School dropout who’s all starry-eyed

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Ahmedabad: When he was a child, Tathagat Kashyap pointed to a car and told his mother he would make one some day. She explained that you need to be a scientist to do that. Pat came the reply — ‘That’s what I’ll be.’ The 25-year-old quit formal education after he failed in class XII, arts stream, but he took up his passion, astronomy, in a big way. He started visiting schools and other institutions to teach the subject. Always curious about everything happening around him, he acquired an 80 mm reflector telescope and showed kids stars, planets, Sun, Moon and other heavenly bodies, disseminating information by capturing their interest. “I want to reach out to as many children as I can. Many people ask me — how do you handle astronomy as you failed in arts? But, I can. My mission is to simplify the science so that every child can understand it. I have made models for this purpose,” says the youngster. Initially, Tathagat’s parents were anxious when he quit studies. “I was worried about his career. But, now I realise how involved he is in what he is doing. I support him in every way I can by purchasing books, magazines and other things he needs,” says Tathagat’s father, Yasvant Vaghela, professor in Sadguna Girls College in the city. Recently, he made models for Balvant Parekh Science City in Bhavnagar. “The models explain things to kids in a simple way. Today, we need innovative and committed teachers like him,” says Manan Mehta, project co-ordinator of Science City. Six months ago, he was sent to Kashmir by Prof Anil Gupta of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, to teach not just students, but teachers as well, astronomy. “Tathagat is right in his way of learning and teaching. He is interested only in astronomy. There should be space in our education system for students passionate about just one subject. His visit to Kashmir was also like a bridge between two communities in these times of terror,” says Professor Gupta.

Silence, please! Angel-doctor at work

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Bhavnagar: When a class XII student failed in exams and decided to end his life, it was one book that pulled him back from the edge. He wrote back to author Dr Inus Kasam Vijaliwala: “When I read your autobiography, I realised my situation was not as bad as what you had faced in your youth.” This was the most satisfying moment for Vijaliwala, 50, a paediatrician in Bhavnagar. ‘Silence Please!’ is a best-seller, having sold 50,000 copies since 2005. The book describes how Vijaliwala, son of a newspaper vendor, did not give up education even when faced with abject poverty. Selling newspapers was not enough to feed a family of seven for his parents, both illiterate. Yet, his father ensured all his children were educated. Even if it meant cycling 70 km daily to neighbouring villages to sell newspapers. He would not send his children for relief work during drought years. “They have a different dream to live,” he would say and send them to school. “Every step of our youth was a struggle,” Vijaliwala says. “My family rejoiced when I got admission to a medical college. But my father worried about the fees of Rs 268, a huge amount then. No one would lend us the money as they knew we were too poor to return it.” Vijaliwala completed his MBBS from MS University. He now takes care of 30 thalassemia-affected children, providing free blood transfusions, consultation and even pays for their transportation. “Even if I charge a token fee, the p a re n t s would stop bringing them and they would die.” He does not take fees from patients who come at night in emergency. In 2001, Vijaliwala campaigned for a thalassemia patient of Rajula to collect Rs 50 lakh for bone marrow transplant in Italy. He even launched a website to reach out to a larger set of donors and doctors. And, all this was possible because of his father’s insistence on education. “Had I not studied, I would still have been vending newspapers in my village.”

HER FLIGHT OF FANCY TURNED FAMILY FORTUNE

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Gandhinagar: Her father calls her the ‘puttar’ of the family. For, few girls hailing from Mangrol taluka of Junagadh district dream of becoming a pilot. However, geography was no deterrent for Hetal Sondarva, who did the unthinkable. Today, she has not just charted her own course as a co-pilot with Kingfisher Airlines, but set a precedent for her two brothers to follow. But, this flight of fancy did run into turbulence for a brief period. Preparing for a career in aviation doesn’t come easy on the pocket. And Hetal’s father Arjun Sondarva, assistant manager at New India Assurance Company Ltd, realised this when their loan amount fell short for financing his daughter’s lofty aspirations. So much so, that he had to finally sell his house to fulfil the requirement! This, at a time when he already had a lot of criticism to contend with, for investing so much money to let his daughter follow her dream. “Many friends and relatives would say that I was wasting my money. According to them, my daughter would eventually get married and the huge amount of money would go in vain,” he says. But Arjun’s efforts paid off and Hetal became the family’s first pilot in 2004. Now, she is married to colleague Shreesh and the couple is settled in Bangalore. Her younger brother, Alpesh, followed suit. After completing a BE in IT from Nirma University, he’s now a co-pilot with SpiceJet. Jay, the baby of the family, is also studying in Florida en route to conquering the skies. The Sondarva family still lives in a rented house, now having shifted to Gandhinagar. Hailing from a small village, Lathodra in Junagadh district, Arjun recollects how he had to work and study simultaneously. His wife, Hiraben, is a primary school teacher in Vavol village near Gandhinagar. “I’ve always believed that girls and boys should be treated equally. When Hetal decided she wanted to become a pilot, I encouraged her,” says the proud papa. As for Hetal, she says she owes everything to her parents. “For them, I am a third son. When I quit engineering, to become a pilot, they welcomed my decision though few girls opt for this profession,” she told TOI from Bangalore. Many girls have high-flying dreams, but are unable to fulfil them because of archaic parental and societal attitudes towards girls, says the pilot who controls A320s and A321s today. The Sondarva family may be the first where all children have opted to become pilots. “Now, we want pilot brides for our two sons,” says an upbeat Arjun. Quite an upwardly mobile family!

A class, 25 km away from city...

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Sanand (Ahmedabad): Shravan Jadav, resident of Hasannagar in Bawla taluka, stays in a hostel in Sanand. His parents are farmers and do additional labour work to eke out a living. Schooling is a luxury and tuitions to get a good score in class X board exams, a distant dream for this 15-year-old. For children like Shravan, a few more marks could make or break a career, as it is a ticket to education in a better school. But unlike other unprivileged kids, Shravan has help at hand. Professors of SM Patel Institute of Commerce (SMPIC) are taking him one step closer to his ambition. This group of teachers travel 25 km every Sunday to take voluntary classes for students appearing for class X and XII board exams. This is a joint initiative of SMPIC and Lokseva Foundation, that began in 2007. “Our mission is based on the premise that one educated person can teach 10 others. This will help strengthen our education system. We teach children from poorer class who can’t afford private tuitions. They are bright, but don’t have access to quality education,” says BN Shah, principal of SMPIC. Currently, there are 170 students benefiting from these classes. “This is a kind of supportive education system by which students who are finding it difficult to cope are able to get through exams and bright ones can score well. Often, poor board exam results ruin a student’s career,” says Sanjay Munjapura, lecturer at SMPIC and co-ordinator of this programme. Most of the students stay in hostels or commute from nearby villages for the classes. Their primary goal is to get admission in a PTC and start earning. The classes are run in Sanskar Madhyamik School in Sanand.

Teaching city’s poor children his business

jaysinh Parmar TNN Ahmedabad: Kishan Patni’s father is a rickshaw driver. But, he dreams of becoming a lawyer. And, scoring 97 per cent in class VI exams has given his confidence a big boost. Kishan owes his smiles to friend, philosopher and father-figure Mahesh Desai. Desai, who runs a garment factory, scaled down his business to be able to devote time to teach slum children. And, gave Kishan and hundreds of underprivileged children a ray of hope. His mission does not end with ensuring informal education or enrolling them in private schools. He is their guardian, assuming the responsibility till they complete their studies and find their feet in life. He is their friend too. So, when Kishan scored high marks, Desai took him to a movie. Desai, now 50, could have led a relaxed life, having had his own children settled. He chose a different path. It began seven years ago when Desai ventured into a poor neighbourhood in Naranpura. There were over 2,000 people living along the railway track, most of them migrants. He decided to teach them for free. But, he tread carefully. “I first studied the lifestyle and socio-economic condition of these families. I would end up breaking dining in their huts. Once, I had their confidence, I told them about the need for education. It was tough as parents wanted the children to work,” says Desai. “No child came when I began a temporary school in one of the huts. I had my first student only six months later and the mission began,” he adds. Now, more than 65 children take nonformal education in a temporary school till class III every morning. Once the children complete class III, Desai convinces parents to enrol them in private schools, offering to pay their fees. Desai has now started a hostel in a posh flat in Naranpura area where five children from tribal and backward communities stay and study.

Will mini-Japan wade in deep waters?

Vijaysinh Parmar Finds Special Investment Region In Gujarat, Where Japanese Auto Majors Are Likely To Set Up Shop Following Nano, Is A Severe Flood-Prone Zone.
When the Japanese follow the Nano into Gujarat, will it be in deep waters, literally? That is what appears if condition of proposed Ahmedabad-Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) — where a mini Japan is likely to come up — is studied during monsoons over last four years. The entire region is prone to severe flooding. According to rough estimates, nearly 40 per cent of SIR is vulnerable to floods. Severity of floods is such that even railway tracks and roads go under water for a stretch of seven to eight days. Locally known as ‘bhal’, this region is a low-lying area and has seen floods to such an extent that people had to be evacuated and even air-lifted. However, many early birds have already put their money in this region, expecting more investments to follow. “Since last four years, villages from Vataman to Dholera are affected by floods. This year too, farmers have lost their crops as well as houses across this region. This happens frequently as more than 50 per cent of this area gets flooded,” says Dholka MLA Kanji Talpada. Many villages along the Vataman-Dholera road get disconnected due to floods. “Most-affected villages are Ganol, Ganesar, Vataman, Varna, Bholad, Samani, Saragvala, Burhanpura, Navagam, Gogla, Mingalpur, Bhangadh, Zankhi, among others,” says Mingalpur village sarpanch Meghji Bariya. “Around 150 houses collapsed during the floods this year in our village alone,’’ adds Bariya. “The region is often hit by water draining from Surendranagar district which is hit by heavy rains and high tide in rivers like Bhogavo, Utavali, Bhadar and Lilka. It is a double whammy that leaves the region flooded. During floods in September this year, road connecting Vataman to Pipali and Dholera was blocked for six days,” says Rajubha Chudasama, resident of Dholera. Another state highway, connecting Bagodra and Fedra, was also under water for about 10 days. Even villages like Laxmipura near Lothal which never had a history of flooding, got affected this time.
WHEN JAPAN COMES CALLING
Japanese government is keen on setting up a mini-Japan township in Gujarat, possibly in SIR It will be spread over 100 sq km Mini-Japan will be a self-contained township, complete with Japanese schools A Gujarat government delegation to visit Japan in mid-November to woo Japanese auto majors Talks lined up with Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Suzuki
WHAT IS SIR?
Ahmedabad-Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) is being developed as a self-sustained region Will have world-class infrastructure to attract foreign investment. Will be spread over 360 sq km Will be located in the eastern part of Dhandhuka taluka along the Gulf of Khambat SIR is well connected to Ahmedabad through state highways. (Times of India)

AGAINST ALL ODDS

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN/For classical music enthusiasts, Saturday night was a treat, when a week-long festival organised by Saptak kicked off. They got to hear talented, teen tabla exponent, Kabirdan Gadhavi. Kabirdan’s solo at Gajjar Hall mesmerised listeners. He is a disciple of Banarasi gharana. “The 13th Sangeet Sankalp Saptah-2008 is dedicated to the memory of Padma Vibhushan, late Pt Kishan Maharaj, maestro of the same gharana. Kabirdan is the youngest star of this gharana,” says HC Kapasi, convenor of the festival. The 17-year-old lad belongs to Virvadarka village in Maliya taluka, 200 km from Ahmedabad. He lost his mother a year ago and his father Bapubhai, a proof-reader with a Gujarati publication, is battling cancer. In fact, father and son live at his office, at present. The tabla prodigy has been commuting to Ahmedabad as he’s been training at Saptak for the past eight years. Bapubhai’s only hope is his talented son, who performed twice at Saptak’s annual festival as a child artiste in 2004 and 2006. It was a memorable occasion for the duo when, after listening to Kabirdan, Pt Jasraj told the audience. “A few days ago, a journalist asked me about future of classical music in India. It was tough to answer the question. But, after this performance, I can definitely say that Banarasi gharana doesn’t have to worry for 60 years.” Kabirdan bagged first prize (junior category) at Pt Omkarnath Sangeet Spardha’ organised by Gujarat Sangeet Natak Academy in 2006. He has also been awarded a scholarship by Tatas. “The scholarship is important, not because of the money, but the recognition. It will help establish my son in the profession,” says a proud Bapubhai, who is himself a poet.

Biogas is this G’nagar village’s lifeline

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Jakhora/Chala (Gandhinagar): Nathubhai Patel, farmer in Chala village, 15 km from Gandhinagar, has a peaceful night’s sleep. He is not worried about how inflation is impacting cooking gas costs. Like 75 families — 50 per cent of residents — here, he uses biogas. Villagers have managed to tackle twin terrors of inflation and global warming by using this alternative source of energy. Besides, biogas slurry is used in farms as fertiliser, cutting costs there too. “For the last four years, I have not purchased a gas cylinder. Our four-member family’s needs are met by a three-cm biogas plant. We are able to cook meals twice a day and are self-reliant in this respect,” says Nathubhai. His daughter, Kiran, chips in with, “The kitchen has become smoke-free and chances of accidents are also less.” “I was spending between Rs 500 and Rs 600 a month to get a gas cylinder in the black market. It was a big amount for us. The biogas plant has freed us of this burden,” says another villager, Nathu Patel. Apart from saving on fertiliser, biogas slurry also prevents growth of weeds. As a bonus, these plants also promote education! Says Natubhai Patel, retired teacher in Jakhora village, “Apart from its positive impact on the environment, biogas plants in our village are helping children attend school. Earlier, many families were totally dep e n d e n t on wood for fuel. So, children usually would not be able to attend school in the afternoon as they went in search of timber.” At present, family-size biogas plants are given subsidy under National Biogas and Manure Management Programme of ministry of new and renewable energy, Govt of India. Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd is implementing this scheme in the state. According to its sources, there are more than 150 villages in the state where 50 per cent of villagers uses biogas and have become self-reliant in cooking gas. During 2007-08, 8,301 biogas plants were installed in the state. Recently, an annual study of these plants found that 85 per cent of them are functioning.
Paltry subsidy
While Chief Minister Narendra Modi vociferously advocates biogas for villages, subsidy for family-size plants in the state hasn’t been increased since 1992-93. Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd (GAIC), the nodal agency to implement biogas scheme, wrote to state department of agriculture and cooperation last month asking for a subsidy hike from the paltry sum of Rs 1,100 to Rs 2,400. The letter, a copy of which is with TOI, stated that cost of biogas plant construction has almost doubled to Rs 16,000. One of the results of this has been that targets for Scheduled Castes have not been achieved for many years. GAIC sources said Central government increased its subsidy to Rs 3,500 in 2004-05. The corporation has constructed 41,555 biogas plants between 2002 and 2007.

Caste bogey still haunts safai workers

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Gandhinagar: It’s not just villages tucked away in remote corners of the state where caste discrimination prevails. Bogey of cast prejudice haunts Valmikis (Dalits) working as safai kamdars in the state capital too. Around 80 part-time safai workers, mostly women, have been on dharna for the past 35 days here to protest the discrimination they face. These part-time workers are responsible for cleaning all public spaces in the city and are paid Rs 30 for four hours of work. Sometimes, they don’t even get work. According to information obtained under RTI, non-Dalits selected as part-time safai kamdars get to work longer hours and are paid more in the notified area in Gandhinagar. Members of upper castes are recruited as part-time safai kamdars since there are vacancies in this department. But, they are given better jobs like drivers, gardeners and watchmen and have to work for more than four hours. “Many Valmikis have been working as safai workers for the past 15 years. But, non-Valmikis are given six hours of work and paid accordingly. We came to know of this discrimination under RTI,’’ says Bharat Vaghela, a safai kamdar in Gandhinagar. Officials said there are many part-time safai kamdars who are Desais, Rajputs and Brahmins in Gandhinagar. “People who joined as safai kamdars haven’t been doing cleaning work for a long time. So, they were given other since they belong to upper castes,” says Gauri Vaadodara, a safai worker. When contacted, chief officer (notified area), KN Chavda, said government has decided to increase wages to Rs 54.70 for four hours of work as per minimum wages. He denied there was discrimination. “A driver or watchman would have to work for over four hours and so are paid accordingly.’’ Agreed. But, the question remains — why are they not given cleaning work when they have been recruited as safai kamdars?

His century has breathed life into many

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Ahmedabad: Snehal Shah has hit a ton, that too a very quick one. Not in what the country is crazy about, that is cricket, but, in what it needs a great deal — blood. Shah has donated blood 100 times at the age of 40, making him the youngest centurion blood donor in the city so far, say Red Cross officials of Ahmedabad chapter. That’s because he started young, at 18, the minimum age. On Wednesday, on the occasion of ‘All India Voluntary Blood Donation Day’ Shah and two other centurion blood donors will be felicitated by Red Cross Society for their noble deeds over the years. Shah, working in vigilance department of Oriental Insurance Company, made his century last year. “When I was in primary school, I came to know about blood donation as members of Red Cross came to our school. In class XII, one day a friend donated blood and told me about his experience. I had always wanted to do it — so I did. Since then, it has become a routine,’’ Shah says. Till he had donated 25 times, he did not tell his parents fearing they would dissuade him. But, much to his joy, they not only appreciated his efforts, but also joined him. Many of his friends too were inspired by him. “When I donated for the 25th time, my friend Ajay Parmar started donating. Now, he has donated more than 75 times. We always go together for the purpose.” Shah is very health-conscious and avoids eating out as it’s important to stay healthy to keep donating blood. He feels one should do whatever one can for others. “I and my parents have also pledged our eyes. I will continue to donate blood as long as health permits and after my death I wish to donate my body for research to help medical students,” the compulsive do-gooder adds.

Bhavnagar Science City to ignite young minds

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN/Bhavnagar: You might have explosions of a different kind coming out of here. But, children are sure to have a blast at this unique science city being set up in Bhavnagar. And, who knows, an Edison or CV Raman might emerge from this experiment. Slated to cost Rs 3 crore, construction has already begun and the centre is likely to be operational in 2009. Shri Balvant Parekh Science City aims to stimulate young minds to think and even, invent. It plans to enhance skills of comprehension and innovation along with R & D capabilities. “The science city will give students an environment where they can experiment freely and learn science practically. There are many schools which teach science, where students are not allowed to carry out experiments. How can we then expect great scientists to emerge? Children will be able to do things here they can’t do at school or home,” says Bipin Shah of Vikas Vartul Trust. The trust and Monghiben Balvihar are playing an instrumental role in establishing it. Shah is himself a scientist at Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar. How did the idea strike him? Interestingly, it was a thought-provoking question from his son that triggered the scheme. His son asked him how come he had studied so much more than Edison, but had not invented anything! “We visited many science cities across the country to incorporate their best features. Our idea is that it should not be just an exhibition centre but, a breeding ground for scientists,” says a passionate Shah. Seeing his devotion to the cause of spreading science awareness among children, industrialists and others have made donations for the project. “Pidilite Industries Ltd donated Rs 1.25 crore and Hindustan Pencils Ltd Rs 76 lakh. Tushar Vadhar of Shashi Industries has also helped shape our project,’’ says Shah According to Aswin Shah, a trustee, each day over 500 students will be able to conduct experiments and as a result, build scientific temper. “There will be a laboratory, IT computer unit, environmentagri unit, CD-toys library, mobile knowledge van, teachers’ training unit, theatre, science park, energy park, fairyland, planetarium and science museum at the venue,” he says.

Organic farmers develop rating system

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN/Ahmedabad: In a novel initiative, state farmers have established their own system for organic certification. Vadodarabased NGO Jatan and farmers associated with it are responsible for the venture. Interestingly, technical knowhow has been provided by non-resident Indian PhD student of Stanford University, Neil Patel. “He has designed a special software for the certification programme. It will scientifically evaluate organic farms giving marks for each crop,” explains Kapil Shah of Jatan. Certification will cost only Rs 20 for one acre of dry land and Rs 50 for irrigated land. Currently, the charges are so high that farmers can’t afford them. Certification should help farmers, but it has become a business. That’s why we wanted to establish farmers’ own system,’’ he adds. Jatan has been working in this field for 25 years. On Saturday, 25 farms of 12 farmers will be issued ‘Sajivkheti Pramanpatra’ by Jatan Pramanan Samiti at a function at Gujarat Vidyapith. “We have spent six years to develop the programme. Now, we will be able to implement it. Using this system, farmers will monitor and evaluate farms in their area. They have been trained for the task,” he says. Farmers who practise organic farming have been selected as evaluators. A seven-member state-level committee has been formed to give final certification to farms. Field-level monitors will recommend farms for this purpose. “For consumers, organic products are those in which chemicals and fertilisers have not been used. For us, organic farming is much more. We see it as a sustainable approach keeping environmental welfare in mind. Our ultimate goal is to conserve natural resources,” stresses Shah. Ramesh Patel, secretary of SRISTI, which promotes organic farming and traditional knowledge, feels the initiative will be very beneficial for small and marginal farmers in the state. “The best part is that farmers themselves are involved in the process. Traditionally, organic farming is done in Surendranagar, Dangs and Kutch. Since, this certification is cheap it will be accessible to small farmers too,” he adds.

Blind man opens eyes of villagers

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN/Rangpar: He may be visually impaired, but he sure does see things others don’t. Ratna Aal, 26, resident of Rangpar village, has been enlightening villagers on the inaction of panchayat for the last two years. The panchayat has claimed it has done development work like repair of road connecting village to highway, planted trees along the roadside and cut down gando baval. Aal, a farmer, got documents under Right to Information Act (RTI) to show none of these things have been done. “I’ve been trying to find solid facts that panchayat has done precious little in the village. However, talati and panchayat members have still not parted with certain information and have even given misleading information,” says Aal, who has studied till class X. In these documents the gram panchayat claims it has spent Rs 27,187 on tree plantation, Rs 18,503 on road repairs under different schemes, which have not been implemented. For instance, he says, panchayat claims there is no gando baval along the roadside, but anyone can see it growing and causing problems to passers-by. “Also, where are the new trees planted? Do you see them?” he asks this TOI correspondent while showing him around the village. Rangpar is a small village with around 750 people, 25 km from Wankaner in Rajkot district. When he first confronted the panchayat, it insulted him. Aal has met several officials with the documents but no one has taken notice so far. But, he is determined to carry on till the village gets justice and all facilities it’s entitled to under different government schemes. “Women have to walk at least two km to fetch drinking water during summer. I may be blind, but my vision is clear — no villager should suffer because of lack of basic civic amenities,” says the braveheart. Village sarpanch Ratabhai Gogia says, “We had cut down gando baval last year but it has grown rapidly. We had also repaired the road but lots of vehicles use this road so it is difficult to maintain it.” He claims to have planted trees, many of which did not survive.

Gujarat’s lifeline makes their farmland saline

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Leelapur(Surendranagar): The Narmada canal has turned many arid regions in Gujarat lush green. But in Leelapur, villagers have accused the canal of rendering 250 acres of agricultural land unusable. The village’s black clay soil, ideal for growing cotton, has started developing a white coating. Water seeping from the Narmada main canal has brought to surface the underlying salinity in the soil here. Experts say this is natural when such a large canal passes through a region that has underlying salinity. Incidentally, Leelapur is the village where the land acquired for the canal was the maximum in Surendranagar district. The saline land is turning land-holding farmers into farm labourers. Suresh Patel, one of the farmers, grew cotton on his four acres till about three years ago. He lost 1.5 acres to the Narmada canal, while the rest has become infertile. “In the last three years, we have not had a single crop because our lands have become infertile. Water seeping from the Narmada canal and two of its sub-canals has brought up underlying salinity,” he says. Ironically, Leelapur is just one km from the world’s biggest pumping station on the Saurashtra branch canal of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Project, inaugurated in 2007 at Dhanki by Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Narmada’s Vallbhipur branch canal and Maliya branch canal also pass through Leelapur lands. Says Manjibhai Patel, another farmer, “We are afraid that the problem will escalate with each passing year and engulf more land.” He first lost 10 of his 26 acres to the canal, while another eight acres have become saline. “We thought the Narmada canal would change our fortunes for ever. It did. For the worse,” says Narayan Patel. “It would have been better if the government acquired all our lands,” he adds. The farmers add they are in a bind, as they can’t even sell their lands as no one would give them a fair price as they have turned saline. “The state government should compensate us or acquire our land at the existing market price,’’ says farmer Fuljibhai Patel. “The salinity surfacing is a summer phenomenon that you will not see in the monsoon. This is not a serious problem. The salinity will go away in a while,” says superintendent engineer (Surendranagar) V Brahmkshatriya.

Gujarat Using Only 6.4 Per Cent Of Narmada Water

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Ahmedabad: On one hand, scores of towns and villages have gone thirsty this summer. On the other, Gujarat government could only provide 6.4 per cent of water available from Sardar Sarovar Project during 2007. This information has been obtained by Him a n s h u Thakkar of ‘South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers, and People’ under the Right to Information Act from the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited. Gujarat passed 19.91 BCM (Billion Cubic Meters) of water through its Canal Head Power House (CHPH) and River Bed Power House (RBPH) during 2007. Of this, Gujarat could use only 1.285 BCM water, or 6.4 per cent. The rest flowed into the Arabian Sea because Gujarat does not have the required canal network to make full use of water at SSP dam. “Narmada water is being underutilized because of poor management. Incomplete canal network, lack of proper water management and distribution system has caused this situation to arise,” says Vidyut Joshi, sociologist and pro-Narmada dam activist. As far as canal network is concerned, the scenario is far from optimistic. Just the main canal (458 km) is complete. Out of 2,759 km of branch canals, 1,620 km have been completed. Of the 22,786 km of minor canals, 6,331 km have been completed. Of the 38,000 km sub-minor canals, only 8,000 km have been completed. “We have a long way to go in terms of proper water management system in the state,’’ says former director of Water Resources Engineering and Management Institute, MS university, Baroda, Prof GS Parthasarthi.

Mehsanvi buffaloes to help AP farmers

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Mevad (Mehsana district): They are the black beauties of north Gujarat showing off their stout, well-groomed bodies to the buyers from down south. The Mehsanvi buffalo, which has been the mainstay of dairies of this region, is now being looked upon to resuscitate the crisis-ridden farmers of Andhra Pradesh (AP) among whom many have committed suicide. Under the schemes floated by the Centre and the AP government for these farmers, several government veterinary doctors accompanied by farmers, have come to this village to buy the Mehsanvi buffalo. Each of these buffaloes yield 12 litres of milk in a day. In the last two months alone, an estimated 1,500 Mehsanvi buffaloes have been sent to various villages in AP. There are two schemes for farmers in AP: one is the state government scheme for those families which are below the poverty line, the other is the prime minister’s package for the families of farmers who committed suicide. “Under the PM’s package, each affected family will be given two buffaloes. As part of this scheme, I am here with farmers to buy Mehsanvi buffaloes,’’ says Dr I Balasundaram, a veterinary surgeon from Medak district of AP, adding that they also intend to develop a strong dairy industry. “This is the best business for rural folk because losses are minimised and over the years, it only grows,” says Balasundaram. Under these schemes, farmers are given buffaloes at 50 per cent subsidy and the rest on loan. Each buffalo costs Rs 30,000. Says Arvind Chaudhary, who mediates these deals and is also providing buffaloes to states other than AP, “On an average, a buffalo gives six litres of milk in the morning as well as in the evening.” Chairman of the Dudhsagar Dairy (Mehsana) Vipul Chaudhary says, “The best quality Mehsanvi buffalo is the one that gives a sustained income to the family and it does not demand much maintenance, which makes it popular.” Maleka Sankar Rao, farmer from Adilabad district, AP, feels that the state needs a strong dairy industry like Gujarat which can bail it out in the event of an agrarian crisis.

Stampedes over water kill girls here

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Tharad: If thirst does not kill you in the parched villages of Tharad and Vav talukas in north Gujarat, a stampede will. Villagers here are so desperate that they fight for every drop of water they can salvage each time a water tanker arrives or water starts flowing, however briefly, from public taps. The aggressive jostling can often lead to fights breaking out and even deadly stampedes. Ironically, large amount of water passes by these villages through the Narmada canal, supplying water to adjoining Rajasthan. Just last week, Chief Minister Narendra Modi released the waters into Rajasthan with much fanfare at a function in Tharad. Stampedes have killed at least four young girls and injuring many others in different villages of Tharad and Vav. In 2004, a six-year-old girl was killed in a stampede at Meghpura village in Vav. Last year, Rahabhai Rabari of Daiyap village lost his 18-yearold daughter, Jebar, in a stampede. His younger daughter Agar was badly wounded on her left leg. Jebar was crushed between the tanker and the wall of people trying to reach the water. Jebar’s marriage was being fixed on the day she died. Her future father-in-law was at her home to fix the date of the wedding. “After Jebar’s death, I decided never to take water from tankers,” says Rahabhai. “I will spend the rest of my life drinking brackish water from the village well.” “Stampedes kill at least a teenage girl in this area every year,” says Agar Rabari of Kundaliya village in Vav, who lost her 18-year-old daughter in a stampede last year. “We started getting some water through pipes this year,” she says, “but had it come last year, my daughter would have been alive today.” “We have to travel at least four kilometres just to get water. Our village has a pipeline but the supply is erratic, it is practically useless,” says Baldev Rajput of Ashara village.

Ambani village to go dry till it pays Rs 2L

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Kukasvada (Junagadh): This is Dhirubhai Ambani’s birthplace. Located right on the coast, it is one of the hundreds of v i l l a g e s a l o n g G u j a r at ’s 1 6 0 0 - k m c o a s t l i n e which have been inflicted by salinity of soil. Kukasvada, which has a population of 10,000, does not have sweet water wells. Villagers have stopped getting drinking water in the taps. The few rich families here purchase water from private tankers at Rs 350 per 10,000-litre. Others travel several kilometres to fetch water. It does not help being the birthplace of the biggest creator of wealth in India. The Ambanis built a primary health centre and high school here. The town held non-stop prayers for Dhirubhai’s recovery after a long period of hospitalisation, before the end finally came on July 6, 2002. But, the government has stopped water supply to Ambani’s native village as the gram panchayat defaulted on payments of water cess totalling Rs two lakh. “Unless the villagers make the payments, the panchayat will not be able to clear the arrears and have the water supply restored,” says Kukasvada sarpanch Bhima Bhadarka. Dhirubhai was about 10 years old when his father, Hirachandbhai, sold off the ancestral house and moved to Chorwad, five km away, to teach in a school there. Like him, many villagers have migrated because of the harsh conditions. Those who stayed behind live in poverty. They earn an average of Rs 60 as daily wages in towns like Mangrol, Chorvad and Keshod, but travelling to and fro itself eats up Rs 10 to Rs 20. Left with no options, the panchayat has decided that till villagers pay up the water cess dues, the panchayat will not issue any documents like caste and income certificates. Villagers say if an industry was to come in, it can provide employment locally. “We are proud of the Ambanis’ rise as the richest Indians. It will be great if they can do something about water and emploment in Kukaswada,’’ says Bhardarka.

Barefoot warrior fights the desert and wins

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Fatehpur (Surendranagar district): Everything that touches the Little Rann of Kutch turns barren, desert-like. But not Fatehpur village that sits on the edge of the Rann. Its entrance is lined with 700 trees that remain lush green even during the summer, all because of the village’s ex-deputy sarpanch Bachubhai Gadhvi, better known as Kaviraj. He fought the vagaries of nature and an apathetic government with his bare feet. And, he won. Tired of his village’s daily struggle for something as simple as water, he vowed in 1985 not to cover his feet until every home gets ample water. During peak summer, the earth would sizzle, like burning embers. But for 23 years, Kaviraj walked the flames, till his village got cool water. “My dream has been fulfilled. I will put on shoes for the first time since 1985 at a public function in the next two months,” he says today with pride. Kaviraj, who was the village’s leader for all practical purposes, “Women had to walk three km to fetch contaminated water. In 1985, we had cholera in the village because of the water. I could not believe we had bloody fights over such water.” Kaviraj took it upon himself to get the village borewell working at any cost. “I would travel bare feet 20 km to Patdi taluka and push government officers to include us in their various schemes. And today, look at our village...” Jashabhai Thakor of Fatehpur says, “We are happy we have water even during summers. This was unthinkable before 1985. All this, thanks to one man - Kaviraj.”

Here, snake charmers are denied water

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Parevda (Rajkot): The cup of woes of the nomadic Vadi community of snake charmers is brimming over. Not only are they unable to eke out a living as the government has banned their occupation, they are also being denied access to water by hostile villagers. In Parevda village, 25 km from Rajkot, 98 Vadi families have been given temporary plots. However, the villagers do not want them to settle down there. As the mercury soars, they are facing an acute shortage of drinking water as they are not even allowed to take water from traditional water sources. “We have to go to Kuvadava, which is 12 km away, to fetch drinking water. We hire a chhakda for this purpose, but villagers have threatened the chhakdawalas who help us fetch water,” says Babanath Vadi, a leader of the community. Also, since Kuvadava villagers are also facing water scarcity, they have asked the Vadis not to come there, he adds. “There is water available in nearby farmlands but we are denied access as we are considered outsiders and criminals. We are unable to earn to support ourselves since the government has banned our occupation - it is very difficult for us to purchase drinking water,” says Mansukh Vadi. The charge per chhakda is Rs 80 and they have to hire the vehicle eight times a day. “We have to go to Rajkot every day to make a living. Most of our income goes into paying for drinking water. Our children are suffering from skin diseases as they have not bathed for days. How can we afford the luxury of bathing, when we don’t even have water for drinking,” asks Babanath Vadi. Says Rajkot collector, HS Patel, “Parevda villagers have not yet consented to Vadis settling down in their village. We are trying to convince them. We will work on solving the drinking water problem.”

Bhoodan Samiti to release land rights

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Ahmedabad: The decades old Bhoodan (land gift) Movement initiated by Vinoba Bhave that took place in Gujarat between 1951 and 1958 is getting a refreshing touch. The Gujarat Bhoodan Samiti has decided to amicably settle the issue of illegal purchase of Bhoodan land by people, mostly builders, in the city. They propose to do this by releasing their rights of this land that they have been holding since decades. Many beneficiaries of Bhoodan land in Ahmedabad and Baroda sold off this land. Technically, however, they cannot sell it as the landlordship is that of the Bhoodan Samiti. Moreover, these tracts of land were once suitable for agriculture, are no more so due to the spread of city. “So, it has become inevitable for us to release Bhoodan land rights by taking money from the purchasers.’’says Gujarat Bhoodan Samiti’s president Jagdish Shah. The samiti will release the land rights and in turn charge market rates for the land. This money will then be used to purchase land elsewhere and hand it over to the landless and marginalized people for agriculture. Recently, the samiti acquired 25 acres land in Bharuch district for this purpose. According to sources, the samiti has collected close to Rs 2.5 crore from builders and other Bhoodan land buyers. The collections from releasing land rights are likely to go up to Rs 20 crore. The samiti will also spend this money helping those people who have been given wasteland by government in the state. “At many places, large tracts of this wasteland are not suitable for agriculture. In such places, we will help them cultivate the land by various means like levelling, giving seeds and equipment and others,” added Shah. “This is also a one kind of Bhoodan work” says Chunibhai Vaidya, the veteran Gandhian who spearheaded ‘Save the Land Movement’ (Zameen Bachao Abhiyaan) following which government allotted 18,920 acres land to 6,723 families in the state. In mid-1950s, Ravishanakar Maharaj, Babalbhai Mehta, Jugatram Dave were the leaders, who had been instrumental in Bhoodan movement in Gujarat. During this period, 50,984 acres land had been distributed to 10,230 families in the state by Gujarat Bhoodan Samiti.

Windmills from Assam spin success in state

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Ahmedabad: Winds of communal harmony are blowing through the corridors of innovation. Two Muslim brothers from Assam are sharing their successful invention of a lowcost windmill to lift groundwater with Gujarat farmers. Mohammed Mehtar Hussain (38) and Mushtaq Ahmad (28), residents of Darrang in Assam, have invented a low-cost alt e r n a - tive to pump water in fields — a simple w i n d m i l l made of bamboo and tin sheets. They were invited by G r a s s - roots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN) to set up their windmill in Little Rann of Kutch. “We have installed two windmills in Boda village to lift groundwater for salt pans. The experiment has been quite successful. The windmill draws 3,000 litres of water an hour at wind speed of 15 km/hr. If we get an average wind speed for at least 15 hours a day, we would get about 45,000 litres of water,” says Mahesh Patel, coordinator of GIAN. The bamboo version has been modified to a metallic one that will change direction with changes in wind direction. A simple mechanism has been used to make the windmill multi-directional. Blades have been given the appropriate angle so that higher wind power can be harnessed and water can be pumped from greater depth. Aluminium blades have been reinforced with wires. The cost of manufacturing a static model made of bamboo/eucalyptus is around Rs 15,000 while the multi-direction model will cost Rs 25,000, which is half the cost of a conventional windmill. While Mehtar Hussain has installed seven units in the Northeast, GIAN plans to install 100 windmills in different villages in the state. “It’s an environment-friendly invention with low initial cost and zero operating cost. Also, it’s one of the best examples of technology transfer at grassroots level from one state to another,” says Professor Anil Gupta of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A). Says Patel, “The average requirement of water for a salt pan worker is about 80,000 litres. Two windmills can fulfil this requirement. Because of high crude prices, salt pan workers fall into debt trap. This windmill will be a good option for them.’’ A windmill has also been installed at Kalawad village in Junagadh district to lift water from a well. Here, it moves continuously as the site receives wind with sufficient velocity all the time. “We are recording observations of wind speed and water discharge at regular intervals. Farmers from surrounding areas have appreciated the design and are keen to install the windmill on their farms,’’ Patel adds. The Centre for Energy, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, had done a technical analysis and a feasibility study of the invention in March 2007. The report had made recommendations to improve the performance of the model.

Farmers turn inventors with their mini tractors

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Ahmedabad: A small 10 horsepower tractor that can do the work of bullocks many not be news. But, if it’s been invented by a class X dropout, it is! Moreover, this farmer is not the only clever innovator around. There are more than 8,000 mini tractors being used in the state developed by farmers. Bachubhai Thesia (50) of Kalavad in Jamnagar district was looking for a machine to replace bullocks to till his fouracre farm. He did not find conventional tractors suitable and so made his own. “My tractor does the same work as bullocks. When we use a conventional tractor, the farm’s borders remained untilled as the tractor needs space to turn. But, I have devised revolving wheels in front which can be turned 180 degrees. Also, the tractor weighs less, which is good for the soil,” says the budding innovator. The tractor cost only Rs 70,000, while branded tractors cost between Rs 1-5 lakh powered by 45 HP engines. Bachubhai’s innovation is making waves among farmers of the region. Farmers across the state have developed mini tractors customized to their needs. Sometimes, they use branded engines and fit them into a locally-fabricated body. Bharat Agravat from Pikhor village in Junagadh district has recently invented a multipurpose 12 HP tractor. “It can be used for sowing, ploughing and transporting to peripheral areas. The tractor has a hydraulic system and a system of balance which works better than other models. The idea is how to get more work from a small engine. I’m in the process of improving the device,’’ he says. “There are over 50 people, mostly farmers, in Saurashtra, who have made different models of small tractors,’’ says Mansukh Jagani of Mota Devalia village in Amreli district, who is himself one of the inventors. The demand for innovative models is increasing among small and marginal farmers who can neither afford bullocks (as they involve personal care and considerable expense) nor branded tractors, says Pravin Panchal of Idar in Sabarkantha district. Panchal, who has studied up to class VII, recently developed a tractor powered by a 7 HP engine. Bhanjibhai Mathukia of Kalavad village patented his three-tyre small tractor in India and the US. He was among the first farmers who made this model and he even received inputs from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. “The government should encourage farmers who are making innovative agricultural equipment which is cost-effective and easy to adopt. A farmer can’t afford the fees and lengthy process of licensing,’’ says Prof Anil Gupta of Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), who is known for promoting grassroots innovations.

Bullet-loving farmers set up biker club

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN
Ahmedabad: When Mansukh Jagani, farmer from Amreli district invented ‘Bullet Santi’ in early ’90s, he didn’t know he was sparking a revolution of sorts. Bullet Santi is basically a motorcycle-driven multipurpose farm machine. His innovation inspired many others to follow suit and has led to formation of a club in Gujarat called Technology Commons. The club will comprise innovator and those who improvize the technology. They will critically analyze and improve on each other’s models. Such an initiative is being taken for the first time in the country and the institution behind it is National Innovation Foundation. “In May, we organized a meeting of innovators in Rajkot and the idea of setting up this club emerged,” said Anil Gupta, executive vice-chairman of NIF and faculty member of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A). There would be no restrictions on club members learning from each other, but if a company wants to use their technology, it would have to get a licence, he added. Licensing would require consent from the lead innovator and all those who made improvements. Jagani fabricated an attachment so that a farm machine could be powered by an Enfield Bullet motorcycle. The innovation was patented by Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN) in US as well as India. “The idea was to have the flexibility of using a motorcycle for farming. Several fabricators in Saurashtra and Kutch found this a very attractive idea,’’ says Riya Sinha, who has done a case study on motorcycle-based ploughing machines. She is president of SRISTI Innovations and senior advisor of newsletter ‘Honey Bee’ that documents grassroots innovations. There are at least 50 motorcycle-driven farm machine fabricators in Saurashtra alone, and more than 8,000 farmers using such machines.
SETTING STANDARDS
Technology Commons will bring in standardization in grassroots innovations which is the best thing that could happen, saysProfessor Gupta. “It will make innovations competitive and cost-effective. And, offer affordable solutions to the expanding market. It raises the interesting possibility of combining customization (so necessary for farm machinery) with standardization,” he added. NIF encourages people to imitate and build on each other's designs. The only precondition is that each innovator making derivative changes will put the improvements in the Technology Commons database.

DOWN to EARTH

How many youngsters do you know who not only wax eloquent on the Gandhian ideal of ‘Gram Swaraj’, but also put their words into action? Well, if you don’t know any, you haven’t met this breed of new-age Gandhians, who are trying to revive the Mahatma’s dream of making villages self-reliant. Vijaysinh Parmar met four students of Gandhian institute, affiliated to Gujarat Vidhyapith who have been working in villages as part of the Vidhyapith’s ‘Gramshilpi’ scheme. Under the scheme, students have to live in remote and backward villages and try and make it self-reliant for which they get a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 for two years. After this they have to themselves become self-reliant and devote their life for construtive work in villages. For the record, all of them could have easily got a cushy job in a corporate or NGO, which they turned down for this challenge.

Jaldeep Thakar, 23 Village Pedhamali, Mehsana Challenges Healthcare, high drop-out rate in primary school, unemployment Ayear ago, Jaldeep Thakar used a unique Gandhian way of convincing a small girl, Asmita Raval from Padhamali village, who had dropped out of school, to start attending classes again. He told her he would fast in the true Gandhian tradition until she returned to class VII in school. By evening, the girl’s family had decided to send her back to school. A post graduated in rural management, Jaldeep says, “There are 20 children who are not going to school in the village. Their fathers hardly get Rs 70 as daily wage. Most children suffer from one disease or another. I want to address these issue.” Vinod Vaghari, 13, was suffering from ear aches. His father, a labourer, could not afford the Rs 50,000 that doctors asked to treat the boy. Jaldeep brought him to Ahmedabad civil hospital. The procedure was completed in Rs 500! Jaldeep has even started a savings bank for children called ‘Sva Shilp Bal Bachat Bank’ which has 60 members. He was given land by social worker Sanjay-Tula.

Chandrika Solanki, 26 Village Bhagapur, Detroj Challenges Caste discrimination, drinking water, sanitation, school drop-out rate Gambling and a serious liquor problem - these issues are a major struggle in this village. Only five families have proper sanitation facilities. Chandrika took up the challenge of providing a better life to these villagers. So under-developed is this village that it is not even on the map of state transport buses. Chandrika started working here after forming a self-help group. “I took up sanitation first. After meeting local officials, I took advantage of various government schemes, which villagers were unaware of.” Chandrika , who hails from the Rajput community, has now chalked out a plan of providing toilets to 22 families in the first phase. “My efforts would be to bring Dalits into the mainstream. I know this is a slow process and I have just one life to do it in.” After her day’s work, Chandrika keeps herself busy by teaching children as there are just two teachers in the village school with 76 students from standard I to VII.

Nikhil Prajapati, 24 Village Rampura, Gandhinagar Challenges Irrigation, loan for farmers, education, unemployment Nikhil Prajapati, a post graduate in rural management is ushering silent revolution in small Rampura village near Gandhinagar. “Banks don’t lend money to these villagers, either because they are landless or are debtridden. So, six month ago we started two self help groups — one for men and another for women. Within a short period, we are getting results,’’ says Nikhil, whose selfless work has got him a house by villagers. Four women members of the group have already acquired three acres land on lease. “On half the land we experimented with organic farming and on the other, we used fertilisers and realized that the organic way was more beneficial for us. We spend only Rs 8,000 to cultivate juvar crop and got Rs 25,000 from the harvest,” says Bhikhiben Thakore, one of the members of the group. “Every month, 21 women members give 50 Rs to the group, while 12 members give Rs 100. “The total savings of two banks is about to Rs 45,000. We are now going to established a dairy in village. For this our groups will give us loans to purchase cows, establish, bio-gas systems and vermicompost banks. All three systems help in self-sustenance,” adds Nikhil.

Mahesh Maheria, 24 Village Amarapur, Gandhinagar Challenges Irrigation , Loan for small farmers, unemployment Mahesh’s family condition doesn’t permit him to do social work. He lost his father in young age and his mother, a farm labourer manages to earn two meals a day. But for him there are people who need him and are in more trouble then himself and has decided to give life to margizalised in the Gandhian way. Farmers in his village don’t have water for irrigation and is working on a low-cost permanent solution for it with villagers “We started a self-help group with 32 young villagers called ‘The Rathod Yuvan Mandal’ and have collected Rs 15,000. We will use the money to set up a floormill. This group will also fuel the further developmental activities for the village.” The village also has large tract of land, which can not be titled due to water scarcity. “I am having meeting with villagers and studying models adapted by different villages to get the proper irrigation facilities. My goal is that in two years time I get farmers all the resources to cultivate their farms.’’ Rathod believes that though times have changed fast Gandhian thoughts and way of working are still relevant for developmental activities.

Saving water on a prayer

Vijaysinh Parmar, TNNAHMEDABAD: This is a temple where every offering helps you secure the future. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Chandreshwar Mahadev Temple near Gujarat Vidyapith on Ashram road, is swarmed with devotees in the holy month of Shravan. All the water that is offered to the Shivling is directed into a percolating well to recharge the ground water. This mechanism began working in February this year and hopes to help sustain the water supply for the temple in future. "We noticed that lots of water from the temple had been going waste into a gutter. As part of the puja we offer water continuously to the Shivling but we thought it was not environment friendly. So we decided to direct it to a percolating well to help ground water recharge," says Bakul Patel, one of the trustees of the temple, who is also a civil engineer. "We wanted to link science with religion. Nurturing environment is also a one kind of prayer," says Patel. According to an estimate, at least 200 litres of water were offered here every day and the amount increases in the month of Shravan. There is a sieve in which solid particles can be removed manually and only pure water is allowed to go through this system. "Our experience of ground water recharge has been very good. One of the reasons for the success of this experiment is there is sandy soil in the ground which helps water to percolate. This pipe goes down into the well 45 feet deep," says Patel. The entire infrastructure costs just Rs 10,000, adds Patel.

Here, Dalits are still denied water

Vijaysinh Parmar ,TNNJETPARDA (WANKANER): People particularly in Saurashtra rejoice after the second spell of the long awaited rain. But this fresh water can't quench thirst of the Dalits in the Jetparda village of Wankaner taluka in Rajkot district. Caste discrimination still haunts Dalits in this village, where many a time they have to go thirsty as they are left with no option. "We have drinking water pipelines in our village and most of the villagers fetch water from the water tapes. But for Dalits there is a separate water tap, which is being blocked many time. Also we are allowed to take water only when others have got enough to quench their thirst,'' says Damaji Parmar, a Dalit and a member of the Gram Panchayat . "Just a month ago, during my daughter's marriage I had to purchase water from a private supplier as I did not get sufficient water from village,'' adds Parmar . "Villagers have to rely only on government for their drinking water needs as ground water is extremely saline here. But we often prefer drinking the saline water or have to go at least 2 km to fetch drinking water. Also if there is water in a well, Dalits have to wait for other villagers as we can't touch their wells," says Mina Parmar, who is one of the 2,000 odd villagers of Jetparda. According to Parmar, many Dalit families are suffering from water related disease as they end up drinking contaminated water. Dalits from the village say that they have even given applications to the concerned government authority over the discrimination done to them but still no action has been taken so far. When contacted, said work assistant, Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Wankaner ) P N Chikaliya, "The drinking water problem of Dalits in Jetparda will be solved shortly. We have already mooted a proposal so that Dalits get a proper water supply.''

Nurturing love and peace

Vijaysinh Parmar ,TNNJAGUDAN (MEHSANA): What will a typical child answer if asked what the essential things in life are? Air, water and food, probably. But, a child nurtured in Karunagram replied: "Love and peace." Karunagram, set up by Sanjay Bhavsar and wife Tula, cares for and educates 12 children at present . Many of these children don't know their father's name. But that is no problem - they adopt the surname 'Bhartiya' . "Most of these children come from Childline and have been physically abused by parents or people they worked for. Here, they are allowed to enjoy their childhood freely," says Sanjay, a mechanical engineer who plunged into social work. A month ago, a circus artiste came to Jagudan village to leave his five-year-old son Meghraj, with the couple. The reason - he wanted them to educate the child so that he didn't enter the same profession. At present, the institution is located in an old-age home. A new campus on the new Mehsana-Visnagar Road, which will accommodate 50 children, is being built with funds donated by a non-resident Gujarati impressed by the couple's work. Education is imparted through shibirs (camps) on science, nature, farming, painting and even birdwatching ! "When we organised a coastal camp, we went to coastal areas for five days and an expert explained things to us. This approach yielded encouraging results,'' says Pravin Dulera, a teacher and caretaker at the institute. "The children are disciplined - they even cook their meals together . We assess their progress regularly, and it's positive,'' says Balbhadra Gohil, another teacher. Six teachers from different schools volunteer on weekends at Karunagram . The plan is to enrol them in regular schools from class VIII. "They can decide on their careers later. First, the aim is to make them good human beings," adds the idealistic educator.

New tech in agro: low cost, max output

Vijaysinh Parmar/ TNN:AHMEDABAD: First, they reinvented the bullet to create a popular contraption called chhakda. Now, we have a farmer from Saurashtra, who improvised this cruiser bike to plough, sow and weed fields! Called ‘Bullet Santi’ (bullet plough), for farmers this is like the Nano car. It costs less than a mini tractor. The maintenance cost is lower than keeping a pair of bullocks.
Mansukhbhai Jagani of Mota Devaliya village had a close look at the Enfield Bullet, a petrol driven motorbike, in Amreli in 1994.
He envisioned it as a machine that could help farmers with their chores. He first converted it into a diesel driven 5.5 horsepower engine bike.
Later, he attached a plough behind that could also sow and weed fields. The attachment also turns into a trailer to carry goods. Over 500 farmers in Saurashtra alone use the machine, according to estimates.
"Bullet Santi is popular. Small and marginal farmers cannot afford bullocks or mini tractors. On half a litre of diesel, this machine cultivates one bigha of land," says Jagani. He says that many blacksmiths in Saurashtra copied this model.
They fabricated it in their shops out of second-hand Bullets to meet the demand. A second hand Bullet costs only Rs 25,000. Converted into a plough, it costs Rs 50,000, which is far less than the cost of a mini tractor which is Rs 1.80 lakh.
Recently, the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur adopted it as a project for design validation and subsequent value addition under the CSIR-NIF Innovation Fellowship Scheme. The CMERI project team included Palash Maji, scientist, principal project leader and Subrata Kumar Mondal, scientist, project leader. Co-ordinator of this project S Sen Sharma told TOI from Durgapur.
"In the original design by Jagani, the rear wheel, sprocket, chain, suspension system, brake system and related links and the rear footrest had to be removed. All these operations required at least two hours for fitting or removal of the attachment, by an automobile mechanic.
We simply attached the plough to the prime mover with minimum difficulty without removing these systems, which takes only about 20 minutes for an average unskilled farmer."This also reduced the length of the vehicle which enables the plough to be used on smaller plots of land.
The new prototype will be put up for trial soon. National innovation foundation’s executive vice chairperson and professor of Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) Anil Gupta says, "This the best example of how grassroots innovation can reach all who need it with help of scientists."

Bottle for buckets: No liquor, no water

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Kharaghoda (Surendranagar): The only pools of water you see in the Little Rann of Kutch are mirages. They melt away into flying desert sand when you approach them. The salt pan workers or the ‘agariyas’ who inhabit this unforgiving landscape know there is only one way for them to quench their thirst — liquor. Not down their own throats; the booze is for drivers of the government water tankers. No liquor, no tankers. “Building rapport with drivers of government tankers is the only way we get water for free,” says Valiben Thakore, whose family owns a salt pan near the Kharaghoda range. “And, the best way to befriend them is to give them liquor. But, even then we can’t rely on them as the frequency depends on the drivers’ whims and fancies. So, we have to pay Rs 2,000 to private water suppliers between the months of October and May when we work in the salt pans.” Such are the conditions that salt pan workers are forced to agree to private suppliers’ exploitative terms. The government has only three tankers to cover the 5,000 square kilometres of the Rann, scattered with more than 30,000 salt pan workers. Despite the liquor, the tankers don’t come for days together. In the end, it is brisk business for private suppliers who charge money according to the number of salt pans, not according to the number of families. “I had to shell out Rs 3,600 as I have two salt pans,” says salt pan worker Jeram Thakore. “Besides, the large tankers that the government uses can’t navigate the slush and soft soil in the Rann between the months of October and December — a time when we start moving into the Rann. Government tankers start only in January,” says another salt pan worker Karmsi Thakore. “Private suppliers use tractors that can easily navigate the landscape. Many a time, private suppliers don’t provide drinking water, but we have no alternative.” “Pure drinking water is not meant for marginalized people,’’ says another salt pan worker Labhubhai Thakore. “We are already debt-ridden. The price of water is only adding to the back-breaking burden.”

Widows turn sex workers here

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Kharaghoda (Surendranagar): At 70, Kamuben (name changed), widow of an agariya or salt pan worker, should have been living the quiet life of a grandmother. Instead, she is a prostitute, a profession she took to eight years ago after her son died of TB. Not eligible for government pension, this was all she could do to survive. The salt pans of Kharaghoda are pristine white, but the dark shadow of death is an unshakeable reality here. So harsh are the living conditions that on an average one man dies here every week. Some of the widows take to prostitution, their only weapon to fight hunger and death. So, will the killing fields of Kharaghoda come up for discussion when the national seminar on salt workers, involving government officials, experts and salt workers from across the country, starts in Ahmedabad on Friday? Here are some statistics they may want to consider. In 2002, Kharaghoda had 300 widows. In 2007, there were 495. Nearly 50 women in this village of 3,000 homes, most of them widows between 40 and 45 years, have taken to prostitution. Dr Rajesh Thakur of the local public health centre says life expectancy of a man in Kharaghoda is 45 years. “TB, coupled with the harsh conditions, is a major killer,” he says. Adds sarpanch Virsing Thakore: “The widows live in abject poverty but they have not been identified as below poverty line people.” The government gives pension to only those widows whose sons are below 21 years. That makes only 15 widows eligible in Kharaghoda! “I would get Rs 80 a day for just two months if I labour in the salt pans,” says mother of two grown-up chi dren, Kanchan (name changed), 38, who has taken to prostitution. “Selling myself is the only option I have to ensure my children don’t die of hunger.” “On the one hand, the government stops pension to those women whose children have grown up, and on the other, there are 60 widows in the village who have been abandoned by their children. We need a shelter for these women so that they can live respectable lives,” says Ambu Patel, a resident of the village.

A leak quenches thirst of 5,000 people here

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Surendranagar: Had the Gujarat State Water Supply and Sewerage Board (GSWSSB) repaired this leak, some 5,000 people in Surendranagar would have been going thirsty. Living on the outskirts of the town, it is a routine for women of this middle-class locality of Khann to spend hours standing by the leaking pipeline. And fights are common too. The pipeline supplies water from Dholi Dhaja dam to surrounding villages. If there was no leak, people here would have had to drink extremely brackish water from hand pumps. “Our battle to get water from the leakage starts at 5 am. The flow is just a trickle, testing everyone’s patience. And because fights are common, we prefer to use steel pots. They don’t break in a scuffle,” says one of the residents, Gauri Gardharia. The residents had collected money a decade ago to construct embankment around the leakage area so that we could collect water and reduce wastage. “We have to spare four hours daily just to fetch water,” says Kavita Pagi. “The amount of drinking water we collect depends on luck. I have to get up early so that I can fill my vessels before everyone else pounces on the leakage. The one who reaches there early gets the benefit. Moreover, it also depends on the amount of water in the pipeline,” she says. “Frankly, we trust the leakage more than politicians. So many of them promised us water and took our votes, but not a single politician has kept his word,” says Jamanaben Gardhariya. “Don’t poor people deserve clean drinking water?” Residents fear complaining about the lack of drinking water facilities. “We might not even have access to the leaking water if we complain. Officials blocked another water leakage a fortnight ago,” says Jasu Garudia. “The area does not get water because it is not in our jurisdiction, but we plan to give connections soon,” says Jaushubha Zala, president of Suendranagar nagarpalika.

Khanpur, a desert in an oasis

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Khanpur (Anand district): It is common to find villages in the barren regions of Surendranagar and Banaskantha where young men can’t find brides. No one wants to marry their daughters to these villagers where they would have to labour for hours to get drinking water. This phenomenon is unheard of in Anand, a lush green water-surplus region of rich farmers. And yet Vallabhbhai Patel of Khanpur, a village 40 km from Anand, can’t get his eldest son married. “He has been engaged twice, but the moment the bride’s family hears of our drinking water scarcity, they break off the engagement,” he says. “People can’t believe that Anand has a water scarce village.” In the last five years, not one of the 50-odd bachelors has married in this village of 3,000 people. Patel has to ride a bicycle for two km to fetch drinking water. Khanpur’s water crisis is difficult to swallow as it is regularly marooned by floods during monsoons. Surrounded by a ring of villages with prosperous farmers, it is a mini-desert in a large oasis. “We are finding it difficult to get our sons married as word of water scarcity spreads in other villages,” says Shantaben Patel, another villager. Because Khanpur is located on a higher plane — its topography is 22 feet higher than the rest of the villages in the region — villagers say it is difficult to pump water into their pipelines from the water supply scheme just two km away. The scheme supplies water to 44 villages in the area. To make matters worse,Khanpur’s ground water is brackish. “At least 60 per cent of our villagers suffer from kidney stones,”says Pramod Patel. Both he and his three brothers suffer from the ailment. “We have no option but to drink this water.” Says DG Bhandari, deputy executive engineer of the local group water supply scheme, “Although we don’t provide water to Khanpur, we are implementing a new scheme which should solve their problem.”

Modi’s promised bicycles yet to reach salt-pan workers

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Patdi (Surendranagar): Karsan Thakor, a salt-pan worker in Himmatpura village of Patdi taluka was happy that he would get a bicycle for Rs 800 under a scheme launched by Chief Minister Narendra Modi during ‘Agaria Kalyan Sammelan’ in April last year. He somehow managed to save Rs 800 and even paid the same to get a bicycle on subsidised rate. But, even after a year, he still burns his feet on this inhospitable terrain. Sources said there are many salt-pan workers in Surendranagar, who have already paid Rs 800 last year, but still there is no sign of the bicycles.“Whenever I go to ask about the status of my bicycle at government office, I am told it will take time,” Thakor said. If Thakor lost hope, Sonda Thakor of Enjar village in Halvad taluka finally decided to buy a bicycle on loan by paying a monthly installment of Rs 200. “Bicycle is a must for any salt-pan worker in Little Rann of Kutch. I bought the bicycle only six months back as I had some cash,” Sonda said. Condition of salt-pan workers is such that they cannot even afford a bicycle. Government officials had a tough time convincing even five workers to take the bicycles as a sample base of the scheme launched last year during the Modi function. Even government officials in Patdi are clueless about the scheme. They have stopped taking new forms also. According to an estimate, there are close to 40,000 saltpan workers in the district. Assistant labour officer (Patdi) BT Sanghvi said, “We were given the responsibility of filling the forms for bicycle scheme when CM had floated this scheme. We forwarded them to the higher ups and do not know anything apart from this.’’ Moreover, recently, ministers Saurabh Patel and Vajubhai Vala during a national seminar held at Gandhi Labour Institute had done a lot of talking on government’s inclination for betterment of salt-pan workers.

Water scarcity forces youth to leave villages for work

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Dahod: Even a casual observer can make out that there is something other than water missing in villages scattered across the hilly terrain of tribal-dominated Dahod district. They are youngsters! Forget teenagers, it is difficult to find men and women below the age of 30 years in most villages. The reason: Large scale migration of families to cities due to unavailability of water for irrigation. Water, however, is aplenty beneath the ground and digging just 15 feet can bring it to the surface. But, digging one well requires at least Rs one lakh, a staggering amount for villagers. So, sons and grandsons of Nathia Ninama, living in Valundi village, are all working at construction sites in Ahmedabad. Even Ninama did this in his youth, but now age has got better of his agility. His grandsons are even studying in Ahmedabad schools but during this vacation time, they also work. “At least they can meet their school expenses,” he says. The majority of Valundi’s villagers are in Ahmedabad, Surat and Baroda, working at construction sites. Tolsing Damor of Chaklia village in Jhalod taluka stopped going to cities for work after his brother died after falling from the tenth floor of Shilalekh building in Shahibaug in Ahmedabad. “My son, however, is working in Ahmedabad. There is no way out since our land is fertile but without water we can harvest only one crop in a year,” says Damor. Nearly 90 per cent of Chaklia’s 16,000 population is in cities. Cereals like tuver (lentil), udad as well as maize and vegetables grow in abundance in this region. “Despite plenty of ground water and fertile lands, we have to migrate with our family to cities,” says Magan Sangala of Kamavira village in Garbada taluka.

Row over dam’s fuse gates leads to dry conditions

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Machhannala Dam (Dahod): Two years ago, when Gujarat was battling floods across the state, residents of Raniyari village in Jhalod taluka of Dahod were fighting in their own battle. They cornered the surpervisor of M a ch h a n n a l a Dam — a medium irrigation dam in the region — and tied him to a tree. They released him only after fuse gates, built on top of the dam to increase its height, were broken down. They had taken this drastic step as they were afraid that the increased height of the dam would lead to submersion of more lands. Already, heavy rains had flooded their homes. Interestingly, the agitation had been led by Patel and Rajput farmers, despite their losing less land than the tribals had lost to submersion. The result is villages furthermost in the dam’s supply area don’t get water anymore. “We have had good rains and even have canals in our fields, but they bring no water. Only rain irrigates our fields,” says Hirka Katara of Mahudi village. Dam officials say that they brought down the fuse gates themselves as they feared for the life of the supervisor held captive. “We realized the seriousness of the issue only after the incident,” said an official. There are 90 gates on the dam, of which 60 are service gates and 30 are fuse gates. Six fuse gates have been pulled down. Sources added that if the government reinstalls the fuse gates, it will have to acquire another 142.14 hectares of land for submergence. “But this looks unlikely as the Patels and Rajputs are asking for land in return for land, while the government wants to give cash compensation,” said senior officials in the irrigation department. Executive engineer (in charge) RB Katara says, “We have written to the state government and are trying to resolve the issue.”

A dam nearby, yet no water for village

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Ditvas Navi Vasahat (Panchmahals): In mid-1970s, they made way so that Kadana dam could be built on river Mahi. But now, despite Kadana dam being only 20 km away, people of Ditvas Navi Vasahat — a village of those displaced due to this dam project — have to wake up at the break of dawn and walk 3 km to Sarsag village just to fetch water. Failing to do so, they have to go thirsty for the day in this sweltering heat. At the peak of summer, acute water shortage has made life miserable for these people. “For the last three years, we have been walking 3 km to fetch drinking water. We wake up at 4 am only for this,” says Kalubhai Vagadia, one of those displaced. Most hand pumps near Ditvas run dry as underground pipes are dysfunctional. Despite repeated complaints by villagers, the pipes have not been repaired. When contacted, government officials said they do not have new pipes to repair hand pumps. “They tell us they will repair the pipes when they get them,” says another resident, ML Vagadia, a retired policeman. Schoolchildren are the worst-affected due to the water crisis as they have to fetch water. Farmers in this area depend on rains as there is no irrigation facility here. The scarcity of water has forced people to migrate to cities in large numbers. “Most people in our village have migrated for survival. When drinking water itself is scarce, how can we get water for agriculture?” says Hira Malivad, another villager.

Gandhian institute shows the green way

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Ahmedabad: The city’s premier Gandhian institute has set an excellent example of how to make best out of waste, thus contributing to conservation of environment. Gujarat Vidyapith experimented with transforming waste on its campus to compost and using it as manure for campus’ green cover. The experiment has already borne fruit, just a year after it began. Based on self-help concept, every morning, Gujarat Vidyapith students start cleaning the campus. They go about collecting all waste and then store them in a corner of the sprawling campus. “Earlier, we had to spend around Rs 4,000 for waste disposal every month. It Also, when it was burnt, it added to the pollution. But now we have found a better use for it, which benefits us,” said Gujarat Vidyapith registrar, Rajendra Khimani. It is estimated that everyday waste weighing half a tonne is collected from the Vidyapith campus that is spread over 20 acres. The compost generated by the wastes has been utilised in campus plantations. “We collect the waste and mix some substances in it to prepare the right kind of organic fertilizer for plants. Our expenditure on chemical fertiliser has been done away with.” Vidyapith is one of the few institutions that has banned the use of plastic on campus. “Hence, there are less chances of coming across plastic waste while cleaning. The institution is also planing to give this compost waste to others who are interested in using organic manure,’’ said campus in-charge, Abhubhai Rabari. It comes as no surprise that this concept is based on Gandhi’s philosophy of self reliance and using environment as common human property. “Today, we have to purchase culture to transform the waste to compost but next year we will produce this culture in our microbiology college in Sadara. This success experiment will be replicated in all the educational institutions run by Gujarat Vidyapith,” adds Khimani.

Potato glut gives food for thought

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Modasa (Sabarkantha): Trust everyone in Gujarat to have an entrepreneurial spirit. It’s the only spirit that runs in the blood of people in this dry state. About 50 farmers from different districts in the state have pooled in Rs 1 lakh each to launch their own company to export commodities like potatoes, groundnut, cotton, mangoes etc. KP Agri International Pvt Ltd aims to export agri-commodities to foreign countries and is getting a lot of support from the Gujarati diaspora settled abroad in the Gulf and Africa. The group of farmers has already visited Dubai last month to tie up deals. “We have lined up agencies which will accept our products and we are now in talks with ports in Mundra, Kandla, Pipavav and others to select an export hub,” says company’s director, Maganbhai Patel of Modasa, who expects a massive Rs 50-crore turnover in the first year itself. If everything goes well, the first containers of potatoes will be heading for Dubai in the next 20 days. In fact, the glut caused by a bumper potato crop in north Gujarat, which forced many farmers to just destroy the produce, germinated the idea of farmers setting up their own export house. “Exports will always fetch better prices. We still have hundreds of tonnes of potatoes lying in cold storages,” says another share-holder, BK Patel, a farmer in Sabarkantha. All 50 members have been divided into sub-committees which will handle different crops. “We have already distributed seeds of cotton and groundnut to more than 700 farmers and assured them that we will purchase their crops,” says chairman of the company Ratibhai Patel.If this experiment succeeds, then it will be replicated by farmers across Gujarat.

Patel village goes for Dalit sarpanch again

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Manekpar (Jamnagar district): A Dalit couple — Devji Chavda and his wife Nanuben — resident of a small village Manekpar in Dhrol taluka in Jamnagar has been crafting a unique story of village development. And, they were rewarded for their efforts by Manekpar villagers when they decided in 2006 that rather than holding the next gram panchayat elections, they will unanimously co-opt Devji Chavda as village sarpanch, even if it was a general seat then. Hardly 10 per cent of the population of this Patel-dominated village are Dalits. Nanuben Chavda was the village sarpanch from 2001-2005 from a reserved seat. She, along with her husband Devji, did a commendable job during this period. Their efforts gave the entire village a facelift. Better availability of water and improving finances swung the people’s opinion in the couple’s favour. “When we selected Devji as our sarpanch our relatives asked us: ‘Why did you select a Dalit as sarpanch?’ We have full faith in him, we told them. He has done a firstclass job, even exceeding our expectations. And, if a person is doing such good work for the development of village we should not hold any prejudice against him,” says Haribhai Patel, a villager. Devji Chavda, a class 12 pass, is keen to improve the conditions in his village. There are currently 26 check dams around the village. “Earlier, Manekpar was one of the many village that battled water scarcity round the year. We had to rely on government tankers. But after we implemented a watershed project, water is easily available and the villagers’ income increased by more than 100 times,” says the proud sarpanch Devji. Devji also lays stress on the issue cleanliness in village. “Our village has 100 per cent sanitation. We won the ‘Nirmal Gram’ award in 2007.” Over the years, the semi–arid Manekpar has become a lush green land as the Dalit couple work hard to maintain around 2,000 trees planted in the village. Villagers also enjoy modern amenities, every single corner of the village has been lit up by street lights. “Mostly, a sarpanch relies on the talati for village development programmes. But, I get personally involved in all the developmental projects, as a sarpanch’s personal attention make a lots of difference,” says Devji. Villagers of Manekpar, hailing from different communities, have also witnessed a social transformation. “I remember, when I used to go to a shop as a child, the shopkeeper did not been take the money from me directly as I am a Dalit. But today, the perception of the people has changed, says Devji. Now, social equality is part our village development story. During social events everyone is invited, irrespective of caste and community’’ says Devji. When Devji head for 32 people who had to migrate for work to cities or near-by village, he made plans to get them employment in the village itself.

Snake bites? Dial D for Devani

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Madhavpur (Porbander): As soon as monsoon arrives, Arun Devani’s antennas are up. The 42-year-old has become like an emergency service for villagers who have the misfortune of being bitten by snakes. In fact, he even keeps his hair and beard long so that he can be easily identified. And, the bus stand has become the permanent address of this man who vowed three years ago that no one living within 50 km of him would die of snake bite. Madhavpur town, 60 km from Porbander, and Ghed are low-lying areas which are flooded for four months a year with many villages turning into islands. This is the time snakes abound. “Every day we attend to at least 15 calls on either snake bite or snake rescue from different villages,” says Devani. Since 1994, he has made it his life’s mission not only to save lives of bite victims, but also to rescue snakes. Snake bite cases are rushed to the community health centre (CHC) in Mangrol. According to CHC officials, every year they need to use more than 1,500 vials of anti-snake venom. This reveals the severity of problem in the area. “If not for Devani, many people would lose their lives to snake bites,” says Dr LS Makwana of Mangrol CHC. “It all started because I came to know that many snakes are killed by people who have lost loved ones to snake bites. I could see that largescale killing of snakes would create ecological imbalance. That’s why I took up this work,” he narrates. Since the last three years he and his team have been able to save every victim. Last year they attended to 55 cases of people bitten by poisonous snakes and all of them survived. “Last year my daughter Manisha was bitten by a cobra. We lost all hope that she would survive. It was Arunbhai who saved her,” relates Ranabhai Mer of Chingariya village in Porbander district. The main reason for his success is timing. “Timing is very crucial in snake bite cases. A five-minute delay can lead to death,” he says. Such is his dedication that he stays with patients in hospital till they recover. He believes that in most cases relatives of the patient lose hope after snake bite which affects recovery.

Private jail for fishermen’s human catch

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Veraval (Junagadh): If only the shame of being nabbed could deter a criminal! Amazingly, that’s the logic that drove the close-knit Kharva community of fishermen living along Gujarat’s coastline, to have its own jail. The community has jails in 12 places, including Porbander, Veraval, Mangrol, Jafrabad and Mandvi. They are deliberately located in public places so that the culprit can be easily spotted by community members. Unable to face this humiliation, after a brief stint in jail, the criminal not only confesses to the crime, but also pledges not to repeat it. A kotval, appointed by the community, manages the jail round-theclock and even sports a khakhi uniform. The Veraval Samasta Kharva Gnyati manages a jail here which has three rooms. Apart from jails, community courts are part of this traditional system of law and order. No legal fees need to be paid and a verdict is given by the leader of the community, called ‘Patel’, usually within 10 days. In fact, so efficient is the system of justice, that 98 per cent of disputes are settled in these courts. “We have our own law and order system and every member of our community has to follow it. If there is a family dispute or a row among members of the community, it’s resolved in our own court. No one approaches regular courts,” explains Kishan Varidum, a member of the community. Every day, as many as 50 cases are disposed of in a community court which convenes at 10 am. Both parties are given a chance to place their points of view before the court and the Patel, as the judge, gives the verdict and fixes the fine according to the gravity of the crime. No member can over-rule his verdict. The ‘Patel’ also has the final say in any development-related decision. Apart from robberies, murders, property disputes and boat accidents, domestic violence also comes up for settlement. After two or three days, the culprit is made to appear before the community court. Once he confesses, he is fined and let off. Many times, the punishment is a spell of social service. One interesting rule — the court never grants divorce!

No water in most Mangrol villages

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Ahmedabad\Mangrol: Fortysix per cent villages of coastal Mangrol in Junagadh district do not have sufficient drinking water. As many as 61 villages are most vulnerable. Pravah, a network working on drinking water had initiated the drinking water and sanitation survey in the state in 2007 as part of a study. The study also shows that 65 per cent villages in Mangrol not having primary health centres (PHC) even when most villagers suffering from water-related diseases. Study shows that most of Mangrol villages depend on underground water sources for drinking water. The most commonly available resources are ponds and handpumps. However, of the 81 ponds in this area, 40 per cent have become saline. Even 35 per cent of the 70 handpumps give saline water. Students of BRS Shardagram College who conducted much of the field work found that their own college was affected by salinity ingress. “As part of the study we have to teach cultivation of different crops. But our professors find it difficult as salinity has affected crop patterns.’’ said Dilip Marthak, principal of the college. “The college also lost it grapes and mango orchards because of salinity. Only salinity-resistant crops can survive now,” added professor Mahesh Gajera of the college. Gajera said that over the year ground water has been going down in these villages. This study also shows that none of the resources are being used above 50 feet. Water is available above 50 feet but not qualitative. Ami Joshi, co-ordinator of Pravah says that the objective of the study was to find out the information on water sources and sanitation amenities in villages of Mangrol taluka.

They fought limestone mafia to save forest

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Madhavpur (Porbander): They are neither conservationists nor do they know what green activism is. But they took the dangerous limestone mafia in Porbander head on to ensure that Madhavpur regains its lush green forest. They are a group of servicemen, doctors, engineers and other professionally-employed persons staying at Osho Ashram in Madhavpur who took upon themselves to conserve the fast diminishing forest, especially the rayan (khirnee, manilkara hexandra) trees that had borne the brunt of limestone mining as well severe salinity ingress. Today as one drives on the coastal highway from Porbander to Mangrol, the very sight of this forest ‘Madhuvan’ spread over 35 acres is refreshing to the eyes. “It was a matter of life and death for all of us to save the forest from the mafia. We were able to save some part of the forest that has centuries-old rayan trees,” says Govind Vekaria, an employee of State Bank of Saurashtra, living at the ashram. Nearly half of this 35-acre land belongs to the state forest department and the remaining has been purchased by some of the nature lovers in Porbander and Mangrol. “The purchased land has been donated to the ashram to maintain and conserve it as a forest by planting different species,” says Bharat Shah, who also lives at the Osho Ashram. Around six years ago, the ashram residents notice that the rayan trees were fast diminishing. So they roped in Rasik Bhatt, a botanist and retired scientist from Junagadh Agriculture University, to study its reasons. “Salinity was one of the main reason for the death of rayan trees. Moreover, there was a dense growth of gando baval (prosopis juliflora) in the area that used to consume away the nutrition from these trees,” said Bhatt. Rayan is very slow-growing tree that can survive in very harsh conditions. Of the 300 rayan trees, Madhuvan has many that are over 150 years old. “So, we recommended that the ashram give nurture these with pure water to fight salinity and give them an organic mulching,” he added. Today, gando baval has been totally eliminated and all rayan trees have been protected with a concrete wall so that water seeps in properly to its roots. People of the region are savouring the fruits of these efforts. For the first time, poor children sold Rs 50,000 worth rayan fruits collected from this forest.

Mehsana doc practises what he preaches

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Ahmedabad: When a member of the medical profession takes the initiative to promote blood donation, it’s likely to be more effective. And, Mehsana-based orthopaedic surgeon Dr GK Patel is doing this by example. The 60-year-old will be giving blood for the 150th time on July 27. To celebrate this momentous occasion, residents of small villages and towns of the district have been organizing drives for the past few weeks. On Sunday, a number of donors gathered at Bhagyoday General Hospital in Kadi. Within a few hours, 350 bottles were collected. A similar drive in Vijapur yielded 450 bottles. Patel plans to collect 4,000 bottles from the district by D-day. Centurion blood donors from Mehsana will also be felicitated on that day. “I’m happy people from villages and small towns are getting involved in this selfless act,” says Patel. The veteran started donating in 1968 when he was still doing MBBS. “My grandfather, who was active in social service, has been my inspiration. I found blood donation the need of the hour. When I started donating, there were very few people involved in this initiative,’ he narrates. There have been times when his patients have needed blood urgently, but no one has come forward to donate. He, himself, has donated blood several times to save lives of patients. This has inspired many, including relatives of patients, to turn donors. “Dr Patel has done a commendable job in creating awareness on blood donation in the district. We have organized this camp as a tribute,” says one of the trustees of Bhagyoday General Hospital Lalji Patel. Patel is a member of Red Cross Society, Ahmedabad’s Centurion Blood Donors’ Club. “There are very few people who have donated blood 150 times. Time, age and health become constraints. But, Dr Patel has been a consistent donor,’’ says honorary secretary of the society Mahesh Trivedi.

21-Mt-Wide Breach Swamps 8 Mehsana Villages With Waist-Deep Water

Vijaysinh Parmar & Paul John TNN
Sujatpura (Mehsana): It was a rude shock to 1,500 villagers of Sujatpura in Kadi taluka on Wednesday morning when farmers who were busy with their chores realized that the Narmada-Kutch main canal running alongside this village had breached. The 21-metre breach is suspected to have been caused by an engineering fault and had affected at least eight villages. The villages remained submerged in waist-deep water from 7.30 am even as the monsoon is yet to hit these parts. At least 10 hutments collapsed, while the boundary wall of the local primary school broke because of the flooding. Farmers lost precious BT Cotton, bajra and jowar crops. Many farmers fear that they would not be able to sow as most of the farms lay waterlogged and monsoons would arrive in a few days’ time. District officials were busy trying to ensure that there is no disease outbreak. The entire village was evacuated by 10 am. By afternoon, area of nearly six kilometers around the breach was affected, submerging villages like Nani Kadi, Narsinhpura, Kaswa, Shedadi — all along the canal. “Generally, we sow after the first shower but this incident has worried us all as monsoons would arrive in three days and the fields will still be waterlogged,” says Rajesh Patel, a farmer. Villagers add that about 2,000 acres of farmland belonging to Sujatpura, Balasar and Ranchhodpura lies submerged for the moment. Sujatpura has a thriving dairy business with a buffalo population of more than 2,000. “We don’t know what we will feed our cattle as most of the fodder was washed away and district officials haven’t yet assured us aid for our cattle,” adds Most of the local village granaries have suffered as stocks have been washed away during the incident. “I lost 1,600 kg of wheat stored in my house. I don’t know how I’m going to pass this season without any earnings.” Narmada canal under scanner after breach: Panicking after the 21-metre-wide breach in the Narmada main canal near Kadi on Wednesday, Gujarat government has brought the entire 458 km-long canal, from Kevadia to Rajasthan, under the scanner. Government spokesperson, Jay Narayan Vyas said, “The state government has decided to carry out a technical survey of the entire canal by a high-level technical experts committee in order to ensure that such a breach does not take place in future.” The experts committee will look into the entire stretch after giving a report on how the breach took place near Kadi, while fixing responsibility. TNN CANAL CALAMITY Manmade Disaster Hit Kadi Village Following SSNNL Negligence Sujatpura (Mehsana): It’s no secret in Sujatpura village that Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) engineers and officials had come to inspect the leakage of the canal on Tuesday evening. Villagers had pressed the alarm bells and had requested the officers for an early redressal. But the engineers only returned on Wednesday morning when the canal lay split open with breach of 21 metre and a submerged Sujatpura. Villagers thank their stars as the breach did not happen in the night when the village was asleep.This could have claimed many lives. Rajesh Patel, a villager in Sujatpura, says, “A large group of villagers, especially those whose fields are along the canal had shown the SSNNL officers the minor leak as their fields were getting affected.But they assured us that it was a minor leak and would be plugged soon. But the officials never returned on Tuesday night.” Engineers present at the site claim that it will take at least one-and-a-half days to plug the breach with eight bulldozers being commissioned already to the site to work overtime to temporarily fill the breach. SSNNL engineers at the site suspect that the crevice between concrete slabs used for the canal lining cracked, exposed the earthen lining underneath. “The canal was channelling at 13 feet water for the last two days. It means that it was at least 75 per cent full. We suspect that the sheer force of the water flow ate away the mud underneath the concrete slabs and finally the concrete slabs without any support blew open in the morning,” says an SSNNL engineer at the site. SSNNL officials have already sent concrete and soil samples for tests to see the quality of material used for the construction of the canal lining. Ahmedabad fire brigade rushed with boats to the site for rescue operations. The head regulator of the canal was opened to reduce the water to at least three feet. “We had maintained a minimum of 8 to 10 feet water for the last 10 days as this canal carries water to Kutch. For the last two days the level was anywhere between 12 to 13 feet,” says an SSNNL engineer. Excess water had been diverted to the open fields in Balasar and surrounding villages. While any further flow was stalled at Karan Nagar where the canal is diverted to Kutch and Saurashtra canals.