well as proactive youth wings in the panchayat and their unions have high influence in various government institutions. The parties have always been actively participating in the social life of the panchayat through regular rallies and meetings. But on the other side participation of women in the political scenario is on a lower side in the panchayat. The panchayat had witnessed CPM-BJP and CPM RSS conflicts in its earlier days but nowadays law and order situation is largely peaceful in the village.

9. THEMATIC INSIGHTS9.1 FPCR - Impact of Flood & Its Coping Measures Akhil G (P35008) Vinayak Rajeev (P35105) Introduction

Kavalam panchayat, located in Kuttanad region of Kerala, is a low lying area and is placed at a depth of 2 meters below sea level. The geographical positioning, the heavy downpour and the overflow of four major rivers from nearby higher ranges have all resulted in the flooding of the region during monsoon period. Earlier the flood used to occur only once in a year i.e. during monsoon period but nowadays with an uncertainty in the arrival of rains the flooding of the region has also become uncertain.

People in the panchayat face a lot of issues during flood like difficulty in staying and cooking at home, household damages, transportation issues and spread of diseases. The regular flooding of the region over the years has also forced the people over here to come up with several coping measures for each of these issues. In this scenario, our focus was on to study the impacts of floods and also the coping measures adopted by the people for the same.

Objectives

The objectives of our study were as follows:

1. To have an overview of impacts of floods on lives & livelihood of rural communities in our village2. To evaluate the coping mechanisms used for sustenance3. To identify the most significant impacts and relevant coping mechanisms used.

Methodology: FCM Approach

The methodology that we had adopted for the study of Impact of flood and its coping measure was Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping. Fuzzy Logic which deals with reasoning that is approximate rather than fixed and exact forms the basis for Cognitive Mapping. The cognitive map formed in this study represents the mental landscape of the target audience and the grading of the relation between various factors in the map gives us an idea about the strength of the factors.

The FCM approach that we utilised for impact analysis and the study of coping measures can be broadly classified into 3 stages. They are as follows:

1. Identifying Sample Groups

Data collection in any field work begins with the identification of various sample groups within the target audience. In Kavalam we took the sample groups as the different communities present in the panchayat. A place which is mostly dominated by the Ezhava community has also the presence of other communities like Christians, Nairs, Muslims and Pulayars or Parayars. A total number of 40 homogenous groups of at most 5 members each were selected across the different communities with a criterion that members in a group has to be of equal social-economic status.

2. Data Collection

Data collection and cognitive maps from different sample groups in the village were done through semi-structured interviews. All the members in a group were interviewed at the same time and the grading for the various factors and coping measures in the map was done after a consensus in the group.

3. Data Analysis

The cognitive map of a group is a pictorial representation of the different problems faced and coping measures adopted by a particular community during flood. The relevance of different impacts and the coping measures for the same varies across different communities. The impacts and coping measures from 40 maps are then augmented using augmenter software. The different factors in the augmented map are then condensed and visualized into a final map with different condensed primary factors and coping measures.

Impacts

The observations made after the data analysis of different cognitive maps are as follows:

Agricultural losses and Transportation problem are the most dreadful impacts of flood in the panchayat.

Repair work of their houses after flood and shifting to government relief camps are the most significant coping measure adopted by the people during flood.

There is an uncertainty in the flooding of the region with floods happening more than once in a year.

Flooding also has a positive impact of washing away the excess fertilizers and pesticides accumulated in the farmlands.

9.2 Theme paper - Socio Economic Impact of Urbanization in Village life Sushantha Kumar Das (35099)When we went forward with our VFS, we were quite enthusiasts about the life that we were going to witness so choosing a theme based on the socio economic impact would have given us a better understanding of the relative world that resides in the village.Collecting data regarding the theme paper based on impact of urbanization we were exposed to different facts related to migration, infrastructure development as well as improvement in the transportation. Although theme paper research not only dealt with the economic aspects but also how it influences the social life of human being living in the village.Through the research on theme paper related to socio economic impact of urbanization we actually able to relate the life style of people that residing in the village and that of residing in the urban sector. According to which we were able to draw many inference on how to minimise the gap among the two sectors and what qualitative improvement can be brought against it.

10. REFLECTIONS ON VFS

Kavalam, a green haven surrounded by backwaters, still has its natural beauty mostly kept untouched by its people even after a number of development initiatives by them over the years. One of the most important developments that happened in the panchayat was the connectivity of the village to nearby towns through roadways. Waterway which was the only mode of transportation in the earlier days is still relied upon by people to travel to nearby places which are not connected by bridges. Major changes have also been there in the social life of the people. A marshy land made out of a sea by filling in with soil and rocks had seen only huts in its earlier days but in the recent past the panchayat had witnessed a major change in its building structure from huts to concreted houses. Agriculture and fisheries has been the major source of livelihood for the people here. A low lying land which has one of the most fertile soils in Kerala has paddy as the main crop cultivated here. The people here also know the importance of education and one can see a degree holder in almost all households in the panchayat. Akshaya e-centres also promote computer usage among the people. The panchayat office has brought in a number of unique projects here that caters to various health issues and also the welfare of women and girl children. Kudumbashree NHGs have also helped the women in the panchayat to start micro enterprises.

A major problem faced by the Panchayat is the flooding of the region during monsoon period. Agricultural losses, transportation issues and spread of diseases are the main impacts of flood in this region. Non availability of pipeline drinking water is a major problem that the people face here throughout the year. People here now mostly use water from canals or purchase drinking water from nearby town and during floods mostly relies on rainwater harvesting.

A land of scenic beauty, Kavalam definitely has a great potential to attract tourists and the same remains unutilised in the present conditions with unavailability of land for resorts and lack of clients for an investment on the same.

REFERENCES Kavalam Panchayat Handbook Krishibhavan Handbook PHC records Kudumbashree Office records www.censusindia.gov.in www.wikipedia.com http://lsgkerala.in/kavalampanchayat/tag/kavalam-panchayat/

ANNEXURES

Annexure 1: A Typical Daily Life ScheduleSince the villagers are involved in a diverse range of occupations, there is no typical daily life schedule in the village. So we have prepared daily life schedule of an agricultural labourer and a housewife.Daily activity schedule of men who go for agricultural labourerTimeActivity

6.30 amWake up and get ready for the day

7.00 amBreakfast

7.30 amGo to work

10.00 amTake rest & have snacks with tea

10.30 amResume work again

1.00 pmLunch & rest time

2.00 pmResume work

4.00 pmSnacks with tea

4.30 pmResume work again

5.00 pm Comes back home

5.00-6.30 pmSleep for some time

6.30 pm -7.30 pmGo out to buy something which is needed in house or to meet friends or relatives

8.30 pmDinner

9.30 pmSleep

Source: Informal interview & Group discussion with various agricultural labourersDaily activity schedule of a HousewifeTimeActivity

5.00 amWake up and bath

5.30 am-6.30 amPrepare food

7.00 amBreakfast

7.30 am-8.30 amPrepare children for school

9.00 am Take rest for sometime

10.00 amBuy fish

10.30 am -12.30 pmPrepare food for lunch

1.00 pm Lunch

1.00 pm- 2.00 pmSleep for sometime

2.00 pm-3.30 pmGossiping with neighbours or indulge in activities of Kudumbashree

3.30 pm-4.00 pmPrepare tea & snacks

6.00 pmPrayer time

6.30 pm-8.00 pmTV serials

8.30 pmDinner

10.00 pmSleep

Annexure 2: Focus Group Discussion DetailsAgenda of DiscussionParticularsParticipants

Political HistoryTo know about the political practices in Kavalam and the various past trends1)Omanakuttan (PanchayatPresident)2)Sikhivahanan(Panchayat Secretary)3)Asha Ajith(Ward member)4)Molammma(Ward member)5)Vijayalekshmi(Ward member)6)Biju(Ward member)7)Shaji Nateshan(Ward member)

1)Sadanandan2)Vijayamma3)Bhargavi4)Sasi5)Sivankutty6)Mohanan

AgricultureTo know about the various agricultural practices & problems associated with it1)Sathyan2)Krishnan3)Govindan4)Christy5)Janaki6)Joseph

EducationTo Gain insights into various Educational facilities available in the panchayat & the problems associated with itHeadmistress & staff of Government Lower Primary School, Kavalam

Headmaster & staff of Government Upper Primary School, Kavalam

Natural ResourcesTo get a better understanding on available natural resources & to know about the contrainsts in the access of thoses resources1)Devassia2)Johnson3)Ravindran4)Chellappan5)Kuttan6)Kochouseph

KudumbashreeTo know about the operation of Kudambashree in the panchayat and its socio economic and political impacts on the woman in the villageKudumbashree MembersGirijakumari, Mini, Sarasamma, Eshwariamma, Ushakumari, Asha, Beena, Rathi, Valsala, Kunjumani

HealthTo know about the Health Issues faced by the people in the village & various health facilities available in the villageMedical Officer & Staff of PHC

Murukan, Neelakandan, Achyuthan,David, Maya, Reshmi, Janakiamma,Vani

Annexure 3: Household Details of Five Poor FamiliesSr No12345

NameKuttan PillaiRamanDevassiaAzhakeshanSivanandan

Age5844705249

CasteGeneralSCOBCOBCGeneral

OccupationAgricultural LabourManual LabournilToddy TapplerAgricultural Labour

Adult Members

M21312

F22221

0-2 YearsM00100

F00000

3-5 YearsM00101

F10201

6-18 YearsM01000

F11100

Total Family Members651035

Children not going to school00000

12 year girls not educated00000

House Details

House TypeSemi PuccaSemi PuccaPuccaSemi PuccaPucca

ElectricityYesYesYesYesYes

SanitationYesYes(Bad Conditions)Yes(Bad Conditions)YesYes

Land Holding

Irrigated5 centsNoNoNo7 cents

Non Irrigated15 cents10 cents15 cents12 cents11 cents

Total Land20 cents10 cents15 cents12 cents18 cents

Animal

Cow0000o

Goat1010o

Hen02103

Total12003

Television setYesNoNoNoYes

MigrationNoNoYesNoNo

Sr No12345

NameSadasivanKoshy CherianChandranBabuJoy

Age6853655040

CasteOBCGeneralOBCSCGeneral

OccupationFarmerTeacherBusinessKSEB officeCarpenter

Adult Members

M31221

F32221

0-2 YearsM00000

F00000

3-5 YearsM10001

F10001

6-18 YearsM21000

F00100

Total Family Members104544

Children not going to school00000

12 year girls not educated00000

House Details

House TypeDouble Storeyed Modern Single Storeyed Traditional house( Tharavadu)Modern Single Storeyed Double Storeyed

ElectricityYesYesYesYesYes

SanitationYesYesYesYesYes

Land Holding

Irrigated2 acres80 cents2.5 acres70 cents60 cents

Non Irrigated - - - - -

Total Land2 acres80 cents2.5 acres70 cents60 cents

Animal

Cow2000o

Goat1000o

Hen54003

Total84003

Television setYesYesYesYesYes

MigrationYesNoYesNoNo

VehiclesTwo Wheeler21111

Four Wheeler21310

Annexure 4: Household Details of Five Non Poor Families

Annexure 5: Services and Opportunities Map of Kavalam

Figure 6 Source: Informal Interviews

Annexure 6: Case Study 1

Kudumbashree: Scripting Success stories for womenJessis success story is very inspiring. There was a time in her life when she lived in a small house without even basic facilities. Today she has a double storeyed house with all modern facilities.Earlier she used to walk long distances but now she owns a carShe studied till 10th class due to poverty .But her daughter is now studying for MBBS.All this changes happened just because of Kudumbashree. Her Husband Josekutty died in 2000. At that time her daughter was only 6 years old. They had only a small single bedroom house without even basic facilities. Her life was at crossroads. When first Kudumbashree unit was started in Kavalam in 2001, she joined as a member in it. It was during one of the meetings she got idea of collective farming. So she along with 2 other members- Lincy , Sheeba decided to give a try. They leased 10 acres of land & did paddy cultivation. Krishibhavan gave them seeds at subsidized rate & they took loan from bank & from Kudumbashree.They took advice from others to do farming. After the 1st harvest they sold the rice & were able to clear the debt. So this gave them confidence & next year they leased 18 acres of land. This time also they made a good profit. So they started making profit like 1 lakh every year. They also cultivated vegetables & started making profit from them also.Now they own about 15 acres of land with their profit in lakhs. Last year they made about 15 lakhs from farming with each person earning a profit of about 1 lakh.Jessi proudly says that she owns a car, a two storeyed house and can provide all good facilies for her daughter. She is very happy to see that her daughter is experiencing a life which she dreamt during her younger days.Jessi is just one success story among thousands. There are thousands of Jessis in Kerala scripting success stories just because of Kudumbashree.

ALCOHOL RUIN FAMILIESSuja is a 25 year old woman working in a medical shop in Kavalam. She is the sole breadwinner of her family which includes her mother & her sister who is studying in 11th class. Her father died 2 years ago. Her house is at mortgage in one of the banks. She is facing all these problems because of one sole reason Alcoholism.Her father was a fisherman. He was a big alcoholic. He used to beat his wife and 2 daughters after consuming alcohol. He spent all the money he earned on alcohol. He took a loan from a bank with house as collateral for buying a boat. But due to his alcohol consumption he could not make any savings. He died after being hit by a train. He was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.Now Suja has to look after household expenses and her sisters education expense with her minimal monthly salary of 3500 rupees. Also she has to repay loan amount. She could not find any better job as she studied till 12th class only.This is not just the case of Suja. There are large number of families which are ruined by alcoholism.Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction - Bob Marley Annexure 7: Case Study 2

Annexure 8: Crops CalendarMonth/CropsJanFebMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovDec

BananaHSTH

PeaS

TapiocaH

PaddyHS

PaddySTH

Cucumber/ChilliSTHS

Lady fingerH

CoconutAllSeason

S- ShowingH- HarvestingT- Transplanting

Annexure 9: Time-Activity ChartCoconutcollection

Land preparation

Fish cultivation

Rice farmingRice planting

MonthJanFebMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovDec

Annexure 10: Reflection on Rural Action Component (RAC) Vinayak Rajeev (35105)Task To prepare a case study on a successful micro intervention by Kudumbashree in Alappuzha Disrict. I chose Annapurna Hotel & Catering Unit located at Kandalloor, Alappuzha IntroductionAnnapurna Hotel & Catering Unit located at Kandalloor, Alappuzha is a great example of transformation of five normal housewives to successful & self-confident entrepreneurs. These five women-Sarasamma, Eshwariyamma, Ambily, Saraswathy and Prasannakumari earlier had to run their families utilizing the income earned by their husbands who were the sole breadwinners of their families. The hotel & Catering service which they started in 2006 did wonders to their life. Now they are contributing to their family income and are self-reliant.How they operateThe major thing which distinguishes Annapurna Hotel from other hotels in Kandalloor is the homely food which they offer. All the cooking work is done by these 5 members only. The working time is 8.30 am -6.00 pm. Every day they prepare meals for 40-50 persons. Fish curry meals and fish fry are also available. They provide tea and snacks like parippu vada, bonda, uzhunnu vada and ethaykka appam in the evening. They daily prepare tea on demand and evening snacks for 70 people. Their regular customers comprises of people working in nearby offices, shops and also some students studying in nearby schools. They also give tea and evening snacks to some nearby shops and offices daily.Their Catering service is one of the most sought after catering service in Kandalloor.They take catering orders for a maximum of 800 persons with onsite preparation. They have utensils and other accessories to prepare for about 300 people. For bigger orders they take utensils for rent. These five members cook the food themselves. Husband of Eshwariyamma helps them in cooking and carrying the utensils if its a big order. They hire vehicles to carry utensils to work site as they dont have their own vehicle. They take orders for both vegetarian (Traditional Kerala sadya) and nonvegitarian meals(Sadya plus fish/chicken curry as per request).They procure raw materials required for preparation of food and food will be charged per plate. The orders which they take includes Hindu wedding sadya, wedding engagements, housewarming ceremonies, shop inauguration, functions at panchayath office(including Keralotsavam and onam sadya), Kandaloor cooperative bank, government schools and also for Kudumbashrees meetings. Besides Kandalloor Panchayath they also accept orders from nearby places like Kayamkulam, Muthukulam, Pathiyoor, Eruva and Kariyilakulangara. The catering charge varies according to the type of order they get. A normal vegetarian sadya will cost between 100-120 rupees per person.Mrs Sarasamma is the elder most member and the leader of this group. Eshwariamma is the one who looks after accounting and other money matters. She also looks after the marketing part by trying to get more orders and also dealing with customers.Saraswathi is the lead cook and she takes decision regarding what all needed to cook and how. All these members completed a training course on food processing given by Extension Training Centre, Kottarakkara.There they were given training on food preparation, serving, effective management of raw materials, cleanliness and hygiene. They divide the total earnings equally among themselves. On an average each members earn between 2500-3000 after deducting the loan expenses and rent expenses.Life before and after AnnapurnaBefore they started Annapurna, all the members suffered financial problems. They all came from poor families and their husbands were the sole breadwinners of their families. So they had to run their families utilizing the income earned by their husbands and managing household expenses was always a big problem. They had to cut down their food expenses in order to meet the childrens education expenditure and other important expenditures. It was in the wake of this severe financial crunch, they started Annapurna and it transformed their life. Economically, they no longer depend on their husbands income to run their household. There is a sense of immense pride to them that they are able to educate their children. Their savings and consumption expenditure also increased.Annapurna also improved the leadership qualities among the members. Their family members also started giving them more respect. Their Self-confidence and self-reliance also increased. Now they interact more with bankers, Government officials and others and this has increased their confidence to do any office work. They are now transacting in banks. The social horizons of the members have also widened. They have made many friends and feel that now they are more popular and socially active.After working together as a group, the members have developed a sense of bonding among themselves and now they are living as a family. They can approach each other in case of any necessity. This is possible only because of AnnapurnaConclusionAnnapurna Catering unit is just one success story; there are large number of woman in Kerala now who has achieved similar level of success like Annapurna Catering Unit members. It is very heartening to know that these kind of poor illiterate women are spearheading a silent revolution in a land where women have been discriminated for generations.

Annexure 11: Reflection on Rural Action Component(RAC)Sushantha Kumar Das (35099)Rural action component is an interesting phenomenon which gave us an opportunity to work for our organisation i.e Kudumbashree. For RAC we were asked to made an report on the intervention carried out by Kudumbashree through different micro enterprises to improve the life of women households as well as to empower them as a whole. We were asked to work on an curry powder unit which was the part of major intervention carried out by Kudumbashree on micro enterprises.Gurukulam was a major curry powder unit operated in the Chingoli region of Alappuzha district in Kerala. Gurukulam was part of the Micro Enterprise (ME) intervention by Kudumbashree Usha Kumari one of the members of the Neighbourhood group (NHG), known as the Ayalkootam owned a mill. As one of the member of NHG, M/s Kumari was advised by the Community Development Societies (CDS) members of Kudumbashree to start producing curry powder in her own mill.Gurukulam started operating in the year 2009.M/s Kumari along with another 4 members of the Ayalkootam was responsible for the functioning of Gurukulam. Started with an initial fund of 1500Rs initially they started making Rice flour, chilli powder and turmeric.Started with a moderately low investment Gurukulam started producing products in a small scale where they have to hand pack the things they produced in plain covers to make it saleable in the local market.Part of Kudumbashrees initiative towards women empowerment which deals with Micro Enterprises and their Marketing, the members of Gurukulam were guided about various subsidy schemes offered by Kudumbashree for development in the same sector. The members were further guided through an Entrepreneurship Training Programme in which they were enlightened about the various schemes, team work, and coordination and about loan disbursement and repayment of the same. Conducted by the NRO for 2 days these programme gave the women an insight view of the functioning of these units.

Annexure 12: Reflection on Rural Action Component(RAC)Akhil G (P35008)Task To study a successful Micro Enterprise Intervention by Kudumbashree in Alappuzha district, Kerala.

Nutrimix: An ME intervention by Kudumashree

Kudumbashree has played a major role in uplifting the socio-economic status of women across Kerala. The Microenterprise interventions of Kudumbashree have helped women secure a job which in turn has provided them with a stable income and also a means to come out of poverty and stand on their feet. The case taken for the RAC study was one such ME intervention by Kudumbashree named Nutrimix in Aryad Panchayat of Alappuzha district. This particular enterprise activity makes baby food supplements for children of the age group of 6 months 3 years and is one among the 14 units that started their functioning in the district in the year 2006.The women in Aryad Panchayat were mostly unemployed and they involved themselves in household works. They neither had a chance nor guidance to look out for a job outside and their life got restricted to the four walls of their house. Thus most of the households in the Panchayat were dependent on the income earned by the men in the family and the women had a low social as well as economic status. The single source of income in a family was not sufficient enough for the daily needs of all its members. The families never had financial stability and the situation worsened in the case of alcoholism by men. The woman here thus understood the importance of a job and attributes her unemployment to the patriarchal society and the lack of awareness about the importance of education to girls in olden days. In this scenario it was Kudumbashrees Neighbourhood Help Groups (NHG) and Thozhil Samrambham that helped them equip themselves for a job and a sustainable livelihood. Kudumbashree identified the assured market provided by Nutrimix as a means of steady income for the less educated women and provided them the necessary help to start their unit. Ponnus Amrutham Food Supplement Unit, Aryad Panchayat, Alappuzha DistrictThe case discussed here is about the Nutrimix unit named Ponnus Amrutham Food Supplement Unit at Aryad Panchayat and it has evolved out from four different 5 member units which had started their functioning in the year 2005. The CDS chairperson at that time, Mrs. Ponamma Sasikumar played a key role in bringing up interested women for the enterprise activity and Mr. Sathya Prakash, ADMC, Alappuzha District on the other hand helped the co-ordinator of Thozhil Samrabham in the district mission to get in touch with the Social Welfare Department (SWD) for an assurance for orders for the units. The scheme of providing a building for women self-employment units in every Panchayat in Mararikulam mandalam by Dr. Thomas Issac, MLA Alappuzha Constituency had helped the clustered Nutrimix units to get a building for starting their enterprise activity in the year 2006. The Nutrimix clustered unit thus formed in the year 2006 at Aryad has changed the lives of women in the Panchayat in different aspects. The women now do have a say in the family matters as they bring in money for looking after the household needs. They have also become independent in catering their personal needs and have also gained confidence in themselves in dealing with the outside world matters.Business EnvironmentThe ICDS scheme of SWD is primarily aimed at early childhood development and the Supplementary Nutrition package in the scheme has one of its objectives as providing 3.375 kg of food supplement to a baby who is 6 months 3 years old and who is underweight. The SWD thus gives baby food supplement order to Nutrimix and the unit makes the product and supplies it to Anganwadi for free. The Nutrimix unit at Aryad supplies their product to a total of 153 Anganwadis across 4 sectors (a sector is a group of Anganwadis in a single Panchayat).

Sector/PanchayatNo: of Anganwadis

Aryad27

Mohamma27

Marrarikulam South51

Manancheri48

Total: 153

Table1: The sectors and their respective number of Anganwadis to which the Nutrimix unit at Aryad supplies their product.

The order from each Anganwadi depends on the fund allotted by SWD to an Anganwadi. The Anganwadi Supervisor in turn decides the number of children who needs to be given the baby supplement based on the fund provided. The Anganwadi Supervisors of a sector holds a sector meeting and finalises the net order that the sector needs to place in the Nutrimix Unit and the order is placed within the second week of a month. The unit delivers the order usually by 28th of that month. On an average the Nutrimix Unit at Aryad receives an order of 5000 kg a month and it increases to 6000 kg during March when the carry forwarded SWD fund from previous months gives more fund to Anganwadi Supervisors.The total number of members in the Nutrimix Unit now at Aryad is 16 with 4 members out for long leaves for various reasons. The current strength of 16 members itself is in excess as they need only 10 members for the current operation of making food supplements for an average order of 5000 kg per month. Hence the 16 members work in alternate days and a single working day is taken as 2 days together. Thus the members in effect works only for the half the period in a month and hence the unit has future plans for making other products for working in the other half of the month. The seller named Kin Establishment, Kayamkulam provides raw materials other than wheat flour to all the 14 units in Alappuzha district. Wheat flour is provided by FCI. The cover for packing is brought from Metricways, Thrissur District.

The Nutrimix unit delivers the product at Anganwadis and the payment for the same is given to them in the form of drafts by SWD. The average monthly salary received by a member in the Nutrimix Unit at Aryad is Rs. 4000. The auditing is done by Kudumbashree Auditing Society. The details of the Nutrimix Units functioning like daily attendance, raw materials purchases, orders placed and delivered and the cash related details are all maintained in registers at Aryad. A total of 27 registers is maintained in the unit and every member of the unit handles one or two registers.The quality check of the baby food produced used to be done every month under the direction of the District Consortium by sending a sample of the units product to an institute at Chennai by the Child Development Programme Officer (CDDO), an officer above the Anganwadi Supervisors. The consistency in making good quality baby food has now removed the need for a quality check. Apart from the quality check there is always regular supervision and monthly inspection of the unit by different departments like SWD, Health Dept, Legal Metrology, District Consortium and Anganwadi Supervisors.

Issues faced by the OrganizationThe major issues faced by the Nutrimix unit during the implementation of their ME activities at Aryad are as follows:1) High cost of raw materialsThe production cost has increased considerably with an increase in the price of the raw materials.

2) Delayed payment of delivered ordersTimely payment of the sales does not happen in all deliveries. In certain cases, SWD delays the payment for a particular Anganwadi or even a sector by a month and this in turn makes it difficult for the unit to purchase raw materials for the next order and also in repayment of loan. In such situations, the unit passes an OD from bank or the members sell their gold and maintain the functioning of the unit for the consequent orders. At the same time Kudumbashree also puts pressure on SWD to make the payment as soon as possible.

3) Transportation expense for small orders to neighbouring sectorsThe unit delivers the product to 4 sectors and when the order to a distant sector is in low quantity, the transportation expense for the same increases the overall cost and thereby reducing the profitability.

4) Limitation of making only a single productThe number of members in the unit is in excess for producing a monthly order of 5000 kg. Thus they work in alternate days and ultimately end up working only for half of the month.

5) Limitation of catering only a single marketThe women are not familiar with marketing products outside the Anganwadis.

Impacts of the InterventionThe major impacts of the ME activities of Nutrimix in the lives of women at Aryad are as follows:1) Income generatedThe women gained a steady source of income with the Nutrimix unit and they were getting money for their household needs, personal needs and also for their childrens education.

2) Change in lifestyleThe Nutrimix unit in a way became a tie up of 20 families within the Panchayat and the women now starting knowing about each and every happening in their Panchayat. They also started discussing about news and the happenings around the world and in this way increased their general knowledge. Thus each of their lives got evolved from a four wall restricted life to a much more open one now.

3) Opport