One team gets down at Lahiripur ghat to carry out survey, while the other team will travel on river to the other survey area
Teamwork @ Lahiripur ghat
Seedlings coming up
That barren area in the distance, with intermittent growth of grass, would be lush with crop at this time of another year...
Here we can find that some people are following the instruction from Swanirvar trainers Narain Bachar & Anjana Mandal to mix specific types of seeds for better results
Uchchhey hochchhey gachhey
Sown seeds are coming up as vegetable plants
Sources of fresh water (i.e. tubewells) for watering the vegetable plants are far away. People of Lahiripur & Santigachhi have partly or fully used the 'salined but now diluted' water from nearest ponds, and even then there have been some positive results. Some people have alternated usage of this 'dubious' pond water for watering with some fresh water from tubewells.
"Lal shak", interspersed with other plants
Machan for "lau"
These red edged white spots on leaves is apparently a type of parasitic infection of the plants. many other leaves showed signs of insect / pest attack. Verbal survey revealed that the various types of natural pesticides as advised in the crop training program will now need reinforcing by a refresher course by the 'super users' who have been now assembled into a cooperative to pick-up such issues, advise as suitable and, if required, coordinate with the crop trainers. Some people are not following the insect attack prevention steps, and many were not even aware.
Shoot that on video please
In the midst of a long walk for the survey
Irrigating the seedlings with pond water
A gentleman using pond water to irrigate his backyard vegetable plantation developed with assistance from PAKT ['agricultural training for salined land' imparted through "Swanirvar" trainers and subsequent distribution of 14 types of seeds]
This old gentleman showed a good area coverage by the vegetables. He has no one to help him. So he did it all by himself with pond water. But complained that the taste was not like other years...
The same old gentleman speaking to PAKT
The interesting old man with Nirapada Sarkar, who is designated as a key member of the cooperative.
More vegetables growing
Red and green - all from the seeds we distributed in early October 2009
This person has tried to use a lot of the backyard area he had. Many others have not done that. In most of the cases people have sown only as much as they can using fresh water (which needs to be fetched from a tubewell - and the distance determines what quantities can be fetched each day). Some others have ventured to use water from ponds which were once flooded by the brackish water till bund was repaired. Most have got some returns - results vary depending on areas and the history / extent of exposure to brackish water.
I saw a "kaktarua" after many years - what a joy it will be to find millions of these around this region come next rains
Backyard of another guy who has tried to maximise the area available to him and fill it up with vegetable growth from PAKT seeds.
This is Nirapada Sarkar's own return! He stays at an area which was seriously exposed to salinity..so this may not be a bad return at all.
Santigachi Primary school
The temple near the school
The temple decoration.
people gathering as per PAKT's message. We wanted to intimate them about the immediate plans of PAKT, role of cooperative and how people can use maxium support of cooperative. We also brief themed on blanket distribution next week (13th Dec) and its eligibility criteria.
PAKT team with Local Cooperative members.
Sandeepan of PAKT addressing the local villagers.
Nirapada Sarkar taking us to one of the most "hara bhara" backyards we saw on 6th Dec 2009 afternoon.
Very nice work. Coverage area is perhaps as much as the person could achieve
Lau
At Arati Bashnab's backyard
Arati shows some of the crop from pre-PAKT vegetable growth in her backyard, which she has stored carefully in a cool area.
Maximising sowing of vegetable seeds
Direct evidences of the destruction are still on show
