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Background:

E n v i r o n m e n t

Environmental issues are an important agenda since the inception of PBVM. PBVM have beencontinually taking different steps for the Better Environment of the state as well as conservation and

protection of the Nature & Natural Resources.

A g r i c u l t u r e

Some salient points on Indian Agriculture

Indian population was increased from 361 million in in 1950 to 100 million in 2000AD. To

keep pace with this population pressure, food grain production of 50.8 million tones of 1950had to be increased to 201.8 million tons in 2000AD.

During last five decades land under irrigation in India was increased from 18% to 35%.

Increase in agriculture production as well as application of high yielding technology inagriculture was mainly concentrated in the irrigated lands. In 48 million hectare irrigated land56% of the total food grains are produced whereas in the rest 95 million hectare rain-fed areasonly 44% food grains are produced. Majority of the BPL people live in the rain-fed areas.

The fertilizer consumption in India has been increased from 239.9 thousand tones in the year

1960 to 19145 thousand tons in 2000. Nevertheless it is said that the average use of fertilizerper hectare in India is far below than the average use of fertilizer in the developed world.

In India 10 MNCs and their 400 formulator companies are selling every year pesticides of

worth 760 million US$. Target for 2020 has been fixed for earning a market of 300 milliontones.

Over extraction of groundwater for HYV cultivation, withdrawal exceeding the rate of natural

recharge is evident from widespread pollution of Arsenic, fluoride etc. in ground watersystem.

In substantial areas of India groundwater levels are falling by 1-3 meters p.a. as per the report

of FAO.

Over extraction in coastal areas causes saltwater to intrude into freshwater aquifers, making

them unfit for irrigation or drinking-water without costly treatment.

Some serious crisis developed in Indian agriculture in the era of so-called Globalization.

Increasing number of land less labour by 2 million per annum since 1995.


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Farmers are not getting appropriate price of their products from the market.

The government is being compelled to import food grains and agriculture commodity while thefarming community is suffering from selling their products in the domestic markets.

Agriculture subsidy for the farmers by the government has to be reduced from 11% to 3% due thepressure of Globalization.

During last ten years more than 2lakhs of Indian farmers committed suicide due to the intolerableeconomic poverty they have to face.

National farmers commission report says that 40% of the Indian farmers in the present crisis mayleave Agriculture as their profession if they find any alternative.

Agriculture in West Bengal

During the first three decades of Indian independence, West Bengal was marked as alaggard state for Agriculture production. The historical land reform programme along with the three-tierPanchayatSystem implemented by the Left Front Government of the state since 1977 generatedserious spirit among the rural farming community that now developed the state as one of the largest

producer of food grains in India. West Bengal now produces the largest quantity of rice, potato,vegetables and fish in India. Rice production in west Bengal has been increased from 51.76 lakh tonesin 1980 to 133.16 lakh tones in 2000. Total inorganic fertilizer consumption of the state was only96.65 thousand tones in 1970 that was sharply increased to 281.3 tonnes in 1980 and further increasedto 1078 thousand tones in 2000. Although the farming community of the state are socially andeconomically more protected than the other states of India, the effect of intensive agriculture on theland as well as the socio economic impact on the farming community due to so called globalizationare gradually becoming prominent in West Bengal.

PBVM is highly concerned on Sustainable agriculture

The term sustainability has gained increasing acceptance in the modern world. It is defined as the

goal of achieving a sustainable planet, one that will accommodate the basic needs of its present

inhabitants while preserving the resources that will enable future generations to flourish. Sustainable

Agriculture describes farming systems that are "capable of maintaining their productivity and

usefulness to society indefinitely. Such systems must be resource-conserving, socially supportive,

commercially competitive, and environmentally sound."

Sustainable agriculture is the use of farming systems and practices which

satisfy human food and fiber needs

maintain or enhance the economic viability of agricultural production and farm operations

enhance environmental quality and the natural resource-base upon which the agricultural

economy depends

maintain other ecosystems which are influenced by agricultural activities.

enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.


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The long-term viability of our current food production system is being questioned for many

reasons

1.Large capital investments in order to apply production and management technology.

2.Continuously crop grown over many seasons.

3.Narrowing crop diversity by uniform high-yield hybrid crops.

4.Extensive use of pesticides, fertilizers, and external energy inputs.

5.High labor efficiency; and dependency on agribusiness.

6.In the case of livestock, most production comes from confined, concentrated systems.

Agriculture now contributes about 30 percent of total global anthropogenic emissions of GHGs,

like Co2,Methane, Nitrous oxide, and ammonia although large seasonal and annual variations

make a precise assessment difficult (Bouwman, 2001).

PBVM activities on Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the prime agenda of the science movements led by PBVM. Sinceits formation the organization launched a thorough campaign programme for rational use of inorganicfertilizers, pesticides, insecticides as well as to make aware of the farmers for better use of agriculturescience and technology. In early 90s the science activists of the state used Soil Testing Kits,developed by the scientists of the state to encourage the farmer to test their soil before application offertilizer. PBVM workers are also devoting to launch Integrated Pest and Nutrient ManagementProgramme (IPNM) with the help of state Agriculture technologists and scientists. PBVM developed

a slide set on Friend and Enemy pests for the awareness programme of eco-friendly agriculture.Establishment ofKrishi Paramarshadan Kendra (farmers service center) in different

districts at the block level is another remarkable drive of the PBVM. The farmers of a village will sittogether accompanied by the local Panchayat, leaders of the farmers organization, agriculturetechnologists not only to solve different field problems but also to plan the mode of agriculture

production of the village by exchanging and utilizing their own experiences- is the basic philosophyand principle of this centers as framed by PBVM. The aims and target of these centers are outlined asfollows:

To generate and explore the inherent knowledge of the farming community.

To provide modern science and technology knowledge to the farming community and to explore their

rationality of use for the real benefit of the farmer.

To successful use of IPNM.

To conserve and preserve local resources e.g. plant/crop diversity, genetic resources, by the activeparticipation of rural people.

To encourage the farmers for organic farming, self help production and use of vermi-compost, organiccompost, bio-control measures, bio-fertilizer, bio-pesticides etc.

To minimize the cost of cultivation by different approaches.


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H e a l t h

Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha is engaged in awareness peoples health movement since itsinception. Our conception of health planning is Peoples Health in Peoples Hand. All componentsof health i.e. Preventive, Promotive, Curative, Rehabilitative Health care activities come under our

perview. Physical, Occupational, Environmental, Mental, & Social health come under our ambit. Forthis we follow Bottom Up approach. This includes, people should be empowered to identify theirown health problems, analyze the situation, given proper scientific knowledge to plan for solutions,

prioritize the needs, implement them by integration of different inter - sectoral & intra - sectoralresources available, target oriented programmes initiation, evaluation the status after a specified

period, dissemination of experience with People, modifying the programme as per result. Thus peoplecan share their experience with others, & become Self Reliant. We plan the guidelines of the

programme centrally, but implement them on the basis of local situation.

Health Awareness

PBVM has taken up problems of social & environmental prevention of vector bornediseases, especially mosquito borne diseases, emphasizing on Malaria, Dengue, Chickenguniainfections, Bird Flue, water borne diseases like Diarrhea, Arsenicosis, Flurosis etc. PBVM has taken

progamme of intervention Flurosis effected area of Nalhati & Rampurhat area of Birbhum District &carried out long term follow-up of the affected person.

Jana Swasthya Chetana Prasar Samonnyay Committee was formed at State level & DistrictLevels with the initiative of PBVM, involving many Health Organizations, Mass Organizations,

professional organizations & Voluntary Organizations on the basis of Self Funding. The firstNational Health Assembly was organized at Yuva Bharati Krirangan on 30 th Nov to 2nd Dec, 2000.More than 2000 delegates form 160 health organization, spread all over India had participated in the

National Health Assembly.Under the banner of Jana Swasthya Chetana Prasar Samonnyay Committee representatives

of PBVM had actively participated with large delegation in 1st World Peoples Health Assembly onDecember, 2000 at Dhaka, Bangla Desh. Since then the main task of PBVM in health field is as statedabove.Health Intervention

In 1994 Kotulpur block of Bankura Dist was selected for intense health Activity by our health

activists. The upliftment in knowledge, attitude, practices & application in health sector along withimprovement of health status of local people were assessed & the experience was shared in All India

peoples Science Congress. Importance of Non Health sector inputs to improve the status of healthwere highlighted.

PBVM had intervened to tackle Health problems in cases of Natural Disaster like Flood,Tornado etc. with the intervention of our activists, Save the Drinking Water Sources & safe disposalof Excreta yielded result by preventing Post flood diarrhea in the event of flood in Dakshin Dinajpurin 1994 , North 24 Parganas & other Districts in 2000.

Health risks of workers were assed in many factories & necessary interventions were done tominimize the health hazards. Industrial Gas Poisoning in Dashpur of Howrah District , Lake Town innorth 24 Parganas were taken up to assess the effect & necessary steps were arranged. The case reportwas presented in Bangla Science Congress.

National Family Health Survey- III has revealed that though there is improvement in the state incertain aspects of Health Indicators, yet the problem of proper Nutrition specially Anaemia has

increased. PBVM has planned to intervene. PBVM has organized a State level Trainer TrainingWorkshop in September 2006 targeting Reduction of Maternal & Infant mortality & morbidity,


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Assessment of own Health Status & intervene according to Food Budgeting & Health Education &healthy lifestyle.

Since then time bound programme is going on in different Districts, after giving proper trainingto our volunteers. It is planned to have this sort of Health Activity in at least one GP in every Block &one ward in every Municipality. PBVM is continuing the activity involving all like mindedorganizations 7 will continue to do so.

Te c h n o l o g y T r a n s f e r

Setting up district level S&T centres to facilitate the activity of 'technology transfer'. One such unitwas set up in the name of great scientist Dr. Kudrati-Khuda in Margram in Birbhum district andanother such unit is being run successfully at Kalna, Burdwan ; Haripal, Hoogly & Nabagram,Murshidabad . Moreover, PBVM has taken up large scale implementation programme for setting up'Improved Chulla' and 'Sanitary Murt' for spreading the health consciousness among rural people.

P a r t i c i p a t o r y P l a n n i n g

Panchayat Level Resource Mapping with Peoples' Participation at Kashipur Block, Purulia

District, West Bengal :

This project was implemented in Kahipur block (area about 450 sq. km.), about 300 km from Kolkata(the state capital), in Purulia District of West Bengal, India. It is a lateritic zone with sloping terrain.Annual rainfall is about 1200-1400 mm, but it occurs mainly during three months (July-September).

But due to terrain condition, drainage is so high, water is always scare during rest of the year. Thereare altogether 128 mouzas (revenue villages) which constitute 13 Gram Panchayats (G.P. the lowestadministrative units in India). Each G.P. consists of about 8 to 15 such contiguous villages. Theobjective was to prepare action plans for the holistic development of individual G.P.s involving local

people, with special emphasis on water resources. The project was implemented in collaboration withPaschim Banga Vigyan Mancha (PBVM the largest Peoples Science NGO in India) and wasfunded by UNICEF through Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission. Majority of the peopleare either schedule caste or schedule tribes. Literacy rate is also very low. Almost 50% of the

population are illiterate.

The first task was mapping on cadastral scale on 1:3960, the largest scale maps available whereindividual plots of lands were shown. Each revenue village is covered in at least one cadastral sheet,

but in case of de-populated mouzas (covered by agricultural fields), number of sheets are sometimeseven six or more. Even a conservative estimate puts the number of land plots to be about 2.5 lakhs. Itwas decided that plot to plot survey would be carried out to record geomorphology/landforms,landuse/land cover, slope, public amenities available, water resources. Altogether four maps would bedeveloped and slope of individual plots would be marked on landform maps with arrow symbol. Wedeveloped a legend with different colours for landforms and landuse and different symbols foramenities so that the local villagers can carry out the entire task. Only local terminology were used torepresent various units. A printed manual of about 75 pages in Bengali (local language) was alsodeveloped for this work. Also, printed formats on each item were developed so that any dataregarding any plot can be recorded there. The target was to finish the work within two years.

Initially, one orientation camp for the Scientific Assistants (SA) for about 5 days was organised wherethose who had the experience of rural development shared their opinion with newly appointedScientific Assistants. The basic objective was to train how to talk with the local villagers at their own


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language and at per their own perception. Repeated cautions were made not to be overbearingnature during this work. After this, for about three months, enough awareness generation in thelocality regarding this work was carried out through out the entire blocks by lectures, posters, sloganwriting, slide shows etc. This phase of work was termed as Environment Generation. The ScientificAssistants directly participated in as many programmes possible, so that they can be acquainted withlocal people as well as terrain. This gave an opportunity to make a reconnaissance survey of the entireregion.

After that, 5 master trainers from each G.P. were selected and a two-day Master Training workshopwas organised. Local administrators and elected peoples representatives were all there. The spirit was

This is your Village. You have to participate for its future planning and subsequent development.It was also made explicitly clear that entire work by the villagers would be carried out on voluntary

basis and only by the motivated people. The food or any support required during the work needs to besupplied by the villagers themselves. Only the scientific equipments like tapes, maps, caps etc weresupplied from the project. The end products i.e. plan document would be their document and theyshould own the entire programme. The Scientific Assistants carried out the master training.

In the next phase, at least 6 volunteers for each mouza sheet were selected and G.P. wise one-daytraining camps were organised. It was decided that one G.P. would be taken up at a time so that all theScientific Assistants can be deployed there. The idea was to finish the mapping work of any G.P.within seven days from the training day so that the spirit can be well kept. Scientific Assistants weresupposed to intervene only when they would be called by the villagers to do so, but they wouldaccompany different groups on different time and day in field. After the days fieldwork, thevolunteers used to assemble and prepare fresh copies of the maps, which were not carried in the fieldand was kept in their rooms for future use. Once the mapping for any revenue village (not anyindividual sheet) is complete, a general meeting of the villagers was called where these volunteers

presented their work and suggested action plans on different aspects based on the objective situation.Once the presentation was over, then the forum was made open for discussion. The villagers first gotthrilled after looking at the maps prepared by their own men/women and then started giving their

opinion either contradicting or supporting any specific item of the plan.All along the exercise, the Scientific Assistants used to be present but without any comment.Sometimes the discussion became very explosive and then only Scientific Assistants intervene to turnthe discussion on logical footing by putting some scientific input. Once, the items became finalised,then started the discussion on prioritisation of plans. The Scientific Personnel in each meetingconveyed that the plan should not be a charter of demands, but it should be prioritised and based onscientific support. For a single village, sometimes this kind of discussion went on even for 3-4consecutive evenings. But the villagers never lost their interest since the location of hand pumps,wells, roads etc were the part of it. During the implementation of the project, the scientific personnellearnt a lot about the traditional knowledge. Just for an example, we noted that senior and experiencedvillagers could suggest the correct locations of wells even in that rocky terrain, although they couldnot explain well why water would be available at those locations. Through such exercise, panchayat

level planning for 11 Gram Panchayats (out of 13) were carried out.

S a m a t a

Development of SAMATA groups in all the districts to ensure participation of women in scienceawareness programmes and also to motivate them in the spirit of self-reliance.


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