Bhubaneswar, Nov 25 (LocalWire): Light to moderate rain and thundershowers has been predicted for Nov 25 owing to cyclonic storm Nivar.
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Bhubaneswar, Nov 25 (LocalWire): Light to moderate rain and thundershowers has been predicted for Nov 25 owing to cyclonic storm Nivar.
LocalWire
Light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms are likely to occur at one to two places between 2 pm and 5 pm today.
LocalWire
The Regional Transport Office here has been directed to begin new LL applications from 20.11.2020 following COVID guidelines.
The decision was taken after the demand for slots came down in the RTO.
LocalWire
On an early morning in December, farmers, especially women farmers, moved in a rally, singing and dancing. They were on their way to Gambharikhola, a small remote village in Odisha’s Nayagarh district, passing through hills and lush green forests.
Women farmers from 18 villages gathered in Gambharikhola to participate in the first ever indigenous seeds festival in Nayagarh district. Each woman farmer carried indigenous seeds in a small decorated earthen pot, placing it on her head, which showed their respect towards seeds, farming and farmland.
It was a different experience for visitors from cities, to witness such kind of a festival where more than 200 varieties of paddy, pulses, millets, sorghum, maize and vegetable seeds were displayed at the indigenous seeds festival in a village surrounded by forests.
The seed festival drove home the importance of indigenous seeds among farmers, the benefits of local varieties and the need to conserve the same to revive agricultural biodiversity.
Seed festival
The indigenous seeds festival had been organized by Nirman, a non-governmental organization working in the field of agriculture and organic farming in Odisha. The festival showed the possibility of a pesticides-free environment.
In 2012, Nirman organized Burlang seed festival in Kandhamal district, among the Kutia Kondh tribes, after the harvest of crops.
The idea was to encourage tribal farmers to conserve indigenous seeds, and give the farmers an opportunity to celebrate the revival of biodiversity by displaying local seeds and farming practices.
The aim of Burlang festival was conservation of seeds, farming systems and on enhancing crop diversity, to improve food and nutrition security.
There was also exchange of seeds, experience and knowledge on farming practices.
The intent of the indigenous seed festival in Nayagarh was also to spread the knowledge of seed conservation and promote women farmers conserving seeds.
“Seed festivals give us an opportunity to display the indigenous seeds that we preserve and conserve,” said Pratima Jani of Raisora village in Nayagarh district.
Hybrid seeds
“Farmers used to pass on their knowledge of seeds and conservation to the next generation,” said Prasant Mohanty, executive director of Nirman.
“Of late, farmers, even the marginalized ones, started depending upon hybrid seeds that have an adverse impact on their food habits, health, food security, income and climate.”
Farmers who own only 2 or 3 acres of land also prefer buying hybrid seeds from the market than using indigenous seeds.
As the small and marginal farmers started depending upon hybrid seeds, they had to spend extra amount on fertilizers and pesticides.
“We learnt the technique from our forebears and have been preserving indigenous seeds for generations.
But, as hybrid seeds are easily available in the market and there is a misconception that hybrid seeds give more yield than indigenous seeds, farmers are opting for hybrids,” said Pratima Jani.
Speaking to VillageSquare.in, Pratima Jani said that her husband agreed to sow indigenous seeds only in one acre of land out of the 3 acres of land that they own.
For better health
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in its first ever report on the state of biodiversity has noted that loss of biodiversity in agriculture and excessive use of fertilizer for cultivation are the foremost reasons for malnutrition.
Local and endemic crops that have evolved over time are a rich source of nutrition.
Rapid commercialization of agriculture has led to the cultivation of a few commercial crops at the expense of local crops, resulting in the virtual extinction of nutritional biodiversity.
Some data also indicate that diseases like cancer, skin diseases and lifestyle diseases may be caused by eating food loaded with pesticides.
There is every chance that not only urban dwellers, but rural poor will also be affected by these diseases as use of pesticides and chemicals is increasing in remote villages.
According to Siba Prasad Sahu, secretary of Ahimsha Club, who educates villagers in Bargarh district (with the highest number of cancer patients), high use of pesticides on hybrid seeds has spoiled soil health.
“It’s high time we improved soil nutrients by using organic manure, and sowing indigenous seeds,” he said.
Choice of right seeds
Many farmers who attended the seed festival know the importance of indigenous seeds, but are reluctant to use them, as they feel that indigenous seeds are not resilient to climate change.
“There is a need to do characterization of seeds and segregate them based on their yield, climate resilience and pest resilience; this will encourage farmers to use indigenous seeds,” Bidhyadhar Maharana, climate change expert, told VillageSquare.in.
He said, farmers need to follow certain processes before sowing indigenous seeds in their fields – these include segregation, proper storage and testing of seeds before sowing on their field. “Sometimes, due to fungus, farmers do not get the expected yield,” he said.
“If farmers choose the right variety of indigenous seeds even if the yield is less, they can sell it at a premium price.
Because the price of organic food is higher than conventionally farmed food,” he said. He emphasized that there are specific indigenous seeds proven to give more yield than hybrid seeds.
Empowering women peasants
Kanchan Behera of Raisora village, who had brought a variety of seeds to the festival said, “I hope to get a different variety of seed (paddy) to sow in my one acre land.”
She learnt conservation and preservation of seeds from her mother. After marriage she and her mother-in-law continue the practice.
“In our 2 acres, we follow organic farming. The yield is enough to feed our four member family. We sell the surplus in the market,” said Behera.
“If you use hybrid seeds you have to invest on fertilizers to increase productivity. So, women in remote villages need to preserve seeds for the next season’s cultivation.”
Earlier, in remote villages, women had the knowledge of conservation and storage of seeds and this empowered them at home as well as in the community.
Of late, as their husbands started using hybrid seeds, most of the seed preservation knowledge was lost.
Way forward
According to Maharana, in remote villages, seed bank concept needs to be encouraged and women peasants should be taught conservation, preservation and storage of seeds.
It would help in exchange of seeds, improve nutrients in soil and have a positive impact on agricultural biodiversity.
“When farmers sow hybrid seeds, government provides subsidy for water, electricity, tractor, fertilizer, weeder, fuel and pesticide.
But there is no subsidy for sowing indigenous seeds,” Maharana told VillageSquare.in. “To encourage the farmers, government needs to support them.”
“Ecological farming practices need to be strengthened and if farmers follow proper procedure in selecting indigenous seeds and practice organic farming, it will increase productivity and have a positive impact on soil health, biodiversity and human health,” said Mohanty.
This article was first appeared in VillageSquare.in
Nayagarh, November 30 (LocalWire): A woman was killed and her husband seriously injured after they were attacked by an inebriated youth at Bhatasahi under Odagaon police station in Nayagarh.
According to sources, an altercation had ensued during a village feast on Friday night between the youth, Manoj Nayak and the couple.
Later the accused forcibly entered the house of the couple in an inebriated state and allegedly attacked them with a lethal weapon.
The seriously couple was immediately taken to the district headquarters hospital where the woman was declared dead, while the condition of the husband was stated to be critical.
The deceased has been identified as Mani Singh, while the injured person is Niranjan Singh.
Meanwhile, the accused has managed to run away and the police have registered a case and investigating the matter.
LocalWire
Nayagarh, Nov 4 (LocalWire): An elderly man was killed after a boulder fell on him while he was sleeping inside a temple varandah at Chamundia village under Gania police station of Nayagarh district, police said today.
The deceased was identified as Gaya Barik who used to run a saloon in the village and is survived by his wife and two sons.
Due to domestic quarrel, he had gone to sleep in the temple last night, police said. Investigation into the incident is on, police added.
Nayagarh, July 21 (LocalWire): Nayagarh, July 21 (LocalWire): Police arrested a man from Chandipur village in Nayagarh district, accused of kidnapping an eight year old girl about two weeks ago and engaging her in begging in Bhubaneswar, police said Sunday.
The accused, physically-challenged Shankar Bhoi, had abducted the girl on 6 July while she was playing with her brother.
After abducting her, he forced her to beg in different places as he often did with other minors since nine years.
He took the girls to beg in several places in the state and also in neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
Police produced the girl in child welfare committee (CWC) before handing her to her family members.
They said the man was a habitual offender who had abducted girls from Puri, Khurda, Balugaon, Tangi and Bhubaneswar. ‘We are still investigating about the accused person,’ said police.
LocalWire
Nayagarh, March 29 (LocalWire) A modest ecotourism project in Odisha’s picturesque Badmul village is today a shining example of community collaboration and changing fortunes of people — from poverty to wealth and power.
Launched in 2016 on the banks of river Mahanadi in Nayagarh, the project saw a rapid growth, from modest revenue of Rs.27 lakhs in the first year to a whopping income of Rs.1.30 crore in 2018-19.
The Satkosia Sands Resort and Nature Camp has firmly put Nayagarh in the country’s tourism map.
Besides Indian tourists, visitors from Germany, France, Britain and other countries visit this beautiful resort, which has nine tents and seven cottages overlooking the mighty Satkosia Gorge.
Last year alone, it attracted 3,000 visitors, while 20% of them were foreigners.
Not many people had known Badmul in Satkosia Tiger Reserve in the recent past. Now, it’s turning out to be Nayagarh’s best kept secrets.
The forest department had launched the resort to help locals earn a livelihood. Now, each family earns around Rs. 2 lakh annually from the project.
Some 5-6 neighbouring villages get direct livelihood opportunities from the resort, said Anshu Pragyan Das, deputy conservator of forests, ecotourism.
Today, Badmul ecotourism is not just a livelihood project but also a conservation success story.
Earlier, locals used to hunt wild animals for a living. Now, that has changed, said Das.
As a result, frequent forest-fires and poaching have significantly reduced, which are the worst enemies of wildlife conservation.
Poachers now have turned into protectors of Satkosia wildlife. They guide tourists during nature treks, , Das added.
Besides poaching, illegal sand mining and fishing have also stopped after the villagers have realised that conserving the habitat is in their best interests, Das said.
Odisha has a huge potential for tourism. Tourism sites like Similipal, Satkosia, Bhitarkanika, Chilika, Phulbani and Koraput already see a huge footfall of tourists every year.
Currently, there’re 40 community-managed nature resorts in different parts of the state which has earned over Rs.5.6 crore in 2018-19.
LocalWire
Nayagarh, Jan 1 (LocalWire) At least 30 people were injured in a bus accident near Akurabandh chhak in Nayagarh on Tuesday morning, said police.
According to police, the tourist bus was coming from Chhattisgarh and going to Cuttack.
The driver allegedly fell asleep and lost balance of the vehicle. The bus skidded off the road and crashed into a tree.
Passengers were rescued by police and locals.
A critically-injured passenger is being treated at Cuttack SCB Medical College and Hospital.
LocalWire