Plants are like us too

Plants do respond to stimuli. Try talking to them

I have always been intrigued by the possibility of plants responding to humans. Once in a while, I have played music for them—the music flowing from my mobile phone.  A baul song, a Mehidi Hasan ghazal, a Brian Silas piano piece or Bade Glulam Ali’s Ka karoon sajni. I have spoken to them about their well-being and even asked them to flower soon.

But I have not persevered enough to know whether they respond.

I’m told they do, going by the experiences of Ganesh Babu which I share here.

Embelia ribes is an aggressive woody climber, it was known to produce small white flowers in bunches. When brought in the campus of the Bengaluru-based Foundation for the Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) and planted there were high expectations that it would be a notable performer.

Brought from Kerala the plant showed no sign of activity.  It lay dormant and didn’t bother to bestir itself even a little.

By the way, FRLHT’s nursery is famous for preserving and showcasing 1,500 rare medicinal plants that it has transferred from the wild. But, far from responding to its natural surroundings and inspirational neighbours, the Embelia ribes sulked in silence and didn’t seem at all impressed.

This is when Ganesh Babu, a gifted botanist at FRLHT, tried talking to the plant, persuading it to wake up and grow. And suddenly one day a leaf appeared. Ganesh was overjoyed. He had sensed that the plant was seeking attention. The single leaf, as he saw it, was a signal that the plant had been feeling neglected and wanted to be pampered.

Says Ganesh: “When I saw the leaf, I gathered all our gardeners and I appreciated the plant in front of them. After that appreciation, more leaves came forth.”

Ganesh decided to give the plant yet more importance: “I brought professors and spoke glowingly about the plant to them. Then I brought our director. After this, the plant began growing like anything. It means the plant knew the kind of importance and appreciation it was getting. After that, it became the biggest climber in our garden.”

Sometime later, a PhD scholar at the Trans-Disciplinary University, which is located on the FRLHT campus, brought 100 saplings of Embelia ribes and planted them in many places, including on the campus. Ninety-nine of the saplings died after which Ganesh was asked to save the last surviving one by talking to it.

“I think they were being sarcastic,” recalls Ganesh. “But I took up the challenge. I planted the sapling and began talking to it. It grew rapidly. It is still there as a huge climber on the last building of our campus.”

What is it that Ganesh says to plants that makes them respond so glowingly?  “Like a child, a plant needs care and appreciation. When there is no attention, the plant loses the will to live and grow,” says Ganesh. “When a plant feels, Okay, someone is there who cares for me and expects something from me, it thrives,” he explains.

But what are Ganesh’s conversations with plants like? “It is as I would talk to a child.  I tell them, you are so beautiful, you are so purposefully here in this garden. You are invaluable and people will appreciate you for your amazing qualities. From you, people will learn about our traditional medical knowledge. And you will be an example for the rest of the world to see. So you should survive, you should flourish, you should reciprocate all this love. And they do that,” he says.

Ganesh cites how he went to Madurai last year to develop the garden of Prof. D. Winfred Thomas. It was Thomas who had ignited Ganesh’s interest in botany when he was at the American College in Madurai in his undergraduate years.

“They had planted Bauhinia purpurea and even after two years, it was looking like a stick. It hadn’t sprouted at all. The general advice was to get rid of the plant, but Prof. Thomas asked me to talk to the plant and make it grow. I went to his garden in Madurai and talked to it and, believe me, or not, within two months it started fruiting. Now it has become a tree. It all happened during the pandemic,” recounts Ganesh.

Ganesh talks to his plants in Tamil. But in which language should one talk to a plant? Does it have to be the local language? Is language at all important?

“No. Language is not important because language is converted into feelings and vibrations. For plants, language translates into your vibrations and they respond. This is what I have experienced,” says Ganesh.

For Ganesh, attitude and intent are everything. Scholars at a government Ayurveda college in Karnataka told him they had planted seeds for a hundred Ashoka trees, but none had germinated.

“I asked if they had talked to the seeds. They asked me what I meant. Why did they need to talk to Seeds? I told them if you just put a seed into the soil without a higher intention of seeing it grow into a tree, it is the equivalent of burying the seed. But if you talk to the seed and have the expectation that it will become a tree then that is sowing a seed which will germinate,” explains Ganesh.

“When they started talking to the seeds while sowing them, they grew into trees. Now there are 20 to 30 Ashoka trees in the Ayurveda college’s garden,” says Ganesh.

“Whether you sow a seed or bury it depends on your intent,” he explains. “When you don’t have intent the message to the seed is that it is being buried and it doesn’t bother to sprout.”

Bonding with a plant and sensing its needs is important. Plants are believed to respond to music, but once again it is the intent and the connection with the plant that matter. It makes the difference between the plant liking the music or rejecting it as noise.

Ganesh’s relationships with his plants are intuitive and subliminal. He says he instinctively knows their needs, be it water or emotional pampering. 

“It is like taking care of a child,” he emphasizes time and again. “A mother doesn’t need research to tell her when her child is hungry or in need of attention.”

Ganesh recalls trying to grow a medicinal plant for six months on the FRLHT campus without it responding. Then he checked out the original habitat of the plant, Decalepis hamiltonii, and found several surrounding succulent species as well as boulders.

“So, then I thought, why don’t we imitate this? I brought the same kind of boulders and the same type of succulent plants to our garden and within three months the plant reached 40 to 50 feet. The plant required its microhabitat conditions,” says Ganesh.

He also gives the example of Frerea Indica, which is a small plant with beautiful brown flowers that grows only in Maharashtra. Ex situ the plant needs the company of thorny plants called Euphorbia nivulia and Euphorbia neriifolia and some other species from its original habitat to prosper. People tend to remove the thorny plants, thinking they will harm Frerea indica, but it is the other way around.

“There are certain plants that demand biotic associations and microclimatic conditions. They don’t grow if you don’t put in their proximity the plants they associate with in nature,” explains Ganesh.

“Not only do plants like to be talked to, they also talk to one another and cure one another. They are networked with one another. It is how the plant community lives,” says Ganesh.

“Once we remove a particular plant, the whole ecosystem gets disturbed. That is the network,” explains Ganesh emphasising interdependence.

For more, read  https://www.civilsocietyonline.com/cover-story/ganesh-babus-secret-life-in-the-wilds/an article

Are you ready for Black Potatoes?

Ravi Prakash Maurya, 40, has become a ‘black potato champion’ of sorts. A journalist by profession, Maurya has been growing the vegetable for five years now and promoting it among other farmers spread across 15 states in India.

Following the death of his father, Maurya returned to Mansoorpur, his village in Prayagraj and took to farming in 2016. He has been growing what he calls the ‘black crops’ — rice, wheat, tomato, niger seeds, turmeric and ginger and potato — all with one thing in common, their black colour.

Having sourced the spuds from a farmer in Rae Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, Maurya says he started growing black potatoes due to their high concentration of antioxidants beneficial for good health.  

Locally known as ‘Kaala Aaloo’ (black potato) by the growers, it is far from that and is dark purple which is revealed once the spud is sliced into two. To understand more about this vegetable, let’s dive further into its background.

Where does the black potato come from?

Grown by some 50-odd farmers in the potato-growing belt of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, black potatoes have yet to make their presence known in the APMCs (Agricultural Produce Market Committees). Most of these vegetables are grown to be sold just as seed material.

“A kilo of tubers yields around 15 kg of potato,” explains Maurya. Grown with farm yard manure, he spends around Rs 6,000 on inputs and harvests nearly 90 quintals per bigha, which is slightly less than regular potatoes.

Like other members of the potato family (Solanum tuberosum), they come from a tuber plant native to the Andes Mountains region in South America and are characterised by their distinctive blue-purple-black outer skin. The inner flesh of this vegetable is a brilliant purple, which remains intact even after cooking. 

Grown the world over, it can be identified with different names like Shetland Black, Purple Peruvian, Purple Majesty, All Blue, Congo, Adirondack Blue, Purple Fiesta, and Vitelotte.

How does the black potato taste?

“They have a denser texture and are slightly nuttier than the usual white potatoes,” explains Maurya. Anand Mani Bhat (44) of Bhimtal village in Nainital, who took to growing black potatoes in 2021, agrees with Maurya, adding, “They have an interestingly earthier flavour than the usual.” 

Ever since Atul Singh of Jhansi was given a handful of black potatoes by Maurya about two years ago to try them out, he has been seeking them whenever they arrive in the market.

The 35-year-old trader of agricultural products online says, “It is fairly small compared to the regular potatoes which we have been using. When sliced open, it reveals a purple ring near the edge. I find it suitable for roasting, baking or steaming and have commonly made chips from it which is perfect for its sweet and buttery flavour and light, floury texture.”

Nutritional value of the black potatoes

Principal scientist at the Modipuram-based ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Regional Station,  Dr Satish Kumar Luthra adds, “Dark purple or red-skinned potatoes with purple or red flesh possess higher nutritional values than white-skinned potatoes.” 

Dr Luthra is also credited with developing the Kufri Neelkanth potato variety.

In fruits and vegetables, purple often indicates the presence of nutrients called anthocyanins. Like other phytonutrients, your body doesn’t need them to function, but they do help protect your cells from damage that can lead to illness and disease.

“These potatoes are probably rich in anthocyanins, imparting a deep purple colour. A class of flavonoids, anthocyanins are known to have several health benefits,” says Dr Pradeep Singh Negi, Chief Scientist, Fruit and Vegetable Technology Department at Mysore-based CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute. 

“Having hues from blue to red, anthocyanins are water-soluble and are used as food colourant as well,” he adds.

While all potato varieties impact blood sugar levels because of their carbohydrate content, black potatoes may exert less of an effect than other types due to their high concentration of polyphenol plant compounds. 

Besides anthocyanins, they have 2-3 times the total antioxidants of a typical white potato, which is loaded with potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, and fibre. Fruits such as jamun, blueberries, and blackberries are rich in anthocyanins.

The glycemic index (GI) measures the extent to which food raises your blood sugar. It ranges from 0 to 100, and a GI greater than 70 is considered high. A comparison study in humans found that black potatoes have a GI of 77, yellow potatoes have a GI of 81, and white potatoes have a GI of 93.  

How popular is it?

Being a new variety, most farmers are still experimenting with it. 

“The farmers order between 3-5 kg of seeds. They keep parts of the harvest for themselves and the rest to sell as tubers or seeds,” says Maurya. “That’s the main reason one doesn’t see it in the markets or shops.”

Ever since Abhishek Shrivastava, president of the Agri Junction — an initiative of the Uttar Pradesh government with 4,000 outlets across the state — put up a video on Youtube in March 2020 about the black potatoes, he has been flooded with requests for these tubers. 

So far, they have supplied a total of 3,000 kg of these to farmers in Bihar, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. 

“By early 2025, we will hopefully see black potatoes arriving in the market,” says Shrivastava. 

Maurya, too, has been flooded with orders for the tubers and has, so far, supplied it to more than 500 plus farmers across the country. He even experimented and made potato chips and papad at home from the vegetable. “They may be dark in colour but are very tasty,” he adds.

Ramgopal Chandel of Barsawan village has been growing black potatoes on one bigha land for more than a decade now.  Having spent Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 on inputs, he says, “I get around 80 quintals per bigha, which is slightly less than the regular ones. But this potato scores well as its shelf life is longer.”

If you want to try out this vegetable for your garden or kitchen, you can contact Ravi Prakash Maurya at 9026253336.

Originally published on https://www.thebetterindia.com/337247/black-potato-kaala-aaloo-shetland-farmer-in-uttar-pradesh-antioxidants

Mango Grower Conserves 200 Local Varieties

“It’s during Shravan (beginning July and ending in August end) that discerning mango growers flock here,” says stoutly built 74-year-old Kushal Ghosh, a custodian of Murshidabad’s vanishing mango varieties, while talking to sundayfarmer.

 The 74-year-old mango grower who is hooked to ‘bagan karar nesha’ (being a fervent gardener) has been maintaining, promoting and adapting close to 200 local mango varieties on his farm in Jiaganj, 11 km, via NH 32, from the town of Murshidabad in West Bengal. Unlike other mango growers who are very protective of their collection, Ghosh propagates them by sharing the seedlings with mango growers who find their way to his nursery.

As family orchards give away to paddy fields or residences farmers abandon the traditional varieties for the handful of commercial cultivars due to the change in customer preference, Ghosh’s 36-bigha orchard-cum-nursery has become a sanctuary of sorts for the legendary but now endangered “Murshidabad mangoes”.

It was Nawab Murshid Quli Jafar Khan, having transferred his capital from Dhaka to Murshidabad in 1704 encouraged the setting up of mango orchards Azimganj and Jiaganj having acquired the seedlings from different parts of the country. His successors displayed a similar love for the Mangifera Indica too till the fall of Nawab Siraj-ud-Doula in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 which marked the beginning of the 190-year British colonial era.

“Murshidabad was once very famous for its mangoes and records state that it was home to around 200 varieties of mangoes,” says Sanjay Doogar, vice-president, of Murshidabad Heritage Development Society.

For the uninitiated here is a bouquet of Murshidabad mangoes—Ranipasand. named as the erstwhile Nawab’s favourite wife liked it; Enaet Pasand, named after a jagirdar who patronised it; Bimli after a maid employed by Mir Jafar; Anaras, as it is pineapple-flavoured; Saranga, dedicated to the ‘sarangi’ players in Nawab’s haveli; Gulabkhas which has a mild flavour of rose; Mohanbhog as the same was offered to the deity, Lord Krishna; Peyarafuli with a flavour of guava; Kishanbhog with its soft creamy texture with a hint of pineapple; and  Chandankosa with a sandalwood fragrance.

According to Pradip Chopra, author of Things You Can Do With Murshidabad Mangoes the Nawab administration had a research centre for the development of newer varieties and goes on to state that in order to change the character of the fruit the “mango seed was soaked seed in fruit juice, rose water and herbal extracts”.

Of the several Murshidabad varieties only Kohitoor has caught the attention of the Sheherwali Jains, the Oswal Jain families who migrated from Rajasthan and settled in and around Murshidabad. There are only 25 to 30 Kohitur mango trees left in Murshidabad. As only a couple of hundred mangoes arrive in the market, they are immediately lapped at a premium price. 

“It was sometimes in the early Eighties that I realised that the local mango varieties were gradually disappearing from Murshidabad. This made me think a lot and ever since then, I started visiting old orchards in Murshidabad and Malda and would return either with plants or scions to conserve them on my 14 bigha aam bagan (mango orchard),” says Ghosh.

“The mango germplasm of Murshidabad and Malda districts is under severe threat due to several factors,” says Botanist Mitu De. Associate Professor, Department of Botany at Kolkata’s Gurudas College and one who has established a Field Gene Bank with 25 traditional mango varieties in her college campus. “Custodian farmers like Kushal Ghosh apart from playing a critical role in conserving the rare varieties, act as local guides to disseminate good practices and also as providers of scions of local varieties and traditional knowledge associated with the tropical fruit tree.”

In 2016, Ghosh received training from the local horticulture officer on how to grow mangoes of multiple varieties on the same tree through the method of grafting. And since then, he has not looked back.

Come the fruiting season a steady stream of people visit his orchard to have a dekho at two trees—one with 165 varieties laden with mangoes of different colours and shapes and the other with 100 varieties!

Ghosh is not only on a mission to conserve the Murshidabad mango varieties from being endangered but also to create new hybrids through the process of cross-breeding. So far, he has developed 13 new hybrids with age-old techniques, like using plant extracts and colour. He has developed a dozen of them, like Totasinha (male Totapuri and female Asinha), Belchampa (Mulamjam(m) and Champa (f)), Lango (Langda (m)and Bombayia (f)), Champarani (Rani (m) and Belchampa (f)), Chausasundari (Chausa (m) and Badosindhu (f)), Belatur (Kohitoor (m) and Belchampa (f)) and others. Though produced in low quantities his hybrids are much in demand with a seedling priced at Rs 450!

“Most of my hybrid seedlings are sold through word-of-mouth publicity among mango growers and plant-loving enthusiasts. In the coming years I plan to introduce more after having studied the results of my creations,” says Ghosh.

Hailing the work carried out by Ghosh and stressing to need to recognise the conservationist’s efforts, Kolkata-based Pradip Kumar Ray, an agronomist who works among Brahmi growers of Sagar Island, says “The Murshidabad mango grower’s labour of love needs to be recognised as has been done in the case of Karnataka’s Syed Ghani Khan of Karnataka who has conserved 116 mango varieties grown during the rule of Tipu Sultan. Ghani’s varieties have been registered with the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources.”

As the evening descends and we plan to leave, we ask Ghosh about his favourite Murshidabad mango. “Lakhan Bhog is a regular bearer with an attractive colour, has a good fruit quality and holds huge potential for export. While Saranga, a prolific bearer has a fusion of taste, namely mango, pineapple and strawberry. So good is its aroma that you would wish to make perfume out of it,” replies the ace mango grower.

Katimon Mon Amour!

Ebar Pujoe Katimon (Katimon, this puja)

….

For the latest trends in horticulture, my go-to source is a YouTube channel run by Bangladeshi development journalist, Shykh Seraj.

Bangladesh! Because we share similar agro-climatic conditions. If a particular fruit or flower has been introduced and is prospering in Bangladesh, I believe, the same could do well in Hamara Bharat. 

That’s what led me to Katimon/Catimon, a mango variety from Thailand that fruits thrice a year, most importantly once during the Durga Pujo.  And that’s a cause for celebration for us Bongs.

Before I dwell more on the sweetest mango introduced in India in the last couple of years let me tell you how Catimon arrived in Bangladesh.

Sometime in 2018 Abul Kashem of Chuadanga in Khulna of Bangladesh, bordering West Bengal, was gifted Catimon seedling by a friend who had visited Thailand. (Now, you see how it arrived in Paschim Bango). Ever since then, the humble nursery owner has emerged as a successful agripreneur having sold 2,50,000 Katimon seedlings and in the process gifted the sweetest

Now acclimatised and grown extensively in Bangladesh, Katimon has earned the sobriquet ‘Baromashi’—a year-long variety.  Kashem sells each seedling for Tk 200 (US$ 2.37).  West Bengal-based nurseries are presently selling three-foot-high-year-old seedlings for Rs 250.

I got my Katimon seedling from a Nadia-based nursery along with two rare and endangered varieties, namely Shyam Bhog and Bel Champa

Yes, Thai Katimon has emerged as the most hot-selling mango variety in nurseries in West Bengal. Incidentally, horticulturists, I mean the academic ones associated with agri universities and agri institutions have yet to recognise the variety.

Well, there are hundreds of mango varieties to choose from but what makes Katimon special is that its fruits arrive when mangoes are not around. That’s during winter months, especially during Durga Pujo, a festive time when people are willing to pay any price to bite on an aam.

The TSS (total soluble solids) of a regular mango is 23-24 while in Katimon it’s a whopping 27! Beautifully shaped and with less fibre four Katimons make up for a kg. Each fruit weighs between 400g to 600 g. The fruit color remains green, even when ripe.

Being a Baromashi means you are likely to find Katimon, even year-old ones, with either flowers or fruit. I received my Katimon with a lone fruit hanging in July. The tiny fruit had survived the three-day-long journey to my home in Thane.

In terms of aroma, sweetness and taste, mango lovers believe, Katimon surpasses all other mangoes produced in the country!

Just a six-foot-tall Katimon mango tree yields far more compared to the traditional varieties.

“The cultivation of Katimon is becoming popular as it guarantees more profit,” says Murshidabad-based mango grower, Kushal Ghosh and goes on to add that the new Baromashi has more shelf life compared to the other varieties.

If you’re looking for this variety, do contact Shashank on +919088571830

केळीच्या 500 प्रकार, वाझा चेतन हे सर्व आहे

ज्याला इंग्रजी मध्ये वीक-एंड फार्मर म्हणतात, असा मी, शनिवार रविवारचा शेतकरी. माझ्या शेतावरती फळांच्या अनेक झाडांची लागवड केली आहे.  विविध फेसबुक ग्रुप मधून माझा अनेक चांगल्या फळ उत्पादकांशी संपर्क झाला. यापैकी एक ‘वाझा ग्रामम’  नावाचा मल्याळम बहुल गट. यावरील  बहुतेक सगळ्या पोस्ट मल्याळम भाषेतल्या. यातील एका पोस्टने माझे चित्त आकर्षून घेतले.  पोस्ट होती, ‘पळ् ह चेट्टन’ यांचे लाल केळीचे मुनवे उपलब्ध आहेत. त्याबरोबर एक संपर्क क्रमांक होता. संपर्क साधल्यापासून आठवड्याभरात माझ्याकडे लाल केळ्यांचे मुनवे आले.  ते आता माझ्या बदलापूर जवळच्या शेतावर छान वाढत आहेत. 

‘वाझा चेतन’ म्हणजे मल्याळम मधे केळ्यांचा महापुरुष. आता हे नाव त्रिवेंद्रम् जवळील प्रशाला येथे राहणाऱ्या विनोद सहदेव नायर या 63 वर्षाच्या शेतकऱ्याला का बरे मिळाले असेल?
या अवलियाने केळीच्या किती   जाती त्यांच्या तीन एकराच्या शेतामध्ये जमा केल्या असतील?चक्क पाचशे जाती. 

कशा आणि कुठून?   गुजरात, कर्नाटक, महाराष्ट्र, आंध्र प्रदेश, तमिळनाडू, बंगाल, ओरिसा, आसाम आणि मणिपूर या भारतातील; तसेच भारताबाहेरील मलेशिया, आफ्रिका, ऑस्ट्रेलिया, हवाई, होंडुरास या ठिकाणी प्रत्यक्ष प्रवास करून त्यांनी दुर्मिळ जातीच्या आणि  समुद्रकिनारच्या परिस्थितीमध्ये जगू शकतील अशा, चक्क पाचशे जाती गोळा केल्या आहेत. 

त्याचबरोबर त्यांच्याकडे देशातील विद्यापीठे आणि संशोधन केंद्रे यांनी विकसित  प्रसारित केलेल्याही अनेक जाती आहेत. 

नुकतेच  शाश्वत आणि संपूर्ण शेतीच्या समन्वय संस्थेने* अखिल भारतीय कृषी स्वराज्य संमेलन कर्नाटक राज्य मुक्त विद्यापीठ यांच्या होसुर रोडवर वरील मुक्त गंगोत्री कॅम्पस मध्ये   भरवले होते. हा तीन दिवसांचा मेळावा सहज समृद्ध जनपद सेवा ट्रस्ट, इंडियन कौन्सिल ऑफ अग्रिकल्चरल रिसर्च, जे एस एस कृषी विज्ञान केंद्र, सत्तुर, ‘साॅईल’, अल्लामा संशोधन आणि सांस्कृतिक संस्था, देशी बीजोत्पादक कंपनी आणि बेळवळा फाउंडेशन संस्था यांनी आयोजित केला होता.

यामध्ये आसामच्या अतिउंच ते जहांजी नावाच्या बुटक्या वाणांचे प्रदर्शन त्यांनी केले होते. त्यांच्याकडे छोट्या भेंडीच्या आकाराच्या आंतरराष्ट्रीय वाणांपासून ते लाल केळी, निळी केळी अशीही वाणे आहेत.

 शेजारच्या फोटोमध्ये 1000 केळ्यांचा लांबचलांब घड दिसत आहे. 

स्थानिक पर्यावरण व माती यावर केळ्याची चवी अवलंबून असते असे नायर म्हणतात.  आसाम मधील केळ्यांमध्ये बिया असतात तशा मोठ्या प्रमाणात बिया अन्य वाणांमध्ये नसतात असेही ते सांगतात. 

ओट्टामुंगली, कारिंग्कदली,  सूर्यकदली या काही भारतीय वाणांची मी पैदास करतो, असे ते अभिमानाने सांगतात.  त्यांनी मला मनोरंजितम नावाची कन्याकुमारी येथील एक सुगंधी केळ्याची जात दाखवली. पूर्वी लोक शुभप्रसंगी या केळ्यांचे घड घराच्या दाराला आणि मुख्य समारंभाच्या ठिकाणी लावत असत असे नायर यांनी सांगितले.

तुम्हाला केळ्यांच्या विविध, योग्य जाती हव्या असतील तर तुम्ही ‘पळ्ह चेट्टन’ श्री नायर यांच्याशी पुढील क्रमांकावर आणि ईमेलवर संपर्क साधू शकता

9446401615 

vazhachettan@gmail.com

500 Varieties of Banana, Vazha Chettan Has It All

Being a weekend farmer and passionate about farming, especially growing fruits I’m a member of several Facebook groups. That’s why I came across “Vazhagramam”. Most posts in this group are in Malayalam but a post by Vazha Chettan caught my attention.

It said: “Red banana suckers available” along with a contact number.

A week later I had two Red banana suckers which are now growing in my at Badlapur.

Vazha Chettan or Plantain Man. That’s what Vinod Sahadevan Nair, 63, from Parassala, Trivandrum is known as in Kerala. Thanks, due to his amazing plantain collection.

A collector and grower of bananas, Nair like the stamp collector of yore has so far collected 500 varieties of the Musaceae (Zingiberales) family. His three-acre farm is a botanist’s dream. Besides varieties collected from Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Manipur he has travelled to Malaysia, Africa, Australia, Hawaii and Honduras to bring rare varieties that grow in coastal climatic conditions.

He also has several varieties developed by agricultural universities and research institutes based in the country.

Recently he was among the 150 seed conservationists who showcased India’s rich agricultural diversity at the Fifth All-India Kisan Swaraj Sammelan of the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) at the Convocation Hall of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in Muktagangothri campus along Hunsur Road here. The three-day festival was organized by Sahaja Samrudha, Janapada Seva Trust, ICAR-JSS KVK (Suttur), SOIL, Allama Research and Cultural Foundation, Desi Seed Producer Company Ltd. and Belavala Foundation.

From the tall Assam Plantain to the short ‘Jahanji’, he has international varieties like the lady’s finger banana, red banana and blue java are also members of the farm. Do check out the ‘1000 finger’ banana?

“The climatic conditions and soil decide the taste of the plantain,” says Nair and goes on to add that “the Assam varieties even have seeds in them which is not seen in any other variety. Ottamungli, Karingadali, and Suryakadali are some of the other Indian varieties that I grow.”

He shows me ‘Manoranjitham’, a variety of Kanyakumari which emanates a beautiful fragrance. “In the past, people would hang them in their homes during auspicious occasions, marriages and festivals,” Nair adds.

If you like to have a banana variety of your choice, do  contact Nair at 9446401615 or write to him at vazhachettan@gmail.com

Figs of Purandar & More

It’s six in the morning and Samil Ingale, a former Indian Railway man, and presently the owner of a sprawling orchard in Singhapur village is at the collection centre of Purandar Highlands Farmers Producers Company (PHFPC) with crates loaded with figs.

The produce of Ingale’s and several other growers are branded under the name ‘Super Figs’. Cartloads of figs from Purandar in the Pune district are sent to buyers in seven states, including Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Cochin and Hyderabad. Sahyadri Farms of Nashik, Tata Trent Hypermarket and other supermarkets ​​ source the fruit, identified as Purandar fig.

“Besides figs, we also work with custard apple and guava growers and importantly introduced the sustainable method of cultivation to make our produce residue free and export-ready,” informs Ingale, an ​award-winning farmer and one of the directors of PHFPC, established in 2021 and presently has 260-odd members, spread in six villages of Purandar taluka.

Figs are cultivated on around 600 hectares in Purandar and about 4,300 tonnes of fresh figs are produced—about 90 per cent coming from the Pune district. The unique size, shape, skin colour and pulpiness of the Purandar fig are attributed to its agro-climatic conditions—the bell-shaped fruit is grown in arid or semi-arid conditions with plenty of sunshine and the orchards irrigated from wells lending to its special taste.

Fresh figs, while being a rich source of nutrients, are highly perishable; their quality deteriorates within hours of being plucked. Purandar fig which acquired a GI (Global Index) tag in 2016 is facing difficulties against the more popular imported varieties that have flooded the market. Its major constraint is its short shelf life which remarkably has been tackled by using unique packaging.

 “It was the first time that we were approached by the fig growers. We devised a polypropylene-based laser perforated packaging solution which increases the shelf life of Purandar figs by 21days post-harvest keeping at a proper temperature,” informs Ketan Wagh of Haitech Solutions, the India representative of Israel-based Stepac, a leading name in modified atmospheric technology for fresh produce packaging. 

The state-of-the-art packaging is likely to open new markets for Purandar figs, both in India and abroad. In July, PHFPC successfully exported two consignments to Hamburg and Rotterdam—the process was facilitated by the Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB).

“Our figs will be competing with those coming from South Africa and Brazil as their season corresponds with ours, says Rohan Ursal, chairman, of PHFPC. “In order to open up exports we have to work with growers to ensure the right agricultural practices as well as enable proper packaging and transport.”

Following the success of this consignment, the farmer-producer company intends to begin working on full-fledged exports to Europe later this year and also tap the Pan-Asian market. The FPC is also building its presence in the domestic market and has been able to send shipments out of Maharashtra through air cargo to domestic markets.

Historical records show that the first fig was commercially cultivated in 1904 at Jadhavwadi in Dive village in Purandar tehsil. The fig variety gained recognition immediately and has been extremely popular since the 1920s. It acquired a GI (Global Index) tag in 2016 and was recently honoured with a Special Cover by India Post.

The fig season occurs twice a year from May to June and December to January. Fruits which ripen during the rainy season are moderately sweet to taste, and not very attractive to look at but are in great demand as other fruits are not available in the kharif season. The fruit that ripens in the months of March, April and May is extremely sweet and attractive to look bringing in a greater income for the farmers.

“We send figs, custard apples and red guavas to seven states and make them available on e-commerce sites. While doing this, we thought there was a need to get into the processing of these,” Ursal said. “We started a state-of-the-art fruit processing unit and launched possibly the country’s first fig and guava bread spreads, made from locally grown Purandar fig and Ratnadeep guava.”  

Besides being stocked in stores, Fig and guava spreads in glass jars are available on e-commerce sites. The guava spread has made culinary history —being used to make cakes.

The fruit variety named ‘Ratnadeep Guava’ is traditionally grown by farmers in Purandar and has a high demand in the market due to its soothing taste and dark pink pulp inside. Farmers who grow the fruit variety in the region have associated with Pune’s Kayani Bakery, famous for its Shrewsbury biscuits and other products, to introduce a unique eggless guava cake.

“In a bid to take the red guava variety to the next level, we approached Rustom Kayani of the Kayani Bakery. He mentored us to make some modifications and baked the red guava cake. It was a proud moment for us, farmers, that he named it ‘Purandar Guava Eggless Cake,” Ursal said.

Agronomists feel that fruits like figs, guava and custard apple have high demand, but given the lack of R&D done on them, growers have not been able to fully exploit their potential—an issue, FPC like PHFPC is presently addressing.

“What differentiates Purandar Highlands from others is that they have not just restricted themselves to facilitating the sale of their products but also making byproducts and keeping in mind the consumer’s interest has introduced GAP (Global Agricultural Practices) which will reduce the risk of microbial contamination related to foodborne illnesses on their farms,” says Suraj Jadhav, Taluka Agriculture officer, Purandar. 

In order to promote sustainable methods in fruit growing, PHFPC has tied up with Bayer Crop Sciences to introduce GAP, a certification system which includes worker hygiene and health, manure use and water quality throughout the production and harvesting process. Thus creating food for consumers or further processing that is safe and wholesome.

“We are assisting farms to be more sustainable, with plants that are more adaptive and resilient. Guiding the farmer from soil preparation to storage that includes issues like Integrated Pest Management, beekeeping, ensuring worker health etc.,” says Ganesh Salunkhe, Food Value Chain Manager, Bayer Crop Sciences.

With fig spread having received wide acceptance, PHFPC soon plans to introduce spreads of fruits, namely jamun, mango and white guava.

Also, read

https://www.villagesquare.in/purandar-farmers-sell-their-figs-as-fruits-and-processed-spreads/  

Maharashtra’s Flower Village

Hiren Kumar Bose in Satara

Years back a handful of farmers of Nikamwadi, a village located in the Krishna river basin in Satara took the initiative to grow flowers at the suggestion of the local Taluka Agriculture Officer. Sixteen years later this village of 170-odd households has come to be known as phulancha gaon (flower village).

As most families make a living by growing flowers it has not only improved the economy of the village but ushered in prosperity among its inhabitants and, importantly, inspired the surrounding villages towards floriculture in a region where the main crops still happen to be sugarcane and turmeric.

“Be here at any season of the year and you’re likely to come across lush fields with blooming jhendu (marigold) and the multi-coloured shevanti (chrysanthemums),” says 37-year-old farmer Vishal Nikam taking us around the village on an October noon.

Sometime around 2005, a handful of farmers led by one Dharmaraj Ganpat Deokar (60) began growing marigolds and seeing him make good returns others followed suit. Presently Nikamwadi has 200-odd acres solely devoted to floriculture. In fact, growing flowers has been so profitable that despite the hard work—an ordinary day beginning at six with irrigating the fields and ending late in the evening when the tempos laden with flowers leave for the market—it has inspired the youth to take up farming thus bringing to an end to migration to the urban centres for livelihood.

Like in agriculture, floriculture too has high-value crops with cut flowers, namely rose, carnation and gerbera occupying the premium position followed by bulbous flowers like tube rose and gladiolus while cut flowers namely marigold and chrysanthemum are assigned the lowest rung. With an average annual yield per acre between eight to 10 tonnes fetching an income between Rs 2 to Rs 3 lakhs Nikamwadi farmers are not complaining.                                                            

Though Nikamwadi is close to the temple town of Wai and Satara, the district town, the farmers have to take their produce for sale to Pune’s Gul Tekdi market which is 100 km away.

Every day 10 to 12 tonnes of flowers carried by seven Pick-up vans arrive here from the village and once sold to the traders reach residences, shrines, places of worship, hotels, florist shops and neighbourhood flower sellers spread in this sprawling industrial town and educational hub which includes 48 erstwhile villages—from Ambegaon Budruk to Yerwada and is known as the metropolis of Pune.

It’s villages like Nikamwadi that have made Maharashtra account for 13.440 hectares devoted to floriculture. In fact, it was the first State to have a policy for floriculture and horticulture in the ’90s which has led to the Lonavla-Talegaon belt, Maval taluka in the Pune district becoming India’s most flourishing floriculture hub including Satara and Nashik districts.

Nikamwadi gets its name from the Nikams who were probably its first settlers. Some 100-odd families carry the Nikam surname. Others who have made the village their home are Deokars, Bhonsles, Jadhavs, Yadavs, Sables and Dhawles totalling a population of 1000 plus individuals.

As farmers take to floriculture the acreage under sugarcane, a crop that needs lots of water has come down. “It’s only a handful of families who grow sugarcane which includes those with large holdings or the ones who live in cities like Pune or Mumbai and pay a visit once a week to irrigate their fields,” says farmer Santosh Deokar (45) who owns eight acres and besides growing flower has an acre devoted to sugarcane adding that “there is too much fluctuation in flower market pricing.”

As farmers move towards floriculture it has ushered in the growth of plant nurseries. Hundreds of nurseries on both sides of the Pune-Solapur road are one such place.

 “Farmers in Nikamwadi and its surrounding villages grow eight varieties of chrysanthemums with names like Pournima White, Aishwariya Yellow and Pooja Purple while marigold grown throughout the year and has names like Pitambar Yellow, Tennis Ball and Calcutta Yellow—a total of six varieties which has found favour among consumers,” says Shaliwan Sable  Om Agro Technology Nursery, based in Satara’s Koregaon. “We sell around 20 lakh flower seedlings annually.”

Nikamwadi grows the flowers using micro irrigation techniques sourcing water from baodis (wells) fed by the canals originating from Krishna river. Most have abandoned sugarcane as it needs plenty of water as sugarcane mills cheat while weighing on produce and are not prompt in their payments. His field lush with abundant blossoms of Poornima White Chrysanthemums,  Sanjay Bhonsle (55) says “At times one has to wait for over a year and a half for the payments. Growing flowers is lucrative as we receive our payments every week.”

Considered loose flowers, marigolds and chrysanthemums attract less price compared to cut flowers like roses and gerbera or bulbous flowers namely tuberoses and gladiolus. “The 120-day long crop shevanti season lasts from March to December while marigold is grown almost throughout the year but its demand peaks demand during the festive season beginning Ganeshutsav stretching till Diwali and lasting till Gudi Padwa,” informs farmer Nikam whose 10-member joint family owns two acres.

Though few farmers in the neighbouring villages, like Limbdi, Salvan and Kikli too have taken to floriculture what differentiates Nikamwadi from others and which has earned it the title of ‘flower village’ is that every household is into floriculture irrespective of whether one owns a couple of gunthas (one guntha equals to 1,000 sq ft) or has a landholding of four acres or more. It is their participatory spirit and collective approach when it comes to sharing domain knowledge about floriculture among themselves and others too that has made Nikamwadi a model village.

According to Vijay Warale, Agriculture Assistant, Wai  (Satara) Nikamwadi farmers make anything between Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 lakhs per acre growing chrysanthemums while in marigolds the income is around Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 lakhs per acre.

Like most households in Wai taluka farmers in Nikamwadi too have been growing turmeric and sugarcane for generations but are aware of the pitfalls of monoculture and sensing opportunities in a new crop have intercropped the flower-growing fields with all-season parsley—a herb which has good demands in eateries offering European, Middle Eastern and Middle Eastern cuisines which have sprung up in urban centres like Pune, Mumbai and Bangalore. Informs Bhonsle, who owns five acres and has been an agriculturist for over two decades: “We use dhaniya (coriander) in our food preparations but grow parsley as there is a good demand for it. An expenditure of  Rs 1.5 lakhs yields an income of Rs 3 to Rs 3.5 lakhs.”

Despite the average landholdings ranging between a couple of gunthas to an acre or two flower growers of Nikamwadi have shown that marginal farmers too can make a decent living. “Considering the employment and income generation potential in flower production, intensive efforts need to be made to encourage more farmers to take up flower cultivation,” adds Warale.

Also, read https://www.villagesquare.in/money-blooms-in-india-flower-village-of-nikamwadi/

“Biofencing Absorbs Climate-inducing Stress”

Hiren Kumar Bose in Akola

Imagine a fence around a farm which grows every day, protects the farmland from stray cattle and marauding wild animals, makes the crop resilient from pest attacks, helps maintain soil structure and prevents erosion during rains. And, most importantly, is easy on your wallet. That’s what Jagan Prahlad Bagade of Khaparwadi Budruk village in the Akola district of Maharashtra has done. He has raised a bio fence—entirely made of wildly grown cactus­ (known locally as nivdung)—encircling his 30-acre farm which at 12 ft now dwarfs him.

Biofencing, also known as live fencing is a line of trees or shrubs planted on farm or field boundaries. Less expensive and more useful than fences made of wood, barbed wire, or stone masonry, environmentalists consider such fencing as a biotic method and environment-friendly.

The cactus on the boundaries of Gagade’s fields is Euphorbia lactea, native to India, an erect shrub of succulent branches with spiny ridges and short spines which can achieve a height of 16ft.

Recalls Bagade (43), “When I started planting cactus cuttings on the edges of my farm people laughed at me. They considered me a fool. To veda jhala aahe (He is mad), they said.”

Seven years since he encircled his farm with cacti, Bagade is now known as the ‘cactus man’ and much in demand by the local agricultural officers to address farmer’s meet on the merits and cost-effectiveness of bio fencing. Realising the merits of Bagade’s bio fence some 30-odd farmers have already planted cacti on the boundaries of their farms, and as the word spreads through messaging apps farmers from different parts of the State visit him to see things first-hand and leave with cactus cuttings.

Khaparwadi Budruk falls under Akot taluka and the land here has a very high pH value, meaning the salt content in the soil is high, a phenomenon locally known as kharpanpatta. It encounters saline water problems. Cotton is the main crop here followed by pulses namely Soybean, Tur, Moong, Udid and Sorghum. The village is known for taking taken lead in water conservation measures and in 2018 earned the Rs 5 lakh award given by the Pani Foundation-funded Satyamev Jayate Water Cup. The local MLA matched the award gifting the village with an additional Rs 10 lakhs.

Being the taluka president of Punjabrao Deshmukh Biological Mission, Bagade has taken the initiative to involve villagers in the production of biological pesticides, the use of modern implements and water conservation activities. Acres of wasteland lying fallow for ages have been readied for cultivation with the help of the local agricultural department. Farmers have been skilled in tasks like contour bunding, compartment bunding, horizontal sowing on slopes etc. In May 2018, the villagers dug up 19 farm ponds, raising the total to 70; hollowed out one km long nullah; and completed contour-bunding on 150 acres which has led to rising in groundwater level to 10ft from the earlier 30 ft. Most remarkably the brackish water has changed into potable water.

Recalls Bagade,  “Initially, I had erected barbed wire fence on an acre which cost me Rs 40, 000 but soon realised that if I wanted to fence my entire farmland I  would have to sell parts of it.”

Ever since drinking water came into the village in 2007 from Wari  Hanuman dam, 35 km away, villagers feel that the population of wild animals has increased. For years, like other farmers, Bagade had to contend with wild animals and often scared them off with firecrackers or air guns. This was until; he came across a video on social media on growing cacti.

Informs Bagade: “I have kept a distance of one foot between the cuttings. With the thorny cactus in place, no wild animals have dared to enter the fields.”

Serving as a habitat for many birds and animals, the bio-fences serve multiple purposes such as providing fodder, fertilizer and windbreakers, besides conserving biodiversity and absorbing climate-inducing gases such as carbon dioxide.

Bio-fences are ideal as a windbreaker and slow down the wind speed. “Also, the fallen leaves act as mulch, conserving soil moisture,” he says. “As they are ideal windbreakers my farm doesn’t lose moisture. Also, the fallen leaves act as mulch, conserving soil moisture”

Bagade attributes the bio fence to his success as a farmer and his record-breaking harvest.  Last year he managed to harvest 33 quintals of horse gram (in one hectare), 8 quintals of soybean  (one acre)and 12 quintals of cotton (one acre)—an achievement for which he was felicitated by the district authorities. “Over the years crop production has almost trebled,” says  Bagade

Cactus here grow wild on unclaimed land or common spaces. Bagade brought a tractor full and planted it around an acre. “Totally, I might have spent Rs 15,000 to plant the cactuses, most of it spent on labour,” he says.

Farmlands in Akot taluka are often at the mercy of wild pigs, nilgai, deer and monkeys raiding the farms and destroying standing crops. “The deer population has increased over the years. They are a big menace and raid the fields in groups, at times 25 to 30 of them,” says Bagade. “But now such incidents have become a thing of the past.’

About raising a cactus fence, Bagade advises that cuttings of a minimum of 2 ft height be planted and if fertilized properly in a year or two a height of 5 ft can be achieved.

 “A progressive farmer who has taken lead into activities like soil conservation and groundwater recharge and conservation, Bagades’ success with biofence has motivated other farmers in the taluka,” says Sushant Shinde, Akot Taluka Agriculture Officer.

Bagade is pleased by the unintended benefit of a bio fence and goes on to add, “I can grow climbing vegetables like bitter gourd, snake gourd and variety of beans, thanks to the support offered by the cactuses.”

Hottal: The Water Conservation Story

Hiren Kumar Bose. Nanded. Maharashtra 

For over a decade, Nagnath Dasarwad (40) travelled to the neighbouring Nizamabad in Telangana to work on the paddy fields despite owning a three-acre plot in Hottal in Nanded. “As I didn’t have any irrigation source I spent a fortune digging borewells. Even after three attempts and reaching depths at 600 ft, we failed to strike water,” he says.

Now, Dasarwad and several others like him no more migrate in search of livelihood and are able to take three crops in a year while remaining in their village.

Once almost deserted due to the paucity of irrigation facilities, Hottal, 91 km from the bustling town of Nanded in Maharashtra, where agriculture is the only means of livelihood, has been witness to several instances of reverse migration—thanks to the water conservation initiatives adopted by the villagers.

With rainwater conserved, the village has reported a dramatic increase in groundwater levels and several incidents of the once-abandoned and dry borewells overflowing thus bringing cheer to its 2,300-plus inhabitants.

Scores of conservation activities later and six years down the line, the village is the hum of activity—the gram sabha office is buzzing with people, a handful of women’s self-help groups (SHG) meeting once every week and discussing ways and means to increase the members’ savings, standing crops swaying with the morning breeze, guava orchards heavy with fruits, and a farmer producer company (FPC) retailing subsidized agricultural inputs.

Contour bundhs around the hills

Though the spoken language in Hottal is Marathi the villagers liberally use Telugu and Kannada words which elders attribute to the village’s proximity to Telangana and Karnataka. Home to elaborately carved basalt-stone shrines scores of tourists come to view the Siddheshwar, Someshwar, Parvati and Parameshwar temples.

 “Built during the 11th and 12 centuries by the Kalyani-Chalukya rulers, the intricate carvings on the walls and the ceilings of the temples are captivating. For instance, the Siddheshwar temple has 42 apsaras in different dancing poses. Similar temples do exist in Karnataka’s Badami, Anninegri and Lakkundi but they are not so elaborate and eye-catching,” informs Dr Maroti Shinde, historian and author of “Hottal Ek Itihasik Darshan,” a slim volume on Hottal’s historical lineage and a must-buy among history lovers.

In an effort to attract visitors to the village’s heritage monuments— protected by the State’s Archaeology Department—the district authorities have been organizing a two-day-long art and music festival since 2018 with the Siddheswar temple as its backdrop. “We have had four festivals but the 2020 festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. Prior to the watershed activities, only a handful of people visited us as the village had no drinking water facilities,” says Seshrao  Suryawanshi (44), who in 2016 during his tenure as a sarpanch took the lead in introducing several water conservation measures. “But the latest festival held in January of this year had over 10,000 people visiting us.”

Dug up trenches being measured

With agriculture unsustainable and farmers able to take only one rain-fed crop, Hottal inhabitants migrated to Bidar, Hyderabad, Nizamabad and Kamareddy to work in the sugarcane fields, construction sites, brick kilns, rice mills and turmeric farms. For instance, during the wedding season, some 200 plus people migrated to Hyderabad, 150kms away, to work as cooks, attendants, servers etc. at weddings.    

According to Suryavanshi couple of days before the rains, the migrants returned to tend to their fields, sowing the crop and leaving once the harvest is complete. “I have seen this happen since my childhood but post-2016 we have been able to break that vicious cycle and usher in prosperity,” he emphasizes. 

Reminiscences Rajesh Dhurve, Assistant General Manager, NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), the country’s leading development bank:  “When I visited the village in March of 2016 I found all the water channels in the village were full of silt and when it rained it just flowed away.  The farmers were dependent on rain for cultivation. Located in a drought-prone zone people were resigned to their fate.”  

A six-decade-old non-profit which has nurtured scores of sustainable rural communities, namely Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal (SSM) was assigned the task by NABARD to provide the technical inputs for the water conservation activities to be undertaken in the village.

The maiden water conservation activity began with 300 inhabitants, men and women, removing silt from a km-long channel on the West of the village, located at the base of a hill.  The volume of the mud was so enormous that it took 1200 tractors to carry and deposit the same on the farmers’ fields.

The watershed activities like laying continuous counter trenches, digging Water Absorption Trenches, erecting Gabion structures, and raising stone bunds and farm bunds were executed on 244.51 out of 586.01 hectares with NABARD funding it with a grant of Rs 13 lakh, followed by Atlas Copco Charitable Foundation donating Rs 27 lakh and one Prakash Tandel donating Rs 10 lakhs which led to the de-silting of 52 existing wells.

While the conservation activities continued in the village as the pandemic set in one family member was provided with a livelihood.

“Thanks to the water conservation activities the villagers have ensured that the 750 mm of rain it receives is conserved which has resulted in 138.20 lakh litres of water reaching the ground every year,” says Vasant Rawangaonkar, project manager, SSM.

Water conservation activities have led to farmers growing three crops on 732 hectares, flowers on 22 acres and orchards devoted to papaya, custard apple and guava on 20 hectares of wasteland—all these resulting in the doubling of income. Though the main crop is soybean, farmers also grow vegetables and sell them to the nearest town of Degloor, 8 km away.

Over the years funds received for rural development from various State and central government schemes have led to the village having paved roads, homes electrified and clean drinking water made available ushering in improved health and sanitation.  The village presently boasts a library too. Adds Suryawanshi, “We have planted 2,000 bamboo saplings too along the waterways we have created.”

Intervention by the funding agencies has not been limited to making the village water sufficient but also to empowering and skilling them in several ways. The village presently has 22 women SHG that inculcate the habit of saving, farmers have adopted farm mechanisms to mitigate the labour shortage, an Automatic Weather Station has been set up, and an FPC with 610 shareholders established. Farmers have been empowered in risk mitigation to climate hazards, Solar home light systems have been promoted, measures towards efficient use of water resources implemented, farmers encouraged in green manure cultivation, soil health cards issued etc.

With all likelihood of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation stepping in to host the ‘Hottal Utsav’ and the village now plentiful in irrigation sources, the locals aspire to be the next Hampi—an ancient town dotted with numerous ruined temple complexes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site—fetching tourists from all over ushering in new livelihood opportunities and world renown.

 …

For details about the water conservation measures, contact Shesrao Suryavanshi 91-9021714699.

Read https://www.villagesquare.in/rainwater-harvesting-how-a-parched-village-catches-rain-to-prosper/