Where we work

Nokha is  a small mandi town,Tehsil Headquarter, in the midst of the Great Indian Thar Desert situated on N.H.89, 65 km south of the Bikaner district headquarters. Which include over 145 revenue villages having a population of more then  3.74 lakhs in rural and around 0.62 lakh in urban area.  Most of the demography, about 70%, is spread and scattered over the surrounding villages in settlements called dhanies.

Nokha

Nokha is a small mandi town,Tehsil Headquarter in the midst of the Great Indian Thar Desert, situated on N.H.  89 and 65 km south of the Bikaner district headquarters. Which include over 145 revenue villages having a population of more than 3.74 lakhs in rural and 0.62 lakh in urban. Most of the demography about 70%, is spread and scattered over the surrounding villages in settlements called dhanies.
The population density is as very low as 65 people per sq. km. The region faces harsh climatic conditions extremely hot in summers and very cold in winters. Water table is below up to 500 fit. Nokha west area facing drinking water problem. Mostly people depend on rain water and here people are facing alternate every year’s drought conditions

Demography

Nokha town and the surrounding villages under its Administrative Jurisdiction are home to diverse communities. The majority are Hindus. Muslims are very few families and living only in the town. Among the Hindus there are different caste denominations namely, Jats, Bishnois, Rajputs, Charans, Brahmins,  Banias, Suthars, Kumhars, Sonars, Nais, Darjees and Luhars etc.The other section of Hindu sub-castes called scheduled castes (SC) are also significant (About 28%).These include Meghwals, Nayaks, Sansis and valmikies. The Jats,Bishnois and other OBC cast who are also included in the OBC status, comprise the largest caste in terms of population (about 52%). The remaining 19-20% comprise,what is called here, the `upper castes`. These include Brahmins and Rajputs. Caste plays an influential role in the political, economic and social arenas with instances of discrimination on the basis of caste quite common. Yet the Schedule Castes are the most underprivileged sections of Nokha rural area.

Profile of Western Rajasthan and Basic problematic issues

• Part of the Great Indian Thar Desert.
• Extreme temperatures (Sub-zero during winters 0 to 50 degree centigrade in summers).
• Annual average rain fall: 10 cm – 40 cm.
• 30% to 40% area covered by sand dunes.
• 60% to 70% plain arid agricultural area.
• Ground water resources: 1% of National resources.
• Water table depth: 400 – 500 feet average and more than 40 % village facing safe drinking water problem.
• 70% of population lives in villages  scattered in their fields.
• Low Population density (60-65 people per Km2).
• Scattered small habitations and hamlets called Dhanies.
• Seasonal settlement patterns.
• Literacy rate: 60-65%.
• In this area basic problematic issues are  lack of primary Health Care, Education (Mainly girls education felicities),Drinking water, lack of knowledge about government development scheme and distances from town to villages etc. 

Economy

The major contributors of the economy of this region are as under:

• Majority of marginalized farmers, 35% living below poverty line (BPL).

• Major crops: Mainly rain-fed, like moth, bajra, tilhen and guwar.

• Only 4-5% of the farmers, who have got  tube wells in their fields, able to grow two crops a year.

• Daily wage (unskilled) labourers form a major section of the economy, most of them working in nearby factories and in brick kilns. Large No. of youths migrate to other states for employment.

• People are also largely dependent on government employment schemes like NREGA.

• The other major occupation is livestock rearing which includes camel, cow, buffalo, sheep and goat.

• Some youths are also working their on work like tractor driver, truck driver, own shop,painter, electrician, building mason and other job for local level like barbers and sewing job also.