ಮರುಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲೊಂದು ಓಯಸಿಸ್!

ಟೆಕ್ಕಿ ಗೆಳೆಯ ಸಂದೀಪ್ ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದ ಯಾವುದೋ ಅನಾಮಧೇಯ ಹಳ್ಳಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಶೋಧಕರೊಬ್ಬರಿಗೆ ಮೂಲ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಸಂಗ್ರಾಹಕನಾಗಿ ವಾರ ಕಾಲ ಓಡಾಡಿ ಬಂದರು. ಅವೆಲ್ಲ ನಾಲ್ಕು ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಬರ ಅನುಭವಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ವಲಯವಂತೆ. ಸರಕಾರೀ ಭೂ ದಾಖಲೆಗಳನ್ನೆ ಉದ್ಧರಿಸಿ ಸಂದೀಪ್ ಕೂಡಾ ಅದನ್ನು ಹುಲ್ಲುಗಾವಲೆಂದೇ ಹೇಳಿದರೂ ಅದು ಯಾವುದೇ ಮರುಭೂಮಿಗೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿಲ್ಲ! ಅಲ್ಲೂ ಚತುಷ್ಪಥ, ಷಟ್ಪಥ ಮಾಡಿ, ನಡುವೆ ಕಣಗಿಲೆ ನೆಟ್ಟು, ನಿತ್ಯ ನೀರೂಡುವ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕರ್‌ಗಳು ಓಡಾಡುತ್ತವಂತೆ. ಅವು ‘ಕರುಣೆಯಿಟ್ಟು’ ವಾರಕ್ಕೊಮ್ಮೆ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಹಳ್ಳಿಗೂ ನೀರು ಕೊಡುತ್ತವಂತೆ. ಆದರೂ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಜನ, ಬರಪೀಡಿತರು, ಸಂದೀಪರಂಥ ‘ಪರದೇಸೀ’ ಹುಡುಗರು ಬಂದಾಗ ಕುಡಿಯಲು ನೀರು ಕೊಟ್ಟು ಉಪಚರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರಂತೆ. ಸಂದೀಪ್ ಬಳಗ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸಿದ ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯ ಫಲಿತಾಂಶ, ದೀರ್ಘ ಕಾಲೀನ ಪರಿಣಾಮಗಳಿಗೆ ವೇದಿಕೆ ಬೇರೇ ಇದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಯಾರೂ ಹೇಳದುಳಿಯುವ ಈ ಮಾನವೀಯ ಸಂವೇದನೆಯ ಕಥನವನ್ನು ನೇರ ಅವರದೇ ಮಾತುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಿ ಕನಿಷ್ಠ ಹೃದಯವನ್ನಾದರೂ ಆರ್ದ್ರಗೊಳಿಸಿ.

Grassland diaries!

Write & amp; Pic by: Sandeep Vasishta

I traveled to Maharashtra early in January to work as a volunteer for a period of ten days. The work was for a researcher who is studying the Impact of degradation of grasslands on wildlife. I was asked to reach sholapur. Reaching Solapur from Mangalore was a circus in itself. On reaching Solapur, I was asked to report to a place named Mhaswad. Reaching Mhaswad from solapur in a rickety rackety bus with people in the bus speaking a very different dialect of Marathi gave me the sign of things to come. I had learnt Marathi during my school days in Mumbai, thanks to a very strict teacher who would punish us when caught speaking any other language during marathi class. My marathi was of textbook kind, pure and slang free. That isn't the way any language for that matter is spoken.So heeding to the warnings, I tried to understand the dialect by listening to conversations happening around me in the bus. Initial reaction was, I would be more of a liability for this work. For the first thirty minutes I could hardly make out what they were speaking. As time flew by, slowly I was able to pick the sentences. My confidence was still shaky, I thought I wouldn't be able to get in conversation with people. But, having come this far, I felt I should give a try for at least two days. If my work does not bring me any comfort, i would leave the camp. So, with some doubts and shaky confidence, I arrived at Mhaswad after a three hour journey.

I met other fellow volunteers, who had come from different parts of the country. One from Baroda, one from Vizag and many from neighboring districts of Maharashtra. It was afternoon when I reached the camp. Other volunteers too had just arrived, we were waiting for research assistants to come back from field and let us know the kind of work that was expected out of us. The research assistants came back later in the evening, they explained that we would be working 10-12 hours a day, and gather data by interacting with people.

When Rivers Run Dry!

Every day, we would wake up at 6. Be ready and out of camp by 6.45. Vada Pav and tea would be our breakfast. Chapatis would be packed for lunch and we would head out in a vehicle to nearby villages. These are rain shadow areas in Maharashtra. Maharashtra as one would know is divided into three major areas Konkan(Coastal Belt), Marathwada and Vidarbha. Konkan area, due to proximity towards the sea receives good amount rainfall. Major parts of Marathwada haven't received good amount of rainfall for the past 3 or 4 years. Vidarbha is worse off. With drought or minimal rain over the past decade, the people of this area (mostly farmers) are reeling under debt, hunger and extreme poverty. This area as well documented by our mainstream media has the highest rate of farmer suicides in the country. Just Google farmer suicides, sadly, Vidarbha would be the first thing you will see.

Tragedies cannot be compared. The areas we were in was no less. There is no water to drink. The grasslands have dried up. There is no food for cattle. Government has stepped in to some extent. They have built up small camps called 'Chavani' where the fodder for cattle is provided for free. 15 kilos of fodder of which 5 kilos would be wet food and the rest would be dry food. The only glitch in this is, the Chavanis are few and far. Some people we talked to, drove their cattle from as far a 20 kilometers. In that simmering heat, walking a mile is difficult. Some people had given up, they fed their cattle with whatever they could feed at home itself. 

The people here aren't as privileged as their cattle. The ration shops were few and far off. One of the person whom we talked to told us that he would have to walk 5 kms, then catch a bus, spend 40  Rupees on one way journey to get 5 kilos of free wheat. One may say, 80 rupees is no big deal. Trust me, 80 Rupees means a lot here. The guy said, they can almost sustain 4 to 5 days with it. If this is the state of affairs for food, the fight for water is uglier. The rivers have run dry, there is no water to drink. A tanker comes once in a week and there is mad rush for water. These people know the value of every drop. Not a drop is wasted.The crops have failed repeatedly over the years. Many farmers have stopped agriculture. Many have left to the bigger cities in search of livelihood. We all know the state of farmers who head to cities as laborers.  

Many scientists who have studied usage of water in India have always spoken of how badly we have used up all our rivers when green revolution was ushered. The green revolution then turned India into a food exporter. But Indian food production has stagnated recently. And the main reason is water. With river water fully used, Indian farmers have been trying to increase supplies by tapping underground reserves. A recent study by International Water Management Institute’s groundwater research station in Gujarat tells us, In the last 15 years, they(Farmers in Gujrat) have bought a staggering 20 million Yamaha pumps to suck water from beneath their fields. It is estimated that those farmers are pumping annually to the surface 100 cubic kilometers more water than the monsoon rains replace. Water tables are plunging, and in many places water supplies are giving out. It seems that we are headed for a grave crisis.

Apparently, these studies have observed that all is not lost as yet. The major problem in India is the farming method in itself. Majority of the fields in India are irrigated by flooding them. Which in turn results in loads of water to be wasted.While, some farmers have implemented drip irrigation and few other efficient methods. All these studies seem to chant same mantra, More crop per drop. Had our farmers been aware of this and these methods were implemented, may be we could have met happier people in Maharashtra. Gone are the days when water was considered as cheap unlimited resource. This affects every one of us. Without water there will be food crisis, price rise and what not. 

Ten days in those grasslands. For someone like me who works in an Air Conditioned setup, the heat was staggering. To add to it, misery of people there. In spite of all their misgivings where ever we went, we were welcomed with smiles. Some even offered rotis to us. We can never forget the kind of people we met. They were sympathetic towards animals as well. Some of whose goats were taken away by wolf/fox told us that, those animals also have no food to eat so what else can it do apart from snatching their goat. Some though, were bitter about it. But again, In areas like these where no one is wrong. You cannot blame the people for attacking wolf/Fox, as it will take away one last thing that is left of them. The wolf/fox on the other hand can never be blamed too. So, I really am in dilemma ever since. I cannot take sides here.

When I went to grasslands, I had dreamt of watching black bucks, which I had seen at Konehalli, Arasikere. I have never seen a fox in wild, my mind raced with all these thoughts when I boarded the bus. Excitedly, I put up a status in Facebook as well :) But, all I got to see over and over again is that India which is blinded by fate's illusions and political apathy. Let it rain there and let people get to drink water from rivers again, if nothing else.

References: 

1.    Internet.

2.    When Rivers Run dry by Fred Pearce.

3.    Inputs from Himanshu Mahadik, Tharun Nalige and Nikit surve.