Girwa Block

Girwa Block is the second largest block in Seva Mandir’s area of operation, covering a total of 188,747 hectares spread across 5 zones. It is located in the center of the Udaipur district in the Aravali hills.

The population of Girwa Block is 740,863, of which 26% are tribal and slightly more than half the population lives in urban areas.

Agriculture, like much of the Udaipur district, is the primary source of income and most people draw their subsistence from rain-fed agriculture, but droughts are common, leading to temporary migration into neighbouring areas and the nearby state of Gujurat.

The large size of the block poses a major challenge to Seva Mandir’s and other organizations working  in this area.  The vast spread of the block has prevented many NGOs from working there, resulting in uneven development, resulting in stark contrasts between villages.

Although large disparities between male literacy (72.3%) and female literacy (53.3%) still exist, Girwa is the only block where Seva Mandir works in which the literacy rate compares to the national average (73% male; 48% female literacy, according to 2001 census).