Remembering a Disaster
My city and the adjoining areas was ravaged by cyclone 'Aila' on 25th May 2009 and the innards lay exposed.
The city was left gasping with no electricity for over 78 hours and shortage of drinking water. Roads were blocked with more than 1200 trees that were uprooted, cable and Internet connections were snapped, and many areas had water logging problem. Some of the old houses collapsed, number of street lampposts broke and fell.
The mangroves of Sunderbans were worst hit. The official lose of life at the was 117, more than 51,000,000 people were directly/indirectly effected. Many were injured and lost their homes. Several Royal Bengal Tigers were flushed away from the core area of the forest and many parts of the mangroves and agricultural land lost perhaps forever.
More than 100 kilometers of river dam was destroyed and caused flood. Many were stranded without food, water, medication and shelter. Carcasses of dead animals, fishes and humans floated around/passed by them added on to their despair.
Choppers airdropped food parcels but things are extremely difficult and morose. Infants died because of hunger, thirst and water borne diseases.
The greatest challenge was to contain an outbreak of cholera in the coastal areas of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh (the official death toll at 175).
The city was left gasping with no electricity for over 78 hours and shortage of drinking water. Roads were blocked with more than 1200 trees that were uprooted, cable and Internet connections were snapped, and many areas had water logging problem. Some of the old houses collapsed, number of street lampposts broke and fell.
The mangroves of Sunderbans were worst hit. The official lose of life at the was 117, more than 51,000,000 people were directly/indirectly effected. Many were injured and lost their homes. Several Royal Bengal Tigers were flushed away from the core area of the forest and many parts of the mangroves and agricultural land lost perhaps forever.
More than 100 kilometers of river dam was destroyed and caused flood. Many were stranded without food, water, medication and shelter. Carcasses of dead animals, fishes and humans floated around/passed by them added on to their despair.
Choppers airdropped food parcels but things are extremely difficult and morose. Infants died because of hunger, thirst and water borne diseases.
The greatest challenge was to contain an outbreak of cholera in the coastal areas of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh (the official death toll at 175).
06th May, 2013
Modern Harvest
We have entered a valley where there are pretty green patches along the right bank of the fast flowing blue-green river, and rugged barren hills on the other. Willows and poplars provide shadows, which adorn the fringe of the cultivated fields. No longer we drive through the highway, but a shaded asphalt path through the villages.
To our left at a distance can see a few people working with a motorized thresher, the grains are directly bagged. This is the evolved scenario of 'developing' Ladakh. Advanced and mechanized agriculture pushing forward casting aside the traditional way, which has been time tested for hundreds of years.
The rarefied trans-Himalayan region is harsh but Ladakhis have managed to successfully prosper here for over thousand years. The main reason for this success has been due to adaptability and living in harmony with nature.
Water resources are limited from streams, rivers and glacier melts, the sandy-loamy soil retains very little water. Thus, crops like barley that use less water, rearing of livestock animals that are most suitable to the mountainous terrain, a system of co-operative farming, organized society (irrespective of religion) and use of rich organic manure made uncomplicated eco-friendly agriculture possible in Ladakh.
In recent years, the tradition of agriculture in Ladakh is at threat. Rice, a water intensive crop is emerging as a staple diet, especially with the younger generation. Even though supply and demand is moderate at the moment and government is highly subsidizing the price, nothing guarantees the trend (of subsidy) will continue.
With the issue of global warming and receding glaciers, the water source is at stake. To use the limited available water for agriculture, villagers appointed a manager (nominated or elected from within the village) who equally distributed the water resource from the storage structures called zing. Though the tradition survives but is on quick decline.
Organic manure used in Ladakh not only nourished the soil but provided the texture to retain water. The method applied to produce such manure not only prevented odor but also the extreme cold weather inhibited unwarranted microbial activities.
Chemical fertilizer, which is quickly taking over, ensures speedy growth and taller crops than normal. With short agricultural cycle and additional fodder this is no doubt a benefit. However, with high wind velocity and few or no windbreakers in form of vegetation, the crops are vulnerable to being beaten down. The use of such fertilizer promotes water consumption and hardens the soil, which is unproductive in long run.
Growth of vegetables and fruits are being greatly encouraged among farmers of Ladakh with highly subsidized seed distribution by the government and canola, sunflower, oat, several varieties of pulses, watermelon, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, grapes and raspberry introduction is in pipeline. It is mentionable though that cultivation of vegetables and fruits requires at least triple the quantity of manure and water than the traditional wheat or barley crops.
For generations Ladakhis have distinguished streams running down for farming, washing, bathing and for drinking. The villages situated at higher altitudes as well as the ones below have followed this. Chemical manure poses a threat of polluting these streams.
Many agricultural experts are encouraging Jersey cows to be substituted for the yaks, which produces low milk yield. The fact that the recommended animals are unable to walk above 3, 048 m / 10, 000 ft. for grazing, requires special shade and fodder is certainly not being taken into consideration.
The new diesel powered mills which are getting popular over the simple water wheels for grinding grains are doing the work at a much greater speed, but the transportation costs (to the mills and back) are effecting the price. The heat generated during the process of grinding is robbing nutritional value as well as the emitted fumes are contributing to air pollution.
After the Kargil War between India and Pakistan in 1999, it was realized by the Indian Army that troops from plains take much longer time acclimatizing and the sensible alternative is to recruit local youths. Since then, the number of work hands in Ladakh farmlands has been limited.
Much of the good old ways are on the verge of being pushed away with a promise of something better, but many of the proposals are flawed. Some of the other solutions that have been put forward are assured purchase of wheat and barley grains from the farmers by Food Corporation of India, explore the promising prospects of horticulture, Himalayan herbal plants, disease-free seeds for a range of high-value plants sounds sensible. It is to be noted how these proposals are dealt with.
The changing face of Ladakh is likely to have a serious and deep impact, whether for better or worse is a time related issue.
To our left at a distance can see a few people working with a motorized thresher, the grains are directly bagged. This is the evolved scenario of 'developing' Ladakh. Advanced and mechanized agriculture pushing forward casting aside the traditional way, which has been time tested for hundreds of years.
The rarefied trans-Himalayan region is harsh but Ladakhis have managed to successfully prosper here for over thousand years. The main reason for this success has been due to adaptability and living in harmony with nature.
Water resources are limited from streams, rivers and glacier melts, the sandy-loamy soil retains very little water. Thus, crops like barley that use less water, rearing of livestock animals that are most suitable to the mountainous terrain, a system of co-operative farming, organized society (irrespective of religion) and use of rich organic manure made uncomplicated eco-friendly agriculture possible in Ladakh.
In recent years, the tradition of agriculture in Ladakh is at threat. Rice, a water intensive crop is emerging as a staple diet, especially with the younger generation. Even though supply and demand is moderate at the moment and government is highly subsidizing the price, nothing guarantees the trend (of subsidy) will continue.
With the issue of global warming and receding glaciers, the water source is at stake. To use the limited available water for agriculture, villagers appointed a manager (nominated or elected from within the village) who equally distributed the water resource from the storage structures called zing. Though the tradition survives but is on quick decline.
Organic manure used in Ladakh not only nourished the soil but provided the texture to retain water. The method applied to produce such manure not only prevented odor but also the extreme cold weather inhibited unwarranted microbial activities.
Chemical fertilizer, which is quickly taking over, ensures speedy growth and taller crops than normal. With short agricultural cycle and additional fodder this is no doubt a benefit. However, with high wind velocity and few or no windbreakers in form of vegetation, the crops are vulnerable to being beaten down. The use of such fertilizer promotes water consumption and hardens the soil, which is unproductive in long run.
Growth of vegetables and fruits are being greatly encouraged among farmers of Ladakh with highly subsidized seed distribution by the government and canola, sunflower, oat, several varieties of pulses, watermelon, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, grapes and raspberry introduction is in pipeline. It is mentionable though that cultivation of vegetables and fruits requires at least triple the quantity of manure and water than the traditional wheat or barley crops.
For generations Ladakhis have distinguished streams running down for farming, washing, bathing and for drinking. The villages situated at higher altitudes as well as the ones below have followed this. Chemical manure poses a threat of polluting these streams.
Many agricultural experts are encouraging Jersey cows to be substituted for the yaks, which produces low milk yield. The fact that the recommended animals are unable to walk above 3, 048 m / 10, 000 ft. for grazing, requires special shade and fodder is certainly not being taken into consideration.
The new diesel powered mills which are getting popular over the simple water wheels for grinding grains are doing the work at a much greater speed, but the transportation costs (to the mills and back) are effecting the price. The heat generated during the process of grinding is robbing nutritional value as well as the emitted fumes are contributing to air pollution.
After the Kargil War between India and Pakistan in 1999, it was realized by the Indian Army that troops from plains take much longer time acclimatizing and the sensible alternative is to recruit local youths. Since then, the number of work hands in Ladakh farmlands has been limited.
Much of the good old ways are on the verge of being pushed away with a promise of something better, but many of the proposals are flawed. Some of the other solutions that have been put forward are assured purchase of wheat and barley grains from the farmers by Food Corporation of India, explore the promising prospects of horticulture, Himalayan herbal plants, disease-free seeds for a range of high-value plants sounds sensible. It is to be noted how these proposals are dealt with.
The changing face of Ladakh is likely to have a serious and deep impact, whether for better or worse is a time related issue.