pra group 1 report(ANKHI VILLAGE)

Under the Guidance of : Attapy Seva Foundation

 GROUP MEMBERS
ROLL NUMBER NAME
P45053 Swati Kumari
P45055 Tejasvini Sharma
P45097 Pinky R
P45120 Tanya Adil Mogrelia
P45174 Samriddha Chatterjee
P45236 Sattwika Bharatee
P45245 Swathi S
P45293 Priti Lalchand Mishra
P45004 Adrish Roy
P45039 Rohan T C
P45052 Sushobhit Kumar
P45020 Harish H
P45073 Ankush Deb Barman
P45100 Raghav Kumar
P45102 Rishabh Kumar
P45129 Adhith Murali
P45157 Manish Kumar Singh
P45160 Midhunprasad M
P45167 Rahul Kumar
P45172 Saket Laxman Shende
P45207 Divyansh Kumar
P45227 Ranjith Kumar S
P45249 Varun R
P45297 Sagili Ajithkumar
P45264 Deepjyoti Talukdar
 Introduction
We carried out our PRA activities in Ankhi village, which lies in the Vadodara district of
Gujarat. It is situated 151 km away from the state capital Gandhinagar and 17 km away from
the district headquarters. Ankhi village has a total population of 1179 out of which 605 are
makes and 574 are females. Literacy rate of the village is 73.11% out of which 78.68% males
and 67.25% of females are literate. The total geographic area of the village is 376.93
hectares. There are about 243 houses in the village. Almost 50% of the villagers migrated to
Vadodara and other areas to get better education and employment opportunities. The village
has one anganwadi, one middle school and one high school. The village is predominantly
Patel, comprising 40% of the population, with SCs, STs, and OBCs residing on the outskirts,
although everyone unites during festivals. Farming is the main occupation, supplemented by
work in nearby glass factories, chemical, and tile manufacturing. The village leadership,
including the sarpanch, often promotes technical education and job opportunities for their
close acquaintances. While water, gas, and drainage systems are well-organized, some civic
rules like penalties for flowing water on the streets are not strictly enforced. Social cohesion
is evident during festivals like Diwali, where the community shares meals across households.
There is also a Gandhi's Ashram in the village which reminds the two days he spent in the
village during the Dandi march.

Historical Timeline

As per the data given by the eldest person in the village, who had been the Sarpanch of Ankhi
village previously in 1980, Mr Manibhai , the historical timeline can be drawn out as-

1. 1930: Gandhi’s Route to Dandi

- Ankhi village was a part of the historical Salt March led by Mahatma Gandhi,
symbolizing its role in India's freedom struggle.

2. 1935: Railways

- The introduction of railways marked the beginning of improved connectivity for Ankhi,
linking it to larger cities and towns.

3. 1974: Major Drought & School

- A significant drought affected the region. Despite this, the village focused on education by
establishing schools, showing resilience and foresight in development.

4. 1975: Installation of Water Taps

- Access to water was improved through the introduction of taps, a crucial development
following the drought.
 5. 1995: Modern Infrastructure Developments

- This year saw the construction of toilets, pucca (permanent) roads, and the use of tractors
for agriculture, marking the beginning of modern infrastructural progress in the village.

6. 1999: Irrigation

- A new irrigation system was implemented, supporting agricultural development and

productivity in the region.

7. 2007: Economic and Technological Advances

- With the establishment of Bharuch Cooperative, the village gained access to mobile
phones and canal systems, further enhancing communication and agricultural efficiency.

8. 2014: Public Health and Housing

- The village witnessed the development of Primary Health Centers (PHCs), pucca houses,
and drainage systems, improving public health, hygiene, and living conditions.

9. 2018: APMCs (Agricultural Produce Market Committees)

- The establishment of APMCs allowed farmers to have better access to markets, increasing
the profitability and organization of agricultural trade.

10. 2021: Digital Infrastructure

- The introduction of digital infrastructure connected the village to the internet, providing
access to global knowledge, services, and opportunities.

11. 2022: Increase in Car Ownership

- Over 80% of families in Ankhi now own cars, signifying a rise in wealth and standard of
living.

12. 2024: E-Commerce Adoption

- The village has embraced e-commerce, marking a shift towards modern retail and
business practices.
 Transect Walk
 Introduction
A transect walk is an exercise in which the members of a group carrying out the Participatory
Rural Appraisal take on a walk through the village to transect the village; to understand the
 Geographical what bouts, the resources around it, the institutions present in the village, etc.
The main objective of this exercise is to understand the socio-economic and geographical
aspects of the village.

 Objectives
· To get a better understanding of the geography and topography of the village.

· To know about the various institutions, present in the village.

· To identify various problems faced by the villagers.

 Process:
On 30th September we reached a small village in Bharuch, Ankhi. 2 Group of 12 members
each were formed to perform transect walk and to get general idea of village surrounding.

 Group 1
We visited key infrastructure points in village using O route strategy.

· Post office: Around 1300 accounts with average bank balance of Rs20000, villagers get all
the government scheme information from post office.

· Cooperative bank and dairy: Bank available for nearby village for day to day transactions.
Dairy is operated by Doodh Dhara cooperatives and collects 20000 L daily

· Sarpanch house: Proper pakka makan and a common point where villagers meet and share
their issues.

· Mandir: Common point where villagers celebrate all their festivals including Ganesh
Chaturthi, Navratri, Garba playing and holi.

· ATM: village has atm at starting of village which was in working condition.

 Group 2
During the walk through the village, we observed a robust experience of community wherein
traditions and modern life blend. The Patel community makes up about 40% of the village,
even as others like SCs, STs Stay at the outskirts. Other communities in the village are
Muslims, Rathores, Bariyas, and Devi Putras stay at the outskirts. Farming is the main
occupation, however many additionally people of the village are involved in factories that
produce glass, chemical substances, and tiles.

Rajput ladies follow conventional customs and are only allowed to put on sarees. Self-help
group at the same time as mandalis (community gatherings) have stopped as people no longer
attend them. Loans are usually taken via the publish office or with the aid of promoting land,
although casual lending is still commonplace. Milk collection takes location twice an
afternoon, with four litres accrued from each household in each the morning and evening.
The village has ancient importance, as Gandhiji stayed right here for 2 days for the duration
of the Dandi March. A structure become built as a resting place in his honour, and the thread
ceremony is likewise performed there. A new primary school is under construction. The kids
from all communities, which includes backward instructions, are making ready for Gandhi
Jayanti celebrations also we witnessed 500 year old houses showing historical linkage.

 Pre-Lunch Activities:
Both group met at common point primary school (village school), where school girls
welcomed us with their traditional dance and songs. School had classes from 1st to 8th class
having facilities of drinking water, toilet and mid-day meal scheme. School had photos
depicting the place where Gandhi ji stayed during his dandi march for 2 days in 1930.

 Post-Lunch Activities:
After lunch break, we visited a local tabela (cattle shed) which had cows, buffalos and a
horse. Tabela has solar panel facilities. Post table we visited to village water tank fulfilling
village water requirements. The visit to the water tank was followed by a tour of a nearby
organic farming plot, dragon fruit farming was the attraction point. The land owner was
practising watershed management.

 End of Day:
At last we stopped at community temple of lord shiva, its a place where old age women
gather in every evening and show their devotion to lord shiva by singing religious songs. The
transect walk provided us with valuable insights of village culture and infrastructure which
helped us to understand its social and economic dynamics.

SOCIAL MAP

 About
Social mapping is a PRA Tool for showing the relative location and type of households and
the distribution of different people, organizations, institutions, resources -availability and
accessibility. It shows important, community-owned resources such as schools, health
centres, roads, water sources, markets, and religious centres. It can be used to demonstrate
who has access to resources like land, water or social services and who might be
marginalized. It is Created by the village community members that reflects their unique
perspective and understanding of their environment.

 Procedure
The social map was drawn by the villagers, with our support. We discussed with them about
our objective and importance of social map. We asked them their help and clarifications
whenever we needed during the map creation. All villagers collaboratively guided, discussed
and illustrated in convenient way to draw it. Maximum village representation was involved in
this process. Very elders, Middle aged people and youth of the village together gave their
inputs. Women were also participated in this activity. Their ideas and suggestions were heard,
discussed and used in this activity. After making a rough draft of map, we finalized it and
replicated it into a chart paper with proper illustrations, demarcations and the legend. We
demonstrated and discussed the map with villagers and shared the idea with each other.

 Interpretation
The central part of village was occupied by the Patels which were considered as Upper Caste.
The Rajput’s settled adjacent to the Patels community followed by SC & Muslims forming
the outskirts of village area. Almost all the Houses were Pakka Houses, However the Patels
and Rajput’s owned well maintained houses whereas SCs & Muslims had outdated and
archaic houses. The entrance of the village was occupied by Sindhis who were responsible
for Protection of the farmland of village. Each community has their own tubewells for the
supply of water, there are no wells in the village. There is on water tank in outskirts of village
which supplies water to those residing outside the boundary of village. The main source of
livelihood is Agriculture in the farmland surrounding the village. The main produce consists
of cotton, Tuar Dal and wheat. There was one primary healthcare centre in the village and
one veterinary hospital. The village has two school (Secondary & Higher Secondary), 5
temples (two main temples and one temple of each community), 1 mosque, 1 post office.
There is a dairy cooperative society which operates along with cooperative Bank under the
name of “Bharuch Cooperative Bank”. There is one community hall “Patelwadi” owned by
Patels. There is one ATM at centre of the village. The village also has 7-8 small stores which
consists of provision store, mobile store, Tailor shop etc. Village has two Anganwadi centres
and there are zero cases of malnutrition in the village.
SOCIAL MAP
 Daily Activities

The people residing in Ankhi village are mostly enaged in agriculture, livestock and
service jobs in the nearby industries in Jambusar for their earning and main source
of livelihood. As we delve into the heart of the village, we would observe their daily
activities which they undergo and the challenges they face on a daily basis. The
following table shows the timely schedule of the activities performed by women and
men of the Ankhi Village.
Summary:

Ankhi village has undergone a tremendous transformation over the past century,
from its involvement in the Salt March to its current embrace of digital infrastructure
and e-commerce. The daily life of its residents reflects traditional agrarian roots, with
significant gender roles in managing the household and farm activities. Women have
a more domestic and labor-intensive schedule, balancing household duties with
farm-related work, while men’s focus is predominantly on agricultural labor and
socializing.

Seasonal Chart

Introduction:

A seasonal calendar is a graphical representation that accounts for the seasonal

distribution of economic activity, resources, production activities, issues,
disease/illness, natural phenomena, and other events over time. The seasonal
calendar is one of the most important PRA tools as it enables the researchers to
have information about the resources' allocation in the year. It will also provide
information on utilization of each resource in the village. This interactive method of
data collection brings out seasonal trends and fluctuations that a non-native would
have missed. Goals:

1. To gather information on the cropping patterns of crops in the village and

identify how long crops are planted, grown, and harvested.

2. Exploration of various social and cultural aspects such as marriage timing,

employment trends, and migration pattern among the people.

3. For the discussion of adaptation strategies and adaptation measures in the

village.

4. Establish how a proposed intervention would yield the potential mitigation of

seasonal risks and vulnerabilities among different families or groups within the
community.

5. Provide insights into the financial dynamics of village families; patterns of

income, expense, and loan use.

Procedure:

It was a very simple procedure to come up with a seasonal calendar. We kept

discussions with elderly villagers who are said to be acutely aware of the patterns of
the seasons in the village. Questions to them were constructed to be direct and
gentle and smooth out their flow while sharing information and experiences.
Old people readily joined the discussions and provided useful insight into such
activities that are performed in a year and outcomes of that. Enthusiastic response
from people enable us to develop a holistic seasonal calendar. This approach was
helpful not only for developing an accurate and informative chart but also created a
sense of community involvement in recording seasonal cycles.

Interpretation: Here are the findings from the seasonal calendar:

 Crop Production: Cotton production in Ankhi is at its peak during July to

November in monsoon season while Tur cultivation is at the peak during July to
September and sowing of wheat begins from December till March. Arandi which
was widely cropped varies between August to April.

 Rainfall Pattern: It is quite mild in June and remains constant through July,
August, and September. Starting from October, rainfall continues to lessen
progressively. Hence November is absolutely dry and only there it is patchy
performance in December, January and February.

 Income and Expenditure: Generally, the people in the village have average and
relatively steady income throughout the year. Income is boosted a little with the
increasing incidence of harvesting Arandi by the villagers in April, and also when
Tur harvests in September cause a moderate increase in income. The
expenditure incurred by the people in the village is relatively low but noticeable in
January June, and December due to fertilization and pesticides for wheat and
Arandi plants.

 Temperature Trends: There is an obvious seasonal fluctuation in the

temperatures recorded in Ankhi. The period from February to June is warm.
Therefore, there is appropriate warming of the environment to facilitate crop
cultivation. However, July, August, September, and October are relatively cold.
November and December are the coolest months.

 Agricultural Financial Activities: In this period, most farmers seek loans in

July, which is the peak month where one prepares fields and plants crops.

 Milk Production: Milk production peaks in August, September, and October. It

slows down during October to December and follows a declining trend from
January to May.

 Irrigation: The irrigation is relatively consistent throughout the year with a minor
drop in May, June.

 Migration Trends: Migration occurs mostly during the months of March and April
due to the poor employment opportunities available in the fields during these
months.

 Marriage Season: People like to celebrate marriages during January, February

and December. The season falling within the lucrative period of the year,
excellent time for marriages.
 Employment: It seems that employment has been steady through most months
of the calendar except in May and June that experience a slight lull. These results
prove useful regarding seasonal trends prevalent in Ankhi.

Resource Map
A resource map is one of the most common participatory tools used in the PRA to record the
available natural resources in a location. It differs from a social map in that it highlights
habitation, community facilities, and infrastructure like roads and temples. In contrast, a
resource map incorporates aspects of land, hills, rivers, fields, and vegetation. At times, the
two types of maps merge, and the line gets blurred, demarcating the difference between the
two. This resource map is scaled, but the actual one, by local people who know much about
their environments, is very accurate in perception but not necessarily in measurement. A
resource map will normally be created to analyze how a community perceives its natural
resources; this will provide knowledge on what resources are valued and used. It is less of a
real geographic map and more of gathering useful information about how the community
perceives its environment. As such, resource maps reveal a great perspective on how people
relate to and manage the natural resources around them.
Objectives of Resource Mapping:
1. Identification

Resource mapping does several practical works. It first aids in determining and
evaluating various types of available resources for a given region. These resources
may include human assets like population density and skill levels, natural resources
ranging from water bodies, forests, minerals, and biodiversity. The determination of
these is significant to understand the ecological and economic wealth of the area.
Infrastructures like roads, electric power grids, and communication networks can be
mapped to gauge connectivity and developmental frameworks for human and natural
resources.

2. Characterization

Characterization follows from resource identification and describes the detailed

information needed to evaluate several characteristics of resources. In some
determinations, like whether the quantity available exists, the respective answers are
the grade and condition upon which the usability of the resource depends. All of these
relate to the quality of the resources. Determining the sustainability of the resource
involves determining whether or not the resource can be used without increasing the
rate of its depletion or degradation. This multi-factor analysis makes possible long-
range decisions about resource management.

3. Optimization

Resource mapping maximizes the use of resources by focusing on a limited number of

key features. Allocation is determining how best resources can be allocated to achieve
maximum efficiency in the use of resources consumed. Waste reduction is realized
through the identification of areas where resources are being wasted and putting into
place measures of reduction. It also relates to sustainability since the focus is on using
available resources in a manner that ensures their availability in the future as well.
With such mapping of resources, there will be the efficient and long-term
management of resources.

4. Sustainability

Observe key practices such as monitoring and conservation for improved sustainable
usage of resources. Monitoring means tracking the rate of depletion of resources to
ensure that their use is at sustainable levels. Conservation is narrowly focused on
tracking areas where the resources require protection or thoughtful management to
avoid overdrawing resources or any form of environmental damage. Accordingly, all
these efforts in entirety support responsible resource utilization, hence their
availability for generations to come.

5. Decision-Making

Resource maps offer the information needed to enable all these processes of decision-
making. They enable corporations, organizations, and governments to know how to
 use and control available resources effectively. The other important point about
resource maps is their importance in policy formulation since they contain
information that is useful in coming up with policies aimed at helping positively
improve how resources are used sustainably and efficiently in the long run.

6. Risk Assessment

Resource mapping has been deemed important in determining the risks associated
with the use of resources. It indicates the vulnerable areas exposed to natural hazards,
thus giving basic information concerning the environmental hazards likely to occur
within that area. Simultaneously, it identifies a probable resource conflict by pointing
out potential places where resource access is likely to be disputed. Besides, resource
mapping facilitates the anticipation of supply chain disruption so that provisions can
be made and potential risks mitigated toward ready availability.

7. Environmental Protection

Probably, it's one of the important goals of resource mapping because it attempts to
preserve the environment by identifying ecologically sensitive areas like habitats,
biodiversity hotspots, and conservation areas. This information will be compiled into
focused conservation measures that safeguard resources and ecosystems. This way, by
setting an order for preserving vital areas, resource mapping contributes to the overall
sustainability and fitness of the environment.

8. Infrastructure Development

Resource mapping is a critical process toward identifying areas with inadequate

infrastructure and as a guide toward efforts in development. Identifying gaps by
pointing out areas lacking utilities, roads, or essential services is inalienable.
Therefore, the information will be crucial to help prioritize investments in
appropriately allocating resources toward improving infrastructures in the most
needed areas, leading to balanced and efficient development.

9. Resource Equity

Since it shows unevenness and inequality of resource utilization in one region against
the other, resource mapping can guarantee equal and fair allocation of resources in
different regions or communities. This information is essential for social and
economic equality since it issues particular strategies meant to bring balance in the
modes of distribution and improve the fairness aspect. Therefore, by addressing
inequalities, resource mapping contributes to efforts towards a more fair and equitable
allocation of resources.

10. Community Engagement

Resource mapping actively involves the local community, thus allowing for the inclusion of
local knowledge through views from locals who have close familiarity with the resources in
the area. This further encourages participation: community involvement in decision-making
for policies on management strategies can better instill a sense of ownership and personal
responsibility in such sustainable use and preservation of resources in the area.
11. Disaster Management

Resource mapping becomes significant while planning for a natural disaster because it could
pinpoint areas under flood, landslide, or drought risks and thus help to plan better and
mitigate the risks of disasters. It also helps in post-disaster recovery by aiding the recovery
efforts and resource allocation in the affected regions.

12. Climate Change Adaptation

Resource mapping allows adaptation to climate change in the community by identifying

vulnerable ecosystems, such as those most prone to risks from rising sea levels,
desertification, or even changes in weather patterns. Resource mapping assists in planning for
climate resilience by developing strategies on how natural resources can be protected and
preserved sustainably in the long term regarding a changing climate. This, in turn, helps
communities withstand and adapt well to environmental changes.

In summary, resource mapping serves multiple objectives such as identification and

characterization of the resources, optimization of their use to sustain the progress made,
support in decision-making and environmental protection together with equity in their
resources.

Village Resource Map of Ankhi

Interpretation of the Resource map:

This land area has varying landscapes with uplands and lowlands. Black, fertile soil has
dominated the area for cotton and wheat cultivation, and there are also other crops like Tur
and Arandin. The village, in addition, has begun doing organic farming on a part of its land
area.

Slowly, the village embraces renewable energy: some homes now use solar energy, and an
under-construction school will use the same technology. A landmark in the village is a tower
that’s been constructed.

Water is life; in the village context, its resources are one of its lifelines. There’s a pond near
the school, which is the village's major water source. Tubewells mainly provide drinking
water; supplemented with a common water tank in the village, there is a rainwater harvesting
structure designed to sustain water resources in the community.

The road passes through the locality and, therefore, provides transportation as well as access
connectivity to the village. The river flows through the outskirts of the village near the
boundary. Scenic and dense forests further exist beyond the agricultural fields that teem with
several varieties of trees, adding further diversity to this natural area of the village.

Acknowledgement
We are extemely thankful to the Prof. Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan and the VFS office for their
constant support and encouragement throughout the two days of the PRA activity. We also
express our gratitude to the people of Ankhi for their warm welcome, accomodation and co-
operation for the PRA activity. We would also like to thank our host organisation Attapi Seva
Foundation and our co-ordinator Miss Pranshu for bridging the gap between the villagers and
the students, facilitating us in the PRA activities.

Conclusion
Our 2-day participatory rural appraisal conducted in Ankhi village of Gujarat was engaging
and transformative. While working with a 25-member team, we were able to immerse
ourselves in understanding the socio-economic conditions of the village through several PRA
tools. We could use the tools of PRA that we learned in the classroom within a live hands-on
platform. Techniques such as social mapping, resource mapping, wealth ranking, and transect
walks were indeed used in engaging with the villagers to understand better their local
resources, socio-economic structures, and key developmental needs.

The PRA activity has helped us to understand rural dynamics, develop communication and
community engagement skills, and foster a sense of empathy toward the hardships and
challenges of rural life. Overall, this PRA activity in Ankhi widened the horizons of
knowledge and at the same time, instilled a sense of confidence to foster and apply
community-centered approaches toward driving practical solutions that address real needs
with a long-term impact on society.