Ramakrishna Mission Lokasiksha Parishad (RKMLSP) promotes land shaping for crop irrigation and to prevent water stagnation in Sunderbans, West Bengal (part 1 of 2)

The low-lying area of the Sundarbans in West Bengal is well-known for frequent floods and cyclones. Water stagnates from June-July and remains muddy upto December making it impossible to grow any crop except the low yielding variety. Ramakrishna Mission Lokasiksha Parishad (RKMLSP) undertook a unique project of land shaping wherein a part of the land is raised artificially.

The idea of digging ponds to raise the low land with the help of excavated earth provided sufficient rain water for crop irrigation as well as prevented water stagnation. This made it suitable for the cultivation of HYV rice, vegetables etc. Land shaping (LS) combined with integrated farming systems approach is one of the main factors for enhancing productivity in a sustainable way in Sundarbans. - Dr. Manas Ghosh, Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narendrapur, Kolkata.

The socio-economic profile of the people in the villages where RKM works are similar i.e. mainly inhabited by landless, marginal and small farmer communities. However, the natural condition varies dramatically. For instance, in Purulia and Bankura district in West Bengal where RKM has been working lies in the drier part of the state while on other side is Sundarbans, which is a low-lying area, well-known for frequent floods and cyclones. 

Lack of water is one of the critical causes for poverty in most poor areas of India and indeed even in other parts the world. However, in case of Sundarbans, it is opposite. The Indian part of Sundarbans is a conglomeration of 104 islands situated in the mouth of river Ganges in Bay of Bengal. Of the 102 islands, about 50 per cent are inhabited by immigrants from neighboring districts and from Bangladesh. Highly saline water in the rivers, rivulets or creeks encircles the islands. Twice a day, water is affected by the movement of tides. During high tide, the water level reaches 1-2 meter above the habitation level.

Drinking water is scarce because of rise in salinity in the river and ground water; even at 305 m depth water is too salty to drink. In Sundarbans, rainy season is longer with 1,750 mm of average rainfall; more than average of rest of West Bengal. Water begins to stagnate from the month of June or July and soil remains muddy upto December. In 90 per cent of the cultivated land, water level remains above 30 cm and upto 100 cm during peak monsoon months. It is impossible to grow any crop except the low yielding variety, this barely meets the needs of the families. Cultivation of high yielding variety (HYV) of rice is not possible due to high water stagnation and poor drainage. Double or multiple cropping with winter vegetables is not feasible as the field remains engaged upto December-January. After that, with increase in temperature, soil salinity also increases -leading to poor seed germination and crop growth. Available fresh water is not sufficient for irrigation either during summer or for winter season crop. Therefore, in Sundarbans though water is everywhere -it is useless, and indeed it is the cause for widespread poverty in the area.

In mid 1980s, RKM started farming systems research extension project in Sundarbans. They found that every family dug a small pond to raise the land for making their dwelling. Farmers also used very small area of high land adjacent to their dwelling to grow vegetables during winter. The idea of digging ponds to raise low land with the help of excavated earth was a unique way to tackle the dual problem with a single action:

1. The pond could harvest sufficient rainwater (locally called 'sweet water') for crop irrigation and other purposes
2. The raised land could keep away water stagnation and become suitable for the cultivation of HYV rice, vegetables etc.

Ramakrishna Mission Lokasiksha Parishad (RKMLSP), the Rural Development Unit of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narendrapur, Kolkata has been working for the development of rural people since 1960s. At present it is working in several villages in 12 districts of West Bengal. Women and child development, rural sanitation, organization building, natural and human resource development, income generation activities are some issues that RKMLSP is trying to address.

RKM persuaded the farmers to dig a larger area and raise their land for cultivation. Initially the response was slow, after several rounds of discussion with the farmers on  pros and cons of the concept, finally the idea of 'Land Shaping' (LS) was accepted by them.

An effective water utilization module

The Land Shaping Project (LSP) has been developed by the SRAN through the Krishi Vigyan Kendra to enhance land use plan in coastal part of Sundarbans. This intervention helped in creating year round crop production, aqua-culture, generating income throughout the year, controlling migration, better diet and balancing the mono-cropping risk.

The technology, impact and change is shred using the profile of the farmer.

1. Swami Sadananda
2. Complex, Diverse and Risk prone
3. 1991 census

Water is a precious and finite source. Although it covers three-quarters of the earth, only a small portion is accessible as freshwater. Water used for agriculture must be managed wisely. With the intensification of agriculture, attention has to be paid on proper use of surface water. 
    
Sundarbans in coastal part of West Bengal has two distinct micro situations mainland and islands. Like other deltaic regions, numerous river, rivulets, creeks and canals intersect the Sundarbans. Both mainland and island situations fall under CDR2 agricultural system. Though the area has potential of rich resources of fish fauna, yet the huge population of 38 lakh (1 lakh = 100,000), people are not able to get sufficient income by exploring the natural resources. The population in this area is constituted of small agricultural landholders, landless laborers and full time or part-time fisherfolk.

Sundarbans is situated in southern most part of West Bengal in two districts i.e. South 24-Parganas and North 24-Parganas. It covers the area of 9630 sq. km. and population of 3.8 million, about 60 per cent of the inhabitants are below poverty line. Average rainfall in Sundarbans is 1750 mm per year concentrated in seven months from June to December. As 61.9 per cent of the total available agricultural land area are low- lying, these entire lands are subject to inundation and water logging during seven months of the year due to lack of proper drainage facility. This situation compels the local farmers to grow only local tall Indica variety which has a low yield potential (18.5 qntls/ha.) during kharif season. 

Long back in 1980s, a comment from an elderly farmer in a Sundarbans village was "We Sundarban people suffer in water for six months and for water for the next six months." While planning for management of natural resources, scientists of Sri Ramkrishna Ashram Nimpith (SRAN) have got a clue from this farmer's comment. Any bridging between these two situations related with water will be an efficient one for land use planning of Sundarbans.

Studies have been made on the impact of different alternative livelihood options suitable for the coastal community in Sundarbans. Ambast et.al 1996 has reported the possibility of maximizing productivity of Sundarbans through rainwater management by storing the same in a farm reservoir. The pond embankment was also raised to check free exchange of water between the raised land and the pond. Among these land care systems an effective water storage module “ Land Shaping” - for integrating agriculture and aquaculture for better productivity, multi-tier agriculture based on indigenous technological knowledge and small-scale livestock development which has been found to be promising.

Sri Ramkrishna Ashram Nimpith (SRAN), an NGO and philanthropic organization with its different branch institutions have undertaken several agro-developmental programmes in coastal Sundarbans since the last four decades to lift rural people above the poverty line. SRAN has been implementing rural development programmes based on efficient utilization of agro-resources. German Agro Action (GAA) has extended their support and cooperation for large scale dissemination of the same in sundarbans area.

Bridging the problem of water inundation and irrigation

Agriculture is the mainstay occupation of majority of people in Sundarban zone as agriculture provides employment to 89 per cent of the total workforce. The total number of land holdings is 3,15,500, of which 84 per cent is less than 1.0 ha. in size. Marginal farmers represent 37 per cent of entire farming community whereas landless agricultural laborers constitute 50.2 per cent of the total workforce in Sundarban region.

Investigation revealed that farmers, both in the mainland and island villages in the coastal part of Sundarbans, practiced traditional mono-cropped farming due to lack of proper drainage and irrigation in their small fragmented low-lying land holdings. HYV paddy was not possible due to low-lying land and water logging. Lack of irrigation facilities rules out possibility of starting a second crop during rabi-summer season. In fact lack of drainage and irrigation facilities are the greatest agricultural problems in Sundarbans. As all the rivers, creeks and canals of the Sundarban region have saline water, the farmers cannot use the vast reservoir of water for irrigation purposes. Besides, developing water resources proved difficult as the underground water up to 20-25 ft. from the surface is saline and the positive tides induce salinity in the water stored in drainage canals during rabi season. 

The Land Shaping Project (LSP) has been developed by the SRAN (Krishi Vigyan Kendra) through a series of refinement efforts and modification of land use plan in the coastal part of Sundarbans. This model helps in creating year round crop production, aquaculture, generating income throughout the year, inhibits human migration, leading to a better dietary balance of the family, minimizing climate dependability (in CDR system), employing the family labor force and balancing the mono-cropping risk.

What is Land Shaping?

Land Shaping is a very simple technology. The farmers have to locate a plot of 0.2 ha. to 0.4 ha. within their own holding about 4/5 portion of this is raised to an average height of 9 inch to 12 inch by excavating a pond in the 1/5 portion of the same land.

Expenditure for developing a land shaping model of 0.26 ha. plot size is to the tune of Rs. 22,000/- and requirement of labour is 360 man-days (average) for doing the earthwork. A break-up is given below: