The three villages in which the present project is taking place, Melathur, Erumaiyur and Naduveerapattu, are located southwest of Chennai. They are located at the forest limit. Previously covered by forest, the land has been privatized and converted into cultivable land. More than 60% of the target population are Scheduled Castes, i.e., mostly Dalits, Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes designated as “Backward” by the Indian government.