The Green Revolution dramatically increased farm produce. But it also led to many problems. Fertile soil has lost its original texture, writes BABA MAYARAM
In his enthralling speech at the Red Fort on Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared, “Yeh desh kisaano ne banaya hai…” (This nation has been built by farmers). Hearing this statement, the farmers of Bundelkhand (Uttar Pradesh) felt their hopes soar, pleased that their efforts had finally been recognised, albeit in a roundabout manner. A sense of pride overwhelmed them; for, not only had they chosen to stay in the agri-business when everyone around them has, or is planning to, abandon farming due to numerous challenges, they had even gone on to ensure others found their way to make it a productive occupation as well.
Bundelkhand has been in news for farmer suicides for nearly a decade. In 2011, official figures had confirmed 519 suicides in a cluster of seven districts, the worst hit in the ravaged Bundelkhand region. Even if one were to go by official figures alone, in 2009, there were 568 suicides in the seven districts against 519 in just the first five months of 2011. In 2010, 583 suicides were recorded. Between 2001 and 2005, there were 1,275 cases of suicide (the period includes 2002 and 2004, two harsh drought years).
However, in the last two years, a silent revolution has been taking shape in Bundelkhand. With scarcity of water and drought compounded by the issue of climate change dominating the traditional agriculture practices, farmers, administration and media have come together to tackle the situation. They have started a campaign under which 200 new ponds have been constructed — a step that has showed immediate results on the green farms that had dried up earlier.
Recently, Kajli Mela was organised in Uttar Pradesh where hundreds of farmers from various villages came together to share experiences. Apna Talab Abhiyan Kisan Mahotsav was organised in collaboration with the Mahoba Sarkshan Evam Vikas Samiti, Municipal Council to honour the farmers. The event was attended by farmers who not only constructed ponds in their own fields but also motivated their fellow farmers to construct ponds as well. Farmers were awarded with ‘Jal Prahari’ honour during the programme.
This was happening in a region that has been facing such a severe scarcity of water that the Government was forced to declare it a ‘Dark Zone’, indicating an area where the outtake of water from the ground exceeds the water available underground. The consequences of continuous drought and famine had increased the woes of public as the water crisis was not only affecting the farms but also the daily requirement of water for households.
People started migrating from villages to cities in search of employment, leaving behind only the elderly and the frail. Youth preferred cities for their sustainability. News of farmers’ suicides gained intensity. livestock, another major component of traditional farming, had started dying in the absence of fodder and water. Villagers abandoned their cattle on the streets as they had no means to feed them. The cattle were left to die.
The blind usage of underground water through handpumps and submersible pumps has led to this grave situation. In the sixties, India had seen a dream of a prosperous country through the lens of the Green Revolution that, to some extent, became a reality. However, as a by-product, our farmers are today facing some severe hazards. Due to the unwarranted use of chemicals, the fertile soil has lost its original texture, causing an alarming increase in the toxicity of groundwater. Crops too have turned toxic. The cost of farming has become unaffordable with the drastic drop in productivity, as a result of which the cultivators are driven to suicide.
“With no solution in hand, we have no option but to look back , seeking answers in history. In ancient civilisations, people valued water. Bundelkhand had a prosperous tradition of pond culture. The Chandela and Bundela emperors built many pondsduring their reign. Besides fulfilling the daily water requirements, the ponds added to the beauty of the landscape.
They also served as a source of livelihood for many families. The neighboring States of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, still follow the tradition of pond culture. Charkhari in Mahoba alone has almost 18 ponds. It was in 2007, when the ponds started drying up, that people realised their importance and came together to conserve and maintain these water bodies”, said Brijpal, a farmer from Barbai village.