Save the rain drops to save the natural infrastructure

Soil cannot withstand the over dose of chemical fertilizer, harmful pesticides and the pressure from mono crops. Farm yard has to be nurtured with care. Soil is like an organic being which changes its texture and increases its moisture retention capacity to increase the food production. Over the years the society infested with greed has treated farm yard like the old woman did to her hen who laid golden eggs. India has 24 agro climatic zones to produce the widest range of food grains in the world. Unfortunately 50% of the population in the country is hungry. It happens because we have not nurtured our soil well and made many needless experiments with the soil.

Soil cannot be treated in isolation. It needs coordinated effort of leaders, general public, NGOs, extension departments and agriculture experts. There is need for drawing a line between agriculture experts and generalists. The importance of soil has to be ingrained in the minds of young people from school level. The looming farm yard crisis in India is mainly due to negligence of soil. Thirsty crops creep into the dry zones just because thirsty crops earn quick income which is in fact short lived. In Vidarbha farmers commit suicide due to cotton crop which has spread over 70% of food crop area. Surface water harvested with huge efforts should not be wasted due to mindless crop patterns and over exploitation of water.

Nature has gifted both Telengana and Andhra Pradesh huge water resources, fertile soil, hardworking people, rich bio diversity, a wide range of crops, vegetables, fruits, rich handicraft traditions, handloom traditions, tourism and pilgrim tourism potential to generate employment on a sustainable basis. But economic activities close to nature can satisfy the need of people but not the greed of people. Mahatma Gandhi said it is impossible to shift all villagers to cities. If any effort is made to do so would create urban ghetto only as it happens today. Over industrialization beyond the need has shaken the big economies across the world. Economies of many countries in Europe are still in ICU. Stimulus hardly helps revive the economy. It is like liver cirrhosis of an economy. Natural sector always has the clue to human survival.

Natural sector economy should be taught not only to children but to political leaders and adult people. There is no need to disturb the tribal habitats, forest and hills as those people have skill and knowledge to harness nature for a living without disturbing its balance. Though they are illiterate they have developed a sense of belongingness to nature. In fact, economy is an extension of nature which the greedy and the so called educated people do not understand so easily. They hardly understand it even if death lurks at their door steps in the form of natural calamities. The intensity of natural calamities and the adverse impact of climate have increased over the years due to human greed.

If we destroy hills and forest it leads to the destruction of rivers and farm yard. Soil erosion in hills increases the silt in rivers which causes flood even if there is low rainfall. Over damming of rivers give temporary relief to farmers but it gives permanent deaths to rivers. Hundreds of rivers have died in India due to mindless over damming in the name of development and progress. Rivers are like organic beings. The economic benefit of a flowing river is many times more than the short term gain people get. There is an urgent need to do everything which can protect the soil. Every rain drop has to be saved like a pearl.

By Sudhansu R Das