Assignment: DPR for S M Sehgal Foundation’s (SMSF) entry into Assam, — Balijana Block (Goalpara) and Chakchaka Block (Barpeta)
Visit Dates: 29 June – 4 July 2026 (Field Visit)
In May 2026, S M Sehgal Foundation (SMSF) engaged P-Green Solutions to prepare a Detailed Project Report for its entry into Assam, covering Balijana Block (Goalpara district) and Chakchaka Block (Barpeta district). Between 29 June and 4 July 2026, our team travelled to both districts to meet government counterparts and to visit Gram Panchayats and villages on the ground.
Government & Partner Consultations
The Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM), Mission Director’s office, advised working through the existing Self-Help Group / Village Organisation / Cluster Level Federation architecture rather than creating parallel village institutions. The PHED Secretary and district PHED office in Goalpara confirmed that Jal Jeevan Mission retrofitting remains largely incomplete and iron-removal plants are non-functional in both blocks, with no usable block-level water-quality (arsenic/fluoride/iron) data available; PHED and ASRLM proposed a non-financial MoU with SMSF to complement, not duplicate, government schemes and projects. A meeting with the Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood (CML), Guwahati — a Tata Trusts initiative — explored its role as local implementation partner for primary data collection.
Block & Village Visits
In Balijana (Goalpara), we visited Bordhapur and Meselkhowa Gram Panchayats — a predominantly tribal block reliant on Jhum cultivation and an emerging rubber value chain, with acute basic water scarcity. In Chakchaka (Barpeta), we visited Suliakata Gram Panchayat including village Dotora — a block with a stronger allied-livelihoods base (vegetables, dairy, fisheries) and more developed SHG presence, but equally acute drinking-water problems.
Key Takeaways & Way Forward
- Water infrastructure gaps are government-acknowledged: incomplete JJM retrofitting, non-functional iron-removal plants, and no reliable block-level water-quality data in either block.
- Balijana and Chakchaka differ sharply — tribal/Jhum-based water scarcity vs. a stronger livelihoods base with acute drinking-water needs and a more mature institutional landscape.
- ASRLM and PHED both favour convergence over duplication — building on existing SHG/VO/CLO structures and government schemes.
These findings are shaping the DPR’s block profiles, problem statement, and proposed interventions now under preparation, with the next phase extending primary data collection to close remaining village-level gaps.
