While we have farmers in many parts of India agitating for loan waivers, here are 2 articles of genuine groups-one transformed barren land into a productive field and the other transformed a dry, barren hill into a verdant forest teeming with wildlife.
The money available with any government is the tax payers' money. Unless this money is used carefully without wasting and loss due to corruption, it is obvious that the nation as a whole will suffer.
How a Bunch of Farmers from Punjab Transformed a Drought-Prone Village in Tamil Nadu
Source-Sanchari Pal The Better India |http://www.thebetterindia.com/92399/mini-punjab-akal-farm-vallandhai-ramnad-tamil-nadu/
Ramanathapuram, also called Ramnad, is one of the driest districts in southern Tamil Nadu. Nestled in the dusty, sun-baked interiors of this district is a lush green patch of land replete with orchards of mangoes, guavas, gooseberries and watermelons. But this wasn’t always the case.
How a Bunch of Farmers from Punjab Transformed a Drought-Prone Village in Tamil Nadu
Source-Sanchari Pal The Better India |http://www.thebetterindia.com/92399/mini-punjab-akal-farm-vallandhai-ramnad-tamil-nadu/
Ramanathapuram, also called Ramnad, is one of the driest districts in southern Tamil Nadu. Nestled in the dusty, sun-baked interiors of this district is a lush green patch of land replete with orchards of mangoes, guavas, gooseberries and watermelons. But this wasn’t always the case.
Till about a decade ago, the land here was arid, rocky and covered with kaattu karuvelam (a thorny bush). The transformation from barren land into a productive field is a result of the tireless efforts of a group of hard working farmers from Punjab who migrated here about 10 years ago.
For the next three years, Darshan and Manmohan travelled everyday to the fledgling farm (named Akal), clearing the rocks from the land, digging borewells, installing sprinklers drip irrigation and preparing the soil for plantation.
The hard-working duo also learnt as much as they could about the weather of the region before carefully selecting their crops.
Back home, cultivable land was in short supply and the duo wanted to provide a better life for their families. Despite being told by the locals that the area was prone to long dry spells, Darshan and Manmohan decided to take on the challenge of breathing life into the parched land.
The friends pooled in money and jointly bought 300 acres of land as the local farmers, sceptical about the fertility of the land, sold them at throwaway prices. Their next step was renting a small house in nearby Virudhunagar.
For the next three years, Darshan and Manmohan travelled everyday to the fledgling farm (named Akal), clearing the rocks from the land, digging borewells, installing sprinklers drip irrigation and preparing the soil for plantation.
The hard-working duo also learnt as much as they could about the weather of the region before carefully selecting their crops.
Darshan and Manmohan planted mango trees on 80 acres, amla and guava trees on 40 acres, papaya and coconut trees on 10 acres and a mix of cashew nuts, dates and almonds on five acres. Additionally, they also planted an assortment of vegetables and fruits, like carrots, cucumber, pumpkin, custard apple, chikoo and watermelon, in an inter-cropping pattern.
The friendly farmers also built warm relationships with the locals, devoting much of their free time to learn Tamil from them. From lending their tractors to imparting tips about the latest farming techniques, they were quick to lend a helping hand to others in the village. The farmers also participated wholeheartedly in the local festivals and functions and slowly, the villagers started doing the same.
“As farmers, we are bound by nature and greenery and it does not matter where we belong to, where we stay and where we work. Our camaraderie is beyond food, language and boundaries now,” say the farmers, adding that they feel at home in Vallandhai.
“As farmers, we are bound by nature and greenery and it does not matter where we belong to, where we stay and where we work. Our camaraderie is beyond food, language and boundaries now,” say the farmers, adding that they feel at home in Vallandhai.
The group’s hard work, patience and spirit of enterprise finally started yielding results with the farm breaking even in 2015. Today, the farm is earning a good income with most of the kitchen needs of the families being met by their own kitchen gardens.
The farm’s ‘Lucknow 49’ variety of guava and prized ‘Imam Pasand’ mangoes are famed in the regional markets for the size and taste.
The Punjabi farmers plan to increase organic horticultural cultivation on the Akal farm and have roped in experts (from the regional agricultural university) to help them do the same. They also plan to introduce dairy farming and millet cultivation.
A Group of Youngsters in Manipur Worked 10 years to Transform Barren Land Into a Lush Forest
In recent years, there have been instances of people coming together for a common cause but such action is usually initiated by NGOs or catalysed by government schemes. Punshilok in Langol Hill Range, 6 km from Manipur’s capital Imphal, is a notable exception.
In a little over a decade, Punshilok has transformed from a dry, barren hill into a verdant forest teeming with wildlife. And this has happened due to the tireless efforts of a group of youngsters that was determined to restore the ecological balance that originally existed in the region.
In 2003, Moirangthem Loiya Ngamba was scouting for land to create a green space for the local communities. A passionate nature lover, he had recently founded his NGO, Wildlife and Habitat Protection Society (WAHPS), to conserve the rich natural wealth of the region.
It was during this time that a farmer from the foothills of Langol Range suggested a visit to a nearby hill, Punshilok. With a name that literally means ‘Spring of Life,’ this hill had once been an important forest during the reign of King Luwang Ningthou Punshiba, a ruler from whom many Manipuris trace their descent. However, years of deforestation, forest fires and indiscriminate utilisation of forest resources by villagers had rendered it barren
When Moirangthem came upon Punshilok it was straggly, rock-strewn patch of land with nothing growing on it except for some wild weeds. The gurgling stream flowing through it had plenty of water but was used mainly by herds of cattle and sheep, not humans. But somehow, he knew that this was the land he had been looking for.
With the help of a few friends, Moirangthem started by clearing the area of weeds. Next, they cleaned and de-silted the stream, making it a good source of drinking water for the people of the valley. This was followed by a major afforestation drive, with young boys and girls working relentlessly towards greening Punshilok.
To ensure that the saplings were carefully nurtured and protected, Moirangthem decided to make Punshilok his home. He built a small hut for himself and lived on the hill, all alone, for the next six years. Under his careful attention, lush green vegetation spread over the land, breathing life into it.
When wild animals started returning to the forest, Moirangthem hired caretakers to prevent hunting, poaching and deforestation. In order to protect Punshilok from wildfires, every November, he and his friends from WAHPS would camp on the hill and make fire lines (gaps in vegetation that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a wildfire) in the forest.
Today, Punshilok is a thriving forest that is a home to several species of wild animals such as pangolins, barking deer, porcupine and several species of birds. There are over 200 species of plants, including orchids, herbs and medicinal varieties, and over 20 species of bamboo growing in the forest. An important source of minor forest produce for the locals, the forest has also improved the micro-climate and augmented the water table of the surrounding area.
Over the years, WAHPS has grown by leaps and bounds under Moirangthem’s guidance to establish itself as an important nature conservation organisation. From tree planting drives to animal rescues, it has organised many environment-related activities with local participation. The NGO has also built a few eco-friendly shelters, where visitors and volunteers can stay or rest after toiling in the forest, and a small kitchen (run by the caretaker) at Punshilok.
“Awareness is the key. Many people in Manipur are poor and in order to survive, they are forced to exploit the environment. This can change only when we impress upon them that by causing damage to the environment, they are only reinforcing their poverty, not removing it,” concludes the hard-working man who has made a barren hill green again.
Source-http://www.thebetterindia.com/89522/manipur-punshilok-moirangthem-loiya-ngamba-wildlife-habitat-protection-society/
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