Sustainable Rural Livelihood Security in the Backward Districts of Maharashtra

The paper covers the BAIF led National Agricultural Innovations Project is an initiative by ICAR and supported by the World Bank. (NAIP) (Component 3- NAIP has four component with component 3 on livelihood security) subproject which commenced in 2007 in 76 villages of five backward districts of Maharashtra India with the objective of developing a holistic solution for promoting sustainable livelihoods. Agriculture was the mainstay of livelihood in these areas; however usage of traditional methods, lack of proper irrigation facilities etc led to lower yields causing a 'forced' migration to the nearby urban centers. The sustainability approach involved integrated cluster development comprising of interventions that focused on: improved agriculture methods, livestock development, water resource development and forest based initiatives. This partnership between GO-NGO-people's organizations has positively impacted over 12,000 families in addressing their livelihood needs.