By: Provakar Bar
Baruipur (Kolkata): Sundarban covers 19 blocks of South and North 24 Parganas districts in West Bengal.
Gosaba is one of the remote blocks and major part of Sundarban delta . It is multi hazard prone block for its geographical location. Some main rivers like Gosaba, Vidyadhari, Matla, and Hogal and their many criss-crosses are surrounded the whole block. Agriculture and allied practices are the main sources of income of Sundarban communities. The livelihood opportunities of Sundarban are badly affected due to frequent disaster, embankment erosion, water stagnation and cyclone.
Due to frequent flood and embankment erosion, the soil salinity is increasing in the agricultural land of Sundarban Delta region, making the fertile agricultural land barren resulting in a decrease of crop productivity. Consequently, a large number of community people are struggling to have sufficient food for their daily needs.
To change the agriculture pattern and increase the income of vulnerable community through integrated farming Palli Unnayan Samiti Baruipur has taken the initiative with the generous support of MESIRIOR through Caritas India, social service wing of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.
The “Uttoran” project is continuously making the community aware about integrated farming by the use of organic method.
After an exposure visit of different farmers’ groups, a woman farmer named Sujata Mahota has taken the first initiative to start integrated agriculture in her 10 khata of land.
In Bipradaspur gram Panchayet, she is the first farmer who has increased 50 – 60 % of her income through this process.
In an interview Mrs. Sujata Mahata said, “I am one of the members of ‘Alor Disha farmers group.’ With the support of Uttoran project, I changed the agriculture pattern. Now I have started integrated farming in my own land (vegetable and fish). When I was cultivating only paddy in my land the income was very low and it was not enough for maintaining my family but now my income has increased by 100% and above.”
Before integrated agriculture, her income was only Rs. 850 averages from 10 katha of land. Now she earns an extra amount of Rs. 5,600 from her garden in monsoon season. Now she has prepared her plot for winter crop.
Sujata Mahota is an inspiration to other farmers of Bipradaspur gram panchayet, the Uttoran Project area of Palli Unnayan Samiti Baruipur.
Now 22 farmers have also started this process and enabled to increase their income. The Uttoran project Palli Unnayan Samiti Baruipur is bringing change in the lives of farmers like Sujata Mahota in the block of Gosaba.