When cyclone Aila hit West Bengal in May 2009, large tracts of land were submerged under saline water for over a week. This not only destroyed the standing crops, but rendered the land unsuitable for cultivation for subsequent few years.
West Bengal farmers found the answer to their problem in far-away Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore-based Revathi Thiruvenkataswamy, director of the Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers’ Movement came to train farmers in sustainable agriculture. She taught them techniques for easy desalination of land so it would be possible to grow crops there again.
“We don’t buy chemical pesticides anymore. Instead, we make herbal tonics with local herbs and plants,” says Sahu, a farmer, who has harvested paddy, okra and mustard from his fields.
Twenty farmers have successfully resumed farming using organic methods. Many more have been convinced to make the change.
Milestones
3 months ago
5 comments:
Good to hear a heart-warming story after after many depressing ones. Why is that such things happen mostly at the people's level? Shouldn't someone in the WB govt have been looking out for a solution from across the world?
Power corrupts. The ruling party in WB is supposed to be dedicated to the proletariat/common man. No sign of that.
And so those directly affected have to find their own solutions. Kudos to Revathy.
Yes, the farmers did have to find their own solutions.
Those farmers who successfully started growing crops again using organic methods, were in the Achintanagar panchayat, under the Pathar Pratima block in Sunderbans.
Reportedly, even the block-level govt. authorities told them that the land could not be cultivated for another three years.
thanks a tonne Mr BKC...and best wishes always...
When one reads such heart warming stories-one feels and sees still some hope in the corrupt system.
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