|
Garma
Garam
Hulchal:
News & Analysis
Saddi Dharti Sadde
Log
The
land of five rivers
Our
Culture & Heritage
Punjabi Millennium
A
Saga of Sacrifice & Struggle
Sabhyachaar
Books
Literature
Fiction
Humor
Poetry
Art & Culture...
Faith and Religion
Sikhism
Sufi and Bhakti Tradition
Arya Samaj
Hinduism
Islam
Communalism
& Secularism
Rasoi
Punjabi
Delicacies
Exotic Recipes
Education
Institutions
Studying Abroad
Career...
Tourism
Destination
Punjab
Links
Media
Newspapers
Magazines
Television
Online
Radio More
Health
InfoTech
Science
Environment
Sports
Agriculture
Business
Music
Films
Kidz & Youth
At
Your Service
Weather
Matrimonials
Free e-mail
Free Web Pages
Plus
Home
|
.
Letter
from Kheti Virasat, Punjab - 2
Dear
Brother,
Namaskar!
As you know Kheti Virasat is working for propagation of sustainable
agriculture, water conservation, sustainable development and
eco-friendly life systems. Through its multi-dimensional activities
Kheti Virasat is creating strong awareness among farmers of Punjab
about traditional agriculture systems, organic farming, native seeds
and indigenous varieties of agriculture and biodiversity.
It is evident that State of Punjab is pioneer in bringing Green
Revolution in India. Today Punjab is producing highest amount of
wheat and paddy for the whole nation. But since last decade Punjab
is facing adverse impacts of the Green Revolution and highly
chemicalized, mechanized and resource intensive agriculture. Punjab
is paying ecological, environmental, social, cultural and economic
cost of this revolution. We have the power to destroy nature, but
the question is whether we have the wisdom to preserve it. Since a
long time, man has acquired the habit of playing with nature in
order to exploit it for his selfish ends, forgetting that for a
healthy and sustainable life there has to be interdependence with
Nature and not its exploitation. In his greed he is ready, guided by
his short-term vision, to squeeze out all that is given by Mother
Earth, all its resources and all its riches. Unfortunately he has
only the illusion that he has succeeded-he closes his eyes to the
fact that instead of gaining he is actually in the process of paying
a very heavy price.
After the Green-revolution, with the coordinated effort of the
policy makers, the scientists and the farmers of India in general
and of Punjab in particular, India may have become self-sufficient
as far as the production of food grains is concerned but the after
math of this exercise was never thought of. The Green Revolution,
which was ushered with such fanfare, necessitated a very heavy use
of synthetic and chemical fertilizers. Over four decades of their
indiscriminate use is posing today a distinct threat to Mother
Nature, Man and the Environment.
Green revolution gave us pesticides and other agro-chemicals, new
variety of seeds, European breeds of cattle, several types of
machines and tractors etc., whereas it has taken away all our native
varieties of seeds, cow breeds, traditional systems of agriculture,
our all precious natural resources mainly-water and bio-diversity.
And now in the new age of Globalization, Privatization,
Corporatization and Plunderization by WTO the loss of natural
resources and bio-diversity will definitely cost us dear. USA and
its corporations have a history of robbing and plundering the
biological and genetic wealth of the Third World countries.
United States accuses the people of India for pirating its
intellectual property. But the truth is that the US is pirating the
intellectual property of the farmers, healers, tribals, fisherfolks
etc. of India and other developing countries. The UNDP estimates
that biological resources worth approximately US $5.4 billion are
being stolen from the Third World countries every year. Considering
that the US alone is taking 60 per cent of the biological loot, it
is stealing genetic wealth worth some US $3.2 billion every year. On
the other hand, US claims patent infringements to the tune of US $
120 million every year against India. But the fact remains
that patent infringement is not even fraction of the pirated
biological wealth. Since the biological resources are now accepted
to be a national property, America owes at least US $ 100 billion to
us. India is not only losing its precious bio-resources but it is
also losing its traditional and natural way of pest control through
plant based pesticides. While India is being used as a dumping
ground for all kinds of hazardous and toxic chemicals by the
Chemical and Seed Corporations to be used in Indian agriculture, US
is adopting the non toxic natural pesticides for its organic
agriculture.
The hazardous chemicals & pesticides introduced during and after
Green revolution have posed a great threat to the ecology and
environment of our country. The massive use of these agro- chemicals
has become a disaster for the Eco & agriculture friendly birds
and insects. Today it is very rare to sight any earthworm, crows or
humming bird or even vultures. Fireflies and butterflies have almost
disappeared. They have almost become extinct due to extensive use of
harmful pesticides. Agro-biodiversity and animal biodiversity of
Punjab have given way to monoculture.
Moreover, the ground water table in the past 20 years has recorded a
dangerous decrease from 15 feet to 100-150 feet or even more.
Ruthless over-exploitation of this precious resource has led to this
situation. The severity of the situation can be gauged by the fact
that out of 138 development blocks, 11 development blocks have been
declared as Dark Zones, i.e. there is no ground water in these
areas. Further 78 blocks have been declared as over exploited or
Grey Zones. Secondly, use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has
led to the pollution of water resources of Punjab and the ground
water is contaminated with Chromium, Selenium & Nitrates.
Due to contamination the topsoil is also sick with severe deficiency
of micronutrients. Decreasing carbon content is losing the water
& nutrient holding capacity of the soil as well as organic
matter such as bacteria, fungi and earthworms etc. are on the verge
of destruction due to high toxic selenium levels in Punjab.
Back
to Agriculture Index
.
|
