On this mother earth day, I have a canvass on the situation of Paschimanchal, specifically of Bankura. My recent visit to major parts of western Bankura retrieved drought situation that I witnessed during my school days. It might be '66-'67 when successive droughts gripped my village and surroundings in Bankura. I could remember those skeleton-bodies with sunken eyes making queues in our door. They were crying for fan- drained water after boiling rice. My grandmother used to prepare two-three pots containing fan-bhat. Our three time rice meal was curtailed to one. Milo- was introduced. Initially i disagreed to it , however ,later I got taste with it in different forms, Before the drought, I knew chapati is meal for sick but gradually i understood it is a food for the drought-areas. Charitable langor-khana(free lunch) started. One of such longar-khana was run from the open space in front of ours Durga Mondir.That time there was enough space. I was a volunteer , my task was in helping the cooks in terms of bringing water or grocery materials and distribution of food. I could remember those days. There were some upper class, decaying families who did not like to come and join lonar-khana food openly but remain starve. I had to supply food to them secretly & silently.
That situation did not come, but drought comes in a periodic way. Bankura as well as Paschimanchal falls under the pray of precarious nature . Khara ( drought) is the feature of the region.
Is there any way to over come drought? Is it always good for growing rice only under rain fed? Is there any other crops? Is there any other options to combat drought?
Yea, the agricultural science is well developed. There are many. I shall not go into details of these. I shall limit to a specific plant-Khejur.
Mother earth has given a wonderful tree-crop in Paschimanchal. Date palm thrives well here. It has drought resistance power. It has wide potential,yet we have not emphasized or exploited the plant. With minimum care, supporting date-palm rural entrepreneurship could be made in paschimanchal.
Neera can be produced and marketed . We have emphasized on coconut neera but remain deaf to date-palm. Another tree-plant tal has multiuses. Neera can be tapped from it. Tal supplies neera during summer while date gives during winter. Thus natural neera could be collected for at least six months.Technology is there, needs only intervention.
Similaly date syrup has high demand through out the country. Off-season would give more rewards to date syrup. Jaggery based on Khejur and tal has much scope. Time has come to count the above orphan crops.
We talk about climate change but never make plans on those climate resilient crops.
Now about the Khasla. It is hardy one. In most awkward situation it is grown as a second crop under rain fed condition. It provides both food and oils. I saw it growing in Khatra sub-division under stress condition.
We are emphasizing oil-seed extension program leaving khasram a traditional crop of Paschimanchal.
There are many options to combat drought. Let us draw strategic plans for the region in a perpetual context. Long run actions obviously will protect the paschimanchal.
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