Kheti par kiski maar? Jungli janwar, mausam aur sarkar. Throughout the 1980s, this thought-provoking slogan resonated with farmers across Uttarakhand in the aftermath of the green revolution. 

Led by the founder of Beej Bachao Andolan (Save Seeds) (BBA), Vijay Jardhari, the pan-state movement was against monoculture farming and forceful replacement of nutritious cultivation like millets with cash crops.

Vijay, whose family had been cultivating multiple varieties of crops for generations, predicted the long term repercussions of monoculture or growing a single crop on soil fertility and subsequently the rise in farmer distress. 

While growing up he had seen the health and environmental benefits of growing more than one traditional crop in the same land. So, when the government was giving soybeans and chemical fertilisers at dirt cheap rates, it did not go down well with Vijay and he started BBA to conserve traditional varieties. 

Most people from the agricultural field are aware of Vijay’s Dandi march across the state with his friends to collect indigenous seeds (he collected 350 varieties of seeds!). 

However, very few know that while knocking on every farmer’s doorstep, Vijay ended up sharing his knowledge on an ancient farming practice called ‘Baranaj’ (Bara is 12 and Anaj means crop). 

“It is an inter-cropping method of twelve or more crops that is usually practised in rain-fed Tehri-Garhwal regions. It gives a farmer a wholesome land on which lentils, cereals, vegetables, legumes and creepers grow in harmony with each other. For example, stems of grains act as a natural support for creepers of legumes. Once the key to the success of our ancestors, this method was dying in the 80s. It provides food security to the farmer and also raises soil fertility,” Vijay, who is now in his late sixties, tells The Better India. 

I spoke at length with Vijay, who was conferred with Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar in 2009 for his exceptional contribution to saving traditional seed varieties via BBA, to understand baranaj and its benefits.

Baranaj: Process & Specifications

One of the major advantages of this method is that a farmer will never have to worry about going hungry or taking a hefty loan. 

“Some of the crops in the cycle are resistant to drought, pests, and floods so during a natural calamity, even if some crops are damaged, he will still get enough food to sell in the market or for self-consumption. Additionally, the baranaj process is similar to that of forest and hence it does not require any chemical inputs or excessive irrigation. They are all rainfed. Maintaining diversity in plants also boosts soil fertility and it provides varying fodder options for farm animals,” explains Vijay.

According to him, there is no fixed pattern or combinations that a farmer has to use as long as the crops are a mix of grains, masala, vegetables and pulses. 

Vijay’s recommendation: 

• Grains: Mandua (finger millet), jowar (sorghum), ramdana (amaranthus), kuttu/ogal (buckwheat), and corn. 
• Pulses/beans: Rajma, lobia, bhat (black soybean), naurangi (rice beans), urad and moong.
• Vegetables: cholai (Amaranth), kheera, ogal (local variety) and lobia (black-eyed beans) 
• Spices: sesame and til (sesame)

Identifying companion seeds that will boost each other’s growth is very important for a farmer. 

“Roots of jowar hold the soil and prevent erosion during floods. Meanwhile, pulses like lobia or naurangi can provide nitrogen to other vegetables like cholai and cabbage as these need a lot of nutrients. Millets are rainfed crops so its roots will absorb all the excess water and prevent floods. All these plants will have different heights so the tall ones can provide shade during extreme heat,” he explains. 

Apart from being safe from extreme climatic conditions and being companions to each other, the crop rotation will also ensure that wild animals and birds do not destroy the entire field. For instance, birds feed on jowar so Vijay keeps aside a portion just for them. In return, birds help in maintaining bio-diversity. 

Since crops are rotated on an annual basis, insects thrive less on the field and to prevent pest attacks, Vijay suggests using manure made from cow’s dung and urine. This way, a farmer will save on external chemical inputs. 

Baranaj Could Be Zero Budget 

With his budget-friendly tips and effective yield practices, Vijay has inspired thousands of farmers to start baranaj in the last 30 years. The majority of farmers from 15-20 villages around his village follow this method.

This is because the investment cost is considerably less in a world where farmers are at the mercy of expensive fertilisers. 

“Maybe in the first rotation, you have to rely on the market for seeds but after that, you can save some seeds and replant them every year. We still follow the barter system ritual where if one of my seeds is not giving proper yield, I will exchange it with another farmer in a similar situation. This way both of us can try new seeds and in most cases, this works. This a great way to save money,” Dhum Singh Negi, a Senior Chipko leader from Vijay’s village tells The Better India. Negi has been practising baranaj for the last 60 years. 

This understanding and harmony is also reflected when it comes to labour work. Instead of hiring labour, a group of farmers help each in the sowing process, “Sowing seeds is no less than a festival for us where we take dhols and drums in the fields and even dance while sowing. This ritual helps us stay united,” says Vijay. 

Now that a farmer has saved on pesticides, labour and seeds, the inputs costs are almost zero. 

‘We Can Prevent Farmer Suicides’

A farmer’s inability to pay loans coupled with erratic climatic conditions often pushes him to take extreme measures including suicide. The situation is worse for farmers with small landholdings who are unable to produce a higher yield. 

Succumbing to the pressure, the farmer ends up using more chemical fertilisers to artificially increase the production and in turn compromises with the crop quality and soil fertility to an extent where the land altogether disrupts the cultivation cycle. 

To break this vicious cycle, both Vijay and Negi vouch for the baranaj.

“Our ancestral knowledge has helped us become atmanirbhar (self-reliant) as I no more have to rely on any external inputs. It will be hard for a farmer to switch from monoculture and may even suffer crop damage in the beginning. But in the long run, they will benefit. By promoting this method, we can prevent farmer suicides. The best part? A farmer will not be affected by jungli janwar, mausam and sarkar,” Vijay concludes. 

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde) 

How many times have you carefully looked at the green shade of coriander or felt its texture? Because it is such a universal ingredient in food dishes and readily available, this versatile herb cum spice is undervalued.

Gopal Dutt Upreti, an organic farmer from Uttarakhand’s Bilkesh village (Ranikhet), also never paid any attention to his coriander plants until they entered the Guinness Book of World Records on 21 April this year.

The 47-year-old’s coriander plant received the title of ‘world’s tallest coriander plant’ with a height of 7.1 feet (2.16 metres) using traditional ‘Himalayan farming techniques’.

In an interesting twist, Gopal revealed to me that his record-breaking coriander was there only to save his apple orchards from pest attacks and insects. He never intended to popularise his coriander variety, let alone make a world record.

“Coriander is easy to grow and gives flowers that attract butterflies and bees. At the same time, it acts as an insect repellent for flies, mosquitoes and fruit flies. Seeing the benefits, I planted coriander in 2015, and the rest is history,” Gopal tells The Better India.

According to Gopal, neither did he use any special methods, nor did he add any secret ingredients to enhance the height of the plants. In fact, he claims he only realised they were different when farmers in the village and visitors were amazed at the unusual height.

“The average height of coriander in India is 2-3 feet, and in 2018 the height of my plant touched 5 feet. On my friend’s encouragement, I applied for the Limca Book of Records and got the title. For Guinness, I had to compete against a 5.9-foot tall plant, so I waited for mine to grow,” he says.

Gopal has now applied for a patent on his seed variety, which was procured right from his kitchen.

The engineer-turned-farmer quit his lucrative career in civil construction in 2015 after he was mesmerized by organic farming practice on his visit to Europe in 2012.

Though his ancestors once practised traditional farming, the newer generation switched to corporate jobs for a stable income. Gopal too migrated to Delhi in the 1980s.

Gopal spent three years to learn about the latest farming technologies, market rates, soil conditions in his village and so on.

He started farming on 3 acres of land and gradually expanded to 8 acres. Today, he has 2,000 apple trees in his orchard and hundreds of coriander plants. Besides this, he also grows turmeric and garlic.

All You Need to Know About Growing A Tall Coriander Plant

The best part about growing coriander is that it can be grown in any weather conditions, from Rajasthan’s heat to Mumbai’s humidity to Shimla’s freezing temperatures. If the temperatures soar exponentially, it can be kept cool via mulching.

Gopal recommends sowing coriander directly in pots, “Sow the seeds about half to one inch deep in the soil. Keep a space of 5-6 inches between 2 seeds. Water the plants regularly but refrain from over-watering to avoid root rot. Make sure there are sufficient drainage holes as coriander has deep taproots.”

The harvesting may take up to 3 weeks, but if you want to extend the period and get taller plants, then Gopal suggests snipping soft stems and rotating the plant.

Soil fertility is the deciding factor for coriander’s growth. It has to be kept moist, and feeding rich nutrients is a must. Gopal uses everything from a neem cake, jeevamruth, bichu ghas (nettle) to compost.

Gopal gives a detailed explanation about growing conditions here:

By using simple methods like seed preservation and composting, Gopal grew the coriander trees. Each plant gives about 500 grams of seeds, as against 20-50 grams from regular ones.

Gopal has preserved around a thousand seeds in an airtight container, which he plans to distribute to farmers and agriculturists in the future.

You can reach Gopal Dutt at: Gopaldupreti@yahoo.co.in

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

Some nature lovers are often considered crazy for their relentless passion to conserve and protect the environment. While nature conservation might be a weekend hobby for some, there are others who care deeply for the subject and make it their whole life.

This Nainital-resident, who has given up a full-time job to dedicate his life to protecting the forests of Uttarakhand, is an epitome of what passion can lead you to do.

Chandan Nayal, from the remote Nai village of Uttarakhand, quit his lecturer job in 2016 and returned home to plant over 12,000 trees to revive the forests of the region. He also took up water conservation activities.

“I completed my diploma studies in electronics from Rudrapur in Udham Singh district in 2014. The district is about 170 km from the village and I interned in the travel sector and later took a lecturer’s job in the same college,” the 26-year-old says.

Chandan says that he has always shown an inclination towards nature.

“I have seen nature getting destroyed since childhood. I remember running with the villagers to extinguish forest fires in pine trees. The frequent forest fires also impact small forest plants and biodiversity,” Chandan laments.

A personal loss

The former professor says that the small natural water ponds used for cattle grazing also dried up over the years.

“During my teenage years, I got involved in nature conservation activities like planting trees and understanding the ecology of the area. I learned that forest fires also cause deforestation, and it is crucial to allow the natural regeneration of forests. Also, more oak and deodar trees native to the geology are needed,” he tells The Better India.

But it was in 2010 that Chandan lost his mother due to a prolonged illness.

“The incident left a big void in my life. I felt depressed and lost in life. While grieving, I often left for the mountains and forest areas to find peace. The time spent under the shade of trees brought me closer to my purpose,” Chandan says.

Since then he got more involved in nature conservation activities around his native village.

But living away from home for work meant limited time to invest in environmental causes.

Passion for nature

Chandan could only get involved in protecting forests during his vacation period. Many villagers also questioned his dedication. “If you want to work so much for the village, why don’t you stay and continue instead of working and doing it part-time? They used to ask,” Chandan recalls.

Driven by his conviction, in 2016, he quit his job and decided to dedicate his time to increasing forest area in the region.

But going against the village trend where youth migrate to cities like Delhi for better job opportunities, he faced a lot of opposition. “Everyone mocked me. Villagers said this is not the way to behave. People thought I was crazy and nothing would come from protecting the environment. Some people said that forests existed even before humans and they will continue to survive, we do not need to do anything to conserve it,” Chandan says.

However, he relied on his 50 nali farm, a measure used to calculate land to earn Rs 10,000 a month.

“I understand that money is very important. But my passion for protecting the environment is more satisfying,” Chandan adds.

Research before action

Continuing his work, Chandan met environmentalists like Sundarlal Bahuguna, Anil Joshi, Sacchidanand Bharati, Jagat Singh Chaudhary, Kalyan Singh and other experts to seek guidance.

“I realised there was a need for mixed, diverse forests and planting one species of trees won’t work. So I took up Deodar and Bharuch trees as well to plant in schools, empty spaces and private individual land with due permissions,” Chandan says, adding that watching his effort, more nature lovers started joining him.

With no funds in hand, Chandan took the support of the forest department for saplings and also for designated spaces to grow trees. Dinkar Tiwari, divisional forest officer at Nainital forest range, says, “I have seen Chandan’s work sincerely for three years now. We provide free saplings and even transport them to locations as this youngster does not have funds.”

The officer adds that over 10,000 saplings have been provided to Chandan so far.

However, Chandan along with 120 other volunteers have planted over 12,000 trees in the village and surrounding areas. “We have distributed close to 30,000 trees across villages of Uttarakhand and a record is kept to ensure that trees are traced and that they grow in protected spaces. Many people now know about our work and demand saplings for plantation,” he adds.

Critics turn admirers

Chandan has inspired other neighbouring villages like Almoda, Kujeti, Supi, Chakuta, Aghariya and others to plant trees.

He adds that the COVID-19 pandemic helped villagers understand the importance of nature better. “Many residents returned home and got back to farming and other activities. People started realising how much they depend on forest wood, nature and water,” he adds.

Through his research, he also found that 30% of water sources and streams have dried up. “During the lockdown, we created water ponds in the forest area and worked to revive some of the dried water sources,” Chandan adds.

Dinkar says the work done by Chandan is commendable. “We get paid to conserve the forest, but this man is doing it without any returns and no financial support. Chandan is invited, for various awareness programmes of the department,” he adds.

“We are planting trees but, more importantly, we need to protect the existing forests. As humans, we are heavily dependent on nature, and people should realise that” he concludes.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

“On 7 February 2021, I got news of a disaster having occurred in Chamoli. I was in a town called Gopeshwar, Uttarakhand and could rush to the site immediately. I knew that Chamoli is a disaster-prone zone, but I had no idea of the magnitude of the disaster,” begins IAS officer Swati Bhadoria, District Magistrate, Chamoli. She is one of the four female administrators—which includes DIG Garhwal range Neeru Garg, Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP) DIG Aparna Kumar, and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) DIG Riddhim Aggarwal—who are anchoring the rescue and relief operations in the Himalayan terrains.

That fateful morning of 7 February a horrific disaster reminiscent of the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy occurred when a huge glacier burst in the Tapovan area of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district in the Garhwal Himalayas.

The Better India caught up with two of the officers—IAS officer Swati Bhadoria, DM Chamoli, and DIG Garhwal Range Neeru Garg—to get their perspectives of the operations.

Call To Rescue

It was on her drive to the affected area that Swati started getting numerous calls, each one describing the tragedy to her. She mentions that by the time she reached the area she had a fair idea of what she was up against.

“Once I reached the site, I was apprised of the situation and was told that almost 150 people were missing,” she says. The first rescue operation involved getting people who were stuck in the hydropower plant tunnel out, and that gave the team some confidence to go on. There were also so many people who unfortunately got washed away by the flooding that happened. “Even in those cases we had to make a list of the people, send it to the various state governments,” she says.

As for Neeru, she was in Dehradun when she got a call about a possible avalanche or ‘cloud burst’. She says, “No one knew what exactly had happened. What I was told was how there was debris all around. Once we reached the site, our first operation involved rescuing the 12 people stuck in the tunnel.” All the districts in the downstream area had to be alerted, and some, even evacuated, she says.

The disheartening sights of broken, destroyed buildings, homes, and slush were everywhere on social media. The more difficult sights were of the people of the valley, most of whom had lost something or someone to the disaster. Bodies being recovered from unlikely places, including the river bed, is something that will never be forgotten in years to come. Neeru, who spent 10 days at the site and returned to Dehradun on 16 February 2021, aptly says how these were the tough moments.

Dealing with Adversities

Swati says the challenges in this mission were plenty. From not having any idea of the number of missing people to figuring out ways in which those trapped could be rescued — these officers were behind it all. “The terrain did not aid us much in our rescue operations,” she adds. Swati is still at the site and says that even now, almost 10 days after the glacier burst, rescue operations are still underway.

Neeru was the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rudraprayag in 2008, and in 2013 she was posted as commandant Indian Reserve Battalion 2 Uttarakhand when the Kedarnath disaster occurred. She says that knowing the lay of the land has helped her in this mission. “This has certainly been one of the most challenging missions I have been a part of. Even now, with the passage of time, we are doing round the clock rescue operations,” she says. The first few days were very intense and the hope of saving as many lives as possible kept the team going.

Both Swati and Neeru agree that rescue missions of this nature are not just physically taxing but also very emotionally draining.

Speaking about missing family at a time like this, Neeru sums it up best saying, “It’s my duty that trumps everything, no matter what. I have a nine-year-old daughter who understands what my job is. Every day when I video called her, she would ask when I would return but never cried and made it difficult for me to go on with my job.”

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

At 78, Steve Lall is as exuberant as one could be. As I connect with him via a short video call, I’m greeted by a vibrant smile and a booming, “Hello!” But our call is cut short by a rocky internet connection that day, for Lall lives with his wife, Parvati, in the quiet foothills of the Himalayas among the Kumaon ranges in Uttarakhand. He owns and resides in the Jilling Estate, which he has spent decades protecting and preserving. Since the 70s, Lall has worked to rebuild and protect the ecosystem of the 140-acre estate land. The estate consists of agricultural land and orchards, interspersed with rhododendron, oak, chestnut, apricot and pine trees and is surrounded by forests.

“My father was in the Indian Civil Services in the UP cadre, and I was born in Banaras (now Varanasi). For five years, we were in Gangtok, Sikkim, when my father J S Lall was sent there by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to be the Dewan of Sikkim, from 1949-1954. From there we lived in different parts of the country like Jhansi, Agra, Bareilly and Delhi. Our family moved around a lot of forests, so I developed an attachment to nature quite early in my life,” he tells The Better India.

Destructive commercialisation

Since he was 6, Lall desired to be a fighter pilot. He spent a decade in the Indian Air Force and returned to Jilling to run his family estate. “My mother, Hope Violet Lall, purchased it in 1965,” he says. She bought it from a man who was given the land by the Government of India sometime after the Partition. Before this, the estate belonged to a British family, the Stiffles, who owned the land in the early 1900s. At the time, it was called Jilung. Over time, the expanse, covering orchards, forests, and farmlands, came to be known as Jeeling, and now belongs to the Lall family. Today, it’s known as Jilling, or Jilling Estate, as named by the Lalls.

“I used to come back here when I was on leave from the Air Force, and ramble around in the area. After I quit the airforce and returned for good, I met my wife, Parvati, and we fell in love,” he says. Parvati was native to the area, and her father had served in the Kumaon regiment during World War II. For Lall, this shift from a life of combat to one amid isolated mountains was not a dramatic one. He reiterates his affection for nature and says the shift was simply a continuation of what he had always loved.

Kumaon had been struggling, and its destruction began slowly, says Lall. “The surrounding areas outside our boundary began taking a beating when outsiders started lopping trees to build their own dream homes,” he recalls. “The area also began experiencing a shortage of fodder. Locals would then come to our boundaries to chop off a few branches or leaves to feed their cattle and for firewood, for which I don’t blame them.” Moreover, water sources were drying, and the locals were slipping further down the slope of poverty.

Lall hadn’t returned with too many savings in hand. With Parvati by his side, he tried his hands at farming and selling produce but still lived hand-to-mouth. “It became a labour of love — we weren’t earning too much money,” he says. To make a better livelihood, the Lalls began hosting guests at their estate. “People from various embassies, travellers from abroad, among others, would come and stay with us. My daughter, Nandini, and I would take them out on treks,” he recalls. “We did small things here and there to keep ourselves afloat, but I’ve been more or less of a chowkidar,” he quips.

Many battles, every day

With the expanse of his estate, Lall could very well be a “multi-crore chap”, as he says, through commercial tourism and by building a massive resort. Instead, he never hosted more than five to six couples at a time and kept the whole operation low-key and low-density. This ensured that destruction in his area due to booming tourism was prevented. “I’ve got nothing in the bank, but have plenty else,” he laughs.

“The Stiffles had maintained a fruit orchard on this land,” Lall says, adding, “By the time they left, there were many vacant areas where I later tried to replant and maintain the orchard. But I eventually realised the best way was to look after the boundaries, ensure there’s no damage in the area, and nature herself would take care of the rest.” This chowkidari bore fruit when oak, chestnut, rhododendron, among others, began growing slowly in the area in and around the estate. In about 30-odd years, Lall says, the forests have thickened multifold. This also saw the growth of flora and fauna that was native to the area. “We were not taking crops from outside and planting them here. The ecosystem remained pure,” he adds.

The Lalls battle forest fires and the devil’s weed to sustain their land. “Climate change has meant that our surroundings are getting drier, especially when it doesn’t snow. Forest fires start in the winters itself,” Nandini, Lall’s daughter, tells The Better India. “When it rains, we take care of the small gullies to see where the water is flowing, to prevent landslides,” she adds.

That a man of Lall’s background chose to turn his back on a thriving life in the city to grow a forest was absurd to his friends. Visits to him were infrequent, because of the steep climb that must be completed before arriving at Jilling. “But the new Indian is different,” Lall says of the enthusiasm that the younger generation has to explore. “Things have changed a lot since 40-50 years ago. Initially, my guests would only be people from embassies or foreigners but now more than 90% of our visitors are Indians.”

Now that tourists are enjoying a spot like Jilling, the Lalls are approached by many who want to buy land in the area to build a home. “Everyone wants a house in the mountains,” Nandini says, adding, “But they also want the luxuries of a city life. Striking a balance is hard.”

“At first, it was just about keeping locals at bay. Now, we’ve got multimillionaires and affluent people in our neighbourhood buying up large tracts of land, who want to make it a posh city-like township. They want to make mansions and helipads.” Lall says. He adds, “We remain fearless and shall continue doing what we do.”

Alongside, Parvati has been fighting to keep kaala jhaad, also known as the devil’s weed, which is an aggressive type of weed, from threatening to destroy the ecosystem the Lalls have slowly spent time building. It arrived here a few years ago and has spread quite fast. In particular, horses in the area have been dying owing to a respiratory disease that is caused by ingesting the weed.

Guardian of the hills

When it comes to essaying the role of a chowkidar, Lall says he’s done many things to keep intruders out of Jilling, including chasing them down the small paths of the hills. “I scared the hell out of them,” he laughs. “See, they (the intruders) are all our own people at the end of the day. If I were poor and without my own resources, I would also be looking at other ways to protect myself and earn a living. But our family is respected in the area. I don’t strut around and behave like a bully. The idea is that you approach the better side of the people, and hopefully, they respond the same. This has worked all these years,” he says.

In 2014, Lall’s estate was covered by English writer and adventurer Ben Fogle for the second season of the show, Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild. The show covered various people around the world who have left behind a thriving life in the city to find happiness in the countryside.

But is a quiet life in the hills boring? “Never,” Lall says. “I have a multitude of interests that keep me occupied.” These include Lall’s favourite motorcycle, which he has used to travel to various parts of the country to visit his friends. These bike rides had to take a backseat after Lall got into an accident a few years ago. Regardless, he engages in reading, playing instruments, engaging with guests in the estate, and in other activities, and says he is never bored, never lonely.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lall and his wife were cut off from their extended family and friends for quite some time, and tourism prospects further decreased. But not a hint of bitterness can be found in his voice. Lall is a man of his convictions, and has not strayed from the cause he felt so strongly for, ever since he was a child. Today, Jilling — lush, green, and thriving — stands as a result of the dedicated efforts of one family.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

In mid-2000, Lovepreet Kumar was yearning for open roads sans traffic jams, rickety cycling trips, unadulterated food, pollution-free air, a meditative experience and a house in the hills. He was a software architect at the time, and constantly thought about escaping a mundane life in the city.

Unlike those of us who limit our wanderlust desires as soon as reality hits, Lovepreet took the plunge in 2012, and moved to Ramgarh, a village in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district. He purchased a 2.5 Naali (1 Naali = 240 square yard), built a house and reserved some area on his plot for farming.

It was a combination of reasons that pushed Lovepreet and his wife, Preeti to leave Gurugram to lead a quaint and peaceful life in the hills. “I wanted to free myself from the clutches of a 9-5 corporate job. My hectic job at an MNC left me with very little time to enjoy and appreciate much else. Besides, I wanted to live in a healthy environment with clean air, food, and water. I was done with the rat race, and wanted something that could resonate with me,” Lovepreet tells The Better India.

As for Preeti, leaving behind a comfortable life was scary, but something she was willing to try. “Who doesn’t love the idea of escaping their hectic routine? But I was apprehensive about adjusting to the climate, slow pace of life, and absence of amenities. Fortunately, because of Lovepreet, I fell in love with nature.”

But the couple was faced with several tough decisions, including choosing a school for their children, giving up on many materialistic aspects of life, and so on. Lovepreet and Preeti have been actively sharing their experiences and learnings from their new home on their YouTube channel, Punjabi Trekker.

Making the move

Lovepreet’s fascination with the hills and mountains began in 2006, when he took a trip to Shimla with Preeti. Awed by the breathtaking vistas, he began taking more trips thereafter. He would judiciously utilise his leaves from work, and drive from Gurugram to Uttarakhand with Preeti. He had found the time to explore lesser-known locations across Uttarakhand, and a partner who was as adventurous as he was. But his discontent was growing.

In 2008, Lovepreet quit his job and took up freelancing opportunities that allowed him flexible working hours and the ability to work from anywhere in India. During one of his trips, he spontaneously rented a house in the region.

“After returning from the trip, Lovepreet told me he had rented a house and was going to shuttle between Delhi and Uttarakhand. By this time, I had gauged his love for the hills, and the house only affirmed it. We would visit the house during our children’s vacation from school. After a few years, I was ready to move there permanently” Preeti says.

In 2012, they purchased a property in Ramgarh, a village with a relatively low population. For the next few years, Lovepreet shuttled between his house in Gurugram and Ramgarh. In 2018, Preeti and the two kids joined him permanently. They enrolled their son and younger daughter in a public school in the area.

The couple has designed the house in a way that resonates with their philosophy of sustainability and minimalism. It has pinewood flooring and roofing, small windows at various intervals, a studio-like kitchen in the living room, and overlooks a beautiful cliff, allowing ample sunlight in.

Lovepreet strongly suggests experimenting with the idea of living in the hills before making life-changing decisions such as purchasing land or quitting a job.

‘Keep yourself busy’

With unpredictable WiFi, cellular network and limited entertainment options, getting bored (or even frustrated) is a common phenomenon, says Lovepreet. Thus, having an activity that keeps you busy is a must. The couple found solace in farming.

Unlike Lovepreet, Preeti, who is originally from Haryana, has agrarian roots. However, she had never tried her hands at farming, “Our main aim was to consume organic and healthy food. So, we collected some seeds and began growing,” says Preeti.

Ramgarh falls under Kumaon, a region that is favourable to fruit trees. The couple started by growing peaches. This was followed by apple, maple, walnuts, pumpkin, malta, apricot, plum, oranges and sweet limes.

“The main produce in fruits are peaches, and we have around 150 peach trees, each producing up to 40 kilos. We also have five plums, four apples, two apricots, one walnut, three deodar and four oak trees,” says Lovepreet. The peach trees are also a revenue-generation source for the couple. Each tree gives around 40 kilos of peach, and they sell per kilo from anywhere between Rs 150 and Rs 400.

The farmland also has vegetables including bottle gourds, tomato, potato, cucumber, okra, french beans, rajma beans, radish, brinjal and other seasonal items for self-consumption.

“For me, farming is like meditation. I forget my worries while working with the soil and plants. It brings me immense satisfaction to know we’re maintaining good health and consuming organic food. We use spring water for farming, which enhances the taste and health benefits of produce,” Preeti says.

Joy in the little things

Lovepreet proudly reveals that the family’s overall expenses have drastically reduced as they have stopped chasing “unnecessary” things.

“We don’t have superstores or shopping malls, where one goes to buy one item but ends up buying multiple things they may not even need. The cost of living is less in a village compared to the city, as groceries are cheaper. We get wheat flour at Rs 28/kilo in the hills, in contrast to Rs 45 in Gurugram. Besides, the quality of produce here is better, as it comes directly from farms. Medical expenses are negligible, as we live close to nature. Likewise, electricity and water bills are very low,” Lovepreet says.

As for the family’s health and well-being, the biggest difference they have noticed since moving to the hills is in their son’s migraine issue. After moving here, he no longer gets headaches. The family’s endurance levels have also improved.“The hills are our gym. Our exercising routine entails working on the farm and running daily in the fresh air. We feel more energetic,” says Preeti.

Lovepreet feels like he is finally out of the rat race.

Summarising the overall experience of living in the hills, Lovepreet and Preeti say it’s the small joys in their daily routines that keep them going. “Whether it is feeding rice to the birds in the morning, taking a stroll near a stream during sunset, learning about the local culture and listening to historic tales, or spending time with our Hachi, our Husky, we have experienced unparalleled joy every day,” says Lovepreet.

As for their children; they will move in with their joint family in Gurugram after they complete Class VIII. However, Lovepreet and Preeti are content knowing that their kids have learned valuable life lessons.

Edited by Divya Sethu

On 7 February 2021, Uttarakhand suffered a devastating natural disaster when a portion of a glacier broke off in Joshimath, Chamoli district, causing a glacial lake outburst flood, according to the Associated Press news agency. The deluge killed over 30 people, washed away an entire village, destroyed livelihoods, cut of remote villages and damaged two power projects — NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project. Amid all this tragedy, the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) called upon startups like EndureAir Systems, an IIT-Kanpur-incubated company, to assist in search and rescue operations in Joshimath. Using their fleet of indigenously developed advanced drones, the EndureAir team performed search operations in the disaster-hit area to look for survivors. They also inspected the hydel power project sites to assess the extensive damage done by the flood.

This is the first time in India that startups were called to assist first responders to a natural disaster. This endeavour not only benefited the rescue operations but also gave valuable feedback to startups like EndureAir on how to further adapt the technologies to make them more useful and user-friendly for disaster management. Speaking to The Better India, Dr Abhishek (no last name), an associate professor at IIT-Kanpur and co-founder of EndureAir Systems, talks about how they assisted the NDRF, the challenges they endured and what they learnt through this endeavour.

The Call That Came Too Late

“Our team landed in Joshimath only on 10 February. A day before, our team started preparing for the task ahead, but there was initially some confusion about whether we were needed or not. I think the NDRF wasn’t fully aware of the extent of technology available with us and thus unaware of how to best use expertise from EndureAir and other such startups. But, on the initiative of AGNIi – Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations – a programme of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, the NDRF gave us the green signal and we were airlifted the next day,” says Dr Abhishek.

Just a month prior to the disaster, EndureAir did a demonstration for the NDRF, where they showcased their high-endurance unmanned helicopter drone called Vibhram, which can carry a 5kg payload and fly for 80 minutes. The drone can play a dual role in surveying a disaster area and reach any survivor who may need food, water or as a communication device.

“I think nobody in India has developed a drone that can fly this long, carry such payloads and meet both requirements at the same time. Meanwhile, our smaller drones weighing 100-200 gms can be used for surveillance. On the ground, we brought in a lot of our smaller drones because we reached ground zero at a much later stage when the water had receded. The need to reach survivors was no longer there except for those stuck inside tunnels in Tapovan and other areas. Many people were reportedly stuck inside these tunnels and it was tough for the authorities to figure out if there were any survivors left. But our team was not allowed to enter the tunnel due to the misadventures of some other startup that had gone before us. Also, by that time, there was no hope of finding any survivors,” he notes.

One of the common themes running through our conversation was how the NDRF should have called them earlier with a proper briefing on how to proceed.

“For example, we found that flying a small drone inside an enclosed area where there is no GPS signal is very hard to manoeuver. These drones often crash into walls. But at IIT Kanpur, we had already developed GPS-denied navigation systems. If we were given the right kind of support and instruction, we could’ve been ready with solutions for immediate use. We can create sensor networks there that can be used to navigate our drones autonomously in enclosed areas and go deep inside these tunnels. Similarly, when we joined the rescue operations there were no more survivors to be found. If we were called earlier, maybe we could have garnered some positive results,” claims Dr Abhishek.

Lessons For The Future

Although their search for survivors yielded limited success, EndureAir used smaller drones to fly very close to the dams that were damaged. They created very high-quality videos of the whole structure to help engineers obtain a clear perspective of the extent of the damage.

“We could give the authorities a very detailed presentation on the damage caused to the hydropower plants and river banks there. Our drones flew very close to the damaged equipment, took very clear shots, videos and gave the authorities a proper assessment of the damage done with our Micro-Drones (installed with a high-resolution digital camera with onboard 4K recording and long-range analogue video transmission capability up to 5km LOS) and Surveillance Quadcopter Drones (installed with a 3-axis stabilized 4K resolution camera and backed by 30 minute endurance with camera payload),” claims Dr Abhishek.

Having said that, this was the first time in India when startups were called to assist first responders in the event of a natural disaster. Every natural disaster presents its own set of challenges, but by involving startups on the cutting edge of indigenous technology, the government allows them to get the big picture at the early stage.

“In exposing our drones to a crisis, we received the right sort of inputs on things we needed to improve. Without such exposure, it wouldn’t have been possible. For example, they were happy with the 5 kg payload capability of our Vibhram fully autonomous helicopter UAV, but also expressed a need for drones that could carry 10 kg payloads. We have a system that can lift 10 kgs and fly for 2 hours, but it hasn’t been fully developed. It’s still in the prototype and testing stage, although we will keep their request in mind,” he says.

Apart from these, EndureAir is also developing some unique high-speed systems which could be used for the supply of emergency services to remote regions. It’s a very simple and reliable design and can even be operated in populated areas.

“This can reach speeds of 120 kmph. We are also in the process of developing a bigger version of the same 5 kg payload carrying drone called the Quadrotor Bi-plane Tailsitter UAV that can carry 10-20 kg payloads over longer distances. This can be relevant for transporting vaccines or other medical and healthcare equipment to remote areas,” he adds.

Key learnings for companies

Following their work with the NDRF, EndureAir submitted a detailed report to AGNIi laying out areas to improve on and how better coordination with the government can be achieved.
Among the list of recommendations, two key points stood out.

One dealt with “greater focus on increasing the ease of operations with their drones”. They felt that the drones in the current version can only be “operated by someone with technical background” and “to make it useful for the NDRF with minimal training will require some more development”. Secondly, the “Drona maps faced issues with transmitting the data back to their main server where the computing for 3D map stitching takes place”.

This delayed their operations significantly. Now they will “come up with a solution to not depend on mobile networks for their operations”.

Meanwhile, EndureAir is convinced that had they been called earlier, they could have proven to be much more useful in assisting with search, relief and rescue operations.

“Our gasoline helicopter (Vibhram) which can lift 5kg for 1 hour could have been useful for multiple missions. The task of delivering emergency supplies to the villagers on the opposite mountain with no contact to the mainland could have been very easily achieved with this drone. This particular task is currently being carried by full size helicopter. As this is the only line of sight operation, the whole village could have gotten supplies at the Tapovan site within 3hrs. The same task was performed by ground teams after building the trolley bridge, which took 4 days to construct. Also, in building those trolley bridges, ropes are needed to be transferred to the other side of the river, which can be done with heavy lift drones,” the company notes in its report to AGNIi.

Should the government engage more startups? “Absolutely,” notes Dr Abhishek. “As a startup, you’re a problem solver. When you’re at ground zero, the challenges are very different from what you may imagine in your offices. This was a great opportunity and an eye-opener as well. It helped us understand what we needed to work on in our research and development process,” he adds.

Looking Ahead

Incorporated in 2018, the co-founders at the IIT-Kanpur incubated startup had been engaged in drone development for quite some time, although it really picked up in 2019. Initially, they were hoping that an existing established company would come forward, test their technology and commercialise it. However, when it didn’t happen, the co-founders realised that if they wanted people to use their technology in the real world, they must do it themselves.

“Development of these drones for the market has been happening for the past year and a half. We sold our first drone last week. But in the future, our sincere hope is that next time government agencies like the NDRF call us, we will be better prepared,” says Dr Abhishek.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

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As a child, Jagdish Kudiyal from Sirkot village of Dehradun always saw a spring flowing along with his ancestral fields and tea gardens. Surrounded by dense greenery, the spring, locally called gadera, served as a water source for the villagers.

However, growing up over the years in Kumaon valley, the 55-year-old also witnessed the environment deteriorating around him. There was rampant tree felling in the area which drastically reduced the green cover. This further impacted the groundwater table and the natural spring flowing through the year.

In the early 1990s, Jagdish became inspired by the Chipko movement. He decided to help repair the damage himself caused to the environment by planting saplings. Jagdish took the responsibility upon himself and started the initiative.

However, his individual efforts did not live up to his expectations, as the saplings fell victim to cattle grazing, animal stomping and youngsters destroying it for fun.

However, the relentless work of a single man persisting for 30 long years revived a spring. It became a reliable drinking water source to 400 families in the village. His success saw praise by the governor and even earned him a ‘kudos’ in PM Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat.

To Plant Hundreds of Trees

Jagdish tells The Better India, “The spring began drying up in the 1990s, and I could see it shrinking over the years. I learned that planting trees would help rejuvenate it as the roots have water holding capacity and become a source of water pockets to last through the year.”

The farmer and grocery store owner says that he planted hundreds of trees until 2000, and hardly some survived due to the damages. “The spring was reduced to a small water line by then, and a different approach was needed. Hence, I started growing tea plantations around the spring area,” he adds.

He also hired labourers to take care of the tea garden. “This served two purposes. One was to maintain the garden and the other to protect the trees from damage. The approach worked. Slowly, the trees grew. I continued planting saplings of native species in and around the area,” he says.

Jagdish observed the first signs of the revival of the spring in 2012. The size of the water channel widened, and the water flow increased as well. “It encouraged me and the locals started accessing small amounts of water from it. I also planted trees in other parts of the village to help increase the groundwater table,” he says.

Gopal Dutt Shakeel, a resident from the village, says, “The villagers consume the spring water and use it for irrigation. The massive tree plantation drive helped recharge the groundwater. The other villages have also appreciated his efforts.”

Jagdish says that he must have planted at least 15,000 trees in the past 30 years. “I plant hundreds of trees every monsoon. Last year, about 2000 trees dried up as there was less rainfall. But I continue my efforts,” he adds.

When asked about what kept him, Jagdish replies, “I believe in good karma. I help widows with their livelihood, pay school fees for children who can’t afford it, among other social work. I never received any help from the government or anyone else for my work. It was my wish to contribute to the betterment of the environment.”

About receiving appreciation from PM Modi, Jagdish says it was unexpected. “I will not deny that I was happy. A Doordarshan reporter covered my work, and that must have reached the PM. The praise gave me satisfaction for the work done,” he adds.

Jagdish has become a local celebrity, so much so that the neighbouring villages have also approached him, seeking help rejuvenating natural springs around them.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

In Uttarakhand’s Bandasari village, Nirmala Devi Pawar, along with 10 other women, produces, packages, and sells organic wheat flour, gram, pulses, rhododendron juice and other products. “We collect the produce, clean it and package it to sell to tourists and locals. On a good day, I earn Rs 2,500 as profits,” the 50-year-old says.

Like Nirmala, around 100 women across five villages in the Bhadrigaad range, which comes under the Uttarakhand Forest Department, are involved in various jobs to generate livelihood. This is all thanks to the efforts taken by Forest Range Officer Medhavi Keerti (30), who conceived Dhatree (which means mother), an initiative for women empowerment. Dhatree has helped women increase their income by almost ten times. The initiative was launched in May 2020, wherein a few women were roped in to source locally available material and turn it into organic, natural and chemical-free products.

Understanding the hardships of a woman

“My father passed away when I was young, and my mother shouldered the entire responsibility of the family. I have seen her toil and work hard to educate and allow me to become a forest officer,” Medhavi tells The Better India.

She adds that having understood and seen the hardships and sacrifices faced and made by women, she knew their empowerment was essential. “Four months after I joined the services, I discussed the idea with Divisional Forest Officer Kehkashan Naseem. The officer agreed, and we began training women in various skills,” Medhavi says.

The initiative began in Budgaon village, with 25 women undergoing training in making turmeric soap, cosmetics, incense sticks, oils from medicinal plants, shampoos, and other products from locally available raw materials.

“All of the agriculture produce, such as rajma, dals, or cereals, is organic and chemical-free. Many farmers here cannot afford chemical fertilisers and pesticides in the first place. In October, a store by the name of Dhatree was opened to house over 100 products,” says Medhavi. She adds that the initiative was an instant hit. Women earned thousands of rupees during the festive season of Diwali.

Among them was Shalini Bhandari. “I sold incense sticks, idols and other items made from cow dung. Initially, the sales were slow, and I would earn around Rs 8,000 a month. But now I register a business of Rs 1 lakh,” she says.

The 21-year-old adds that the line of work serves best, as women do not have to migrate for work. “Many women marry at a young age and become busy with house chores. They are unable to seek any opportunity to become financially independent. Men often discourage women from exploring employment opportunities. Hence, the initiative helps make women financially secure,” she adds.

The more, the merrier

Dhatree’s success soon spread to other villages, and many women approached Medhavi to be part of the initiative. “I started getting calls from women who expressed their wish to learn the skills we were teaching,” Medhavi says, adding, “The products made by women across all villages are sold under a single brand, Dhatree. The forest department’s role is limited to marketing and establishing the supply chain.”

She adds that it is not that such business models never existed. “But the experiment had never been tried at a collective and professional scale. The women sold juices, jams and extracts of rhododendron and other materials on a small scale. But they were not hygienic and did not market their products professionally. The improved skills helped upscale and earn better,” Medhavi says.

She adds that men in these villages have also become a part of Dhatree, and are helping women procure raw materials and providing any assistance needed in production.

Despite the new zeal and confidence, Medhavi says that it was difficult to convince women to join the initiative initially. “They were apprehensive about how successful this initiative would be. They were also doubtful that tourists and villagers would want to buy their products. But our initial success removed these fears,” she adds.

The women are now working to make eco-friendly plates from leaves and receiving training to prepare dyes from natural materials such as flower petals and leaves. “We are calling the brand Tikri, named after the village it started in,” Medhavi says.

Medhavi’s efforts have earned her the popular tag of ‘Ranger Didi’ among the women.

Edited by Divya Sethu

In Madhya Pradesh’s Shahpur Khurd village, Kavita Singh is busy cutting her freshly harvested sikiya variety of rice, which stands tall at 1.5 metres on her three-acre field. Judging from the heavy-looking grains and tillers (stems produced by grass), Kavita predicts this is going to be her best-ever harvest in terms of yield. The high yields are also reflected in her other crops, including maize, mustard and chickpeas. 

Her situation, she says, was very different three years ago. At that time, she was growing only rice in a cramped space and shallow water, just like other farmers in the Panna district region. While she was planting more seeds per square metres in the conventional method, the yield was less than what she gets now.

“Initially, I was hesitant to adopt a new technique that required planting fewer crops. I thought it would be a waste of space, in addition to being more labour intensive. But the staggering results painted a different picture,” Kavita tells The Better India. 

Kavita uses a farming technique called System of Rice (or Root) Intensification (SRI), which requires less water and seeds, but doubles the output. The system, which was invented in Madagascar in the 1980s, centres on mitigating chemical fertilisers and thereby improving soil, groundwater and nutrients. The method was developed by Henri de Laulanie, a French Jesuit priest and agronomist, and taken around the world by Professor Norman Uphoff, director of the International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development at Cornell University. 

Kavita was introduced to this technique by Debashish Sen, director at the People Science Institute (PSI). In 2006, he and his team of agri-experts began training farmers based in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

“The rice plants are kept alternately wet and dry instead of being flooded. The spacing between each plant provides more oxygen, and minimises the competition between plants for nutrients and sunlight. This makes them more resilient to flood and drought. SRI came to India in the 2000s, and when we first learned about it, we started with just paddy cultivation. Gradually, we executed the technique on other crops, including wheat, maize and pulses, to name a few,” Debashish tells The Better India. 

According to him, PSI has helped close to 50,000 farmers switch from conventional farming methods to SRI in the last 15 years. PSI is a non-profit research and development organisation that provides technical knowledge and guidance to farming communities to promote a sustainable livelihood. 

The Better India speaks at length with Debashish to understand SRI, its process and benefits, and why it can be a long-term sustainable solution without burning a hole in a farmer’s pocket.

How it works 

The most vital aspect of SRI, which determines its success, is transplanting the plants to the field when they are 7-8 days old (2 leaves per seedling), in contrast to 30-60 days in a conventional method. Another important step is giving water at critical stages of the growth cycle. Even though the system can be more labour intensive, as was Kavita’s experience, the exceptional results cover the labour costs.

Here’s the step-by-step process: 

1. Develop nursery beds to raise seedlings. Apply manure around the seedling and mulch it with paddy straw or any agro-waste. Water it daily till two leaves appear. You can use gunny bags for germination as well. 
2. The process of land preparation is similar to that in the conventional method. Make sure you level the land so that water is applied evenly. Mark the places where seeds will be sown, so that they are equidistant. 
3. Depending on the seed variety and soil conditions, plant the seedlings at a distance of 25 cm or ten inches on the main field. If the soil is nutritious, increase the spacing. 
4. Use organic fertilisers like jeevamrutha, panchgavya, and so on, thrice for healthier and faster growth. 
5. Since there are fewer seedlings, the weed growth is faster. Keep removing them. 
6. Due to alternate drying and wetting of land, the water usage is cut down by 40-50%. It also increases microbial activities. 
7. Since younger seedlings are shorter in height, they need less water. Just wet the soil in the beginning, and water only when you see cracks. 

Advantages and challenges

PSI’s pilot project was carried out in 2006 in three villages of Uttarakhand. Twelve farmers were roped in, and saw their yield increase by 50-100%. Seeing these results, 60 more came on board the year after. By the fourth year, the number had touched 1,000. At this point, civil society organisations and state agriculture departments extended financial support. 

“We didn’t find success at the very beginning. Convincing farmers to shed their traditional practices and to trust us was hard. Some left SRI in between, stating that alternate drying isn’t feasible as the land was rain-fed. Our package didn’t suit all farmers, so we had to tailor the process as per their requirements. We identified farmers who were willing to take a risk and innovate to inspire other farmers, and the strategy worked,” Debashish explains. 

The biggest takeaway for Debashish and his team was realising that farmers are the real scientists, he says. They have to research weather, soil fertility, and crop variety every day to ensure a decent outcome. Debashish once found a farmer in Himachal Pradesh putting less water than required. Upon inquiry, the farmer said the irrigation water that came directly from the stream was cold, which would damage the younger seedlings. Debashish wouldn’t have realised it, given that he wasn’t actually farming himself. Another lesson he learned was using varieties that need a shorter duration to harvest. 

In 2008, when the system was implemented beyond rice cultivation, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh were experiencing drought-like conditions. Yet, the yield was high as compared to the conventional method. For example, the yield of maize had risen by 35%, and pulses by 25%. Rajma saw a jump of 50%. 

Collective farming is another impactful change that has occurred, says Vinod Niranjan, a master trainer of PSI based in Panna. He has trained close to 1,000 farmers on SRI over the last eight years. 

“Farmers practising SRI in a particular region realised each of them excel in a particular activity, such as sowing, cutting or mulching. In some regions, one farmer will sow in another’s fields, and another farmer will return the favour by doing something else. Even collective nurseries came up. They grow the seedling in a common nursery, and from there, transplant it to their respective fields,” says Vinod. 

The benefits of SRI are many, from grain productivity enhancement, low input costs, increased incomes to drought resilience. If small-scale farmers like Kavita across India implement it, and their yields increase even by 20-30%, SRI could go a long way in mitigating farmers’ distress.

Edited by Divya Sethu

It’s close to 10.30 am on 15 April, 2021, and Harikrishnan and Lakshmi are relishing their piping hot tea in Rishikesh. Today is their fourth day in the city of sacred rivers and mountains, and they have just ticked off river rafting on their bucket list. 

Despite low network coverage and the occasional noises of vehicles passing by, the couple is enthusiastic about discussing their road trip experiences across eight states — Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand — amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We started the trip from our house in Thrissur, Kerala after quitting our respective jobs in October 2020. The pandemic had stalled our plan to travel to Thailand on a bike, so we channeled our travelling bug to a lesser ambitious car trip in India. Our original plan was to return home in two months, but after seeing the breathtaking beauty of the places we visited, and experiencing the warmth of people and mouthwatering food, we decided to extend our trip. Each corner of India has something different to offer,” Harikrishnan  (31) tells The Better India. 

The couple have chronicled their journey through travel vlogs on their YouTube channel, ‘Tinpin Stories’, under their series, ‘Living the car life in India’. Yes, their car doubles up as their home while on the road. The idea is to live, sleep and travel in this vehicle in order to make this a budget-friendly journey, especially considering that the Indian economy has taken a serious hit due to the pandemic. 

They have already covered a distance of more than 10,000 kilometres, and are well within their budgetary confinements (Rs 2,50,000). At present, their earnings come from freelancing and their monetised YouTube channel. 

A makeshift home

Under any other circumstances, the trip may seem impressive. But against the backdrop of a pandemic, it raises several disclaimers, the foremost being the safety from coronavirus, followed by incessant lockdowns, border closures, and availability of food. To tackle these issues, the couple modified their car, made it self-sufficient and were flexible enough to alter routes. 

“We have always been fond of traveling, and after our marriage, had gone to Thailand. That’s when we created our channel and posted our first vlog.

A single-burner stove, a five litre cooking cylinder that can be refilled, and three 20-litres plastic cans for drinking and non-drinking chores have been neatly accommodated in the car. The couple refills the cans and cylinder during layovers.  

Their makeshift home has been a blessing, especially when there are curfews, or when eateries are shut due to COVID-19. On most days, they have cooked only during the day, and that too, only basic food like rice. The food made in the morning is used for other meals as well. In the night, they park the car in petrol pumps or public places for safety reasons and use public toilets for bathing. 

The couple has booked a hotel once and stayed at a relative’s house during the six-month journey. “In Kashmir, it was too cold to sleep inside the car, and in Rajasthan, we had to live at a relative’s place due to the curfew. Overall, the trip has been pleasant. Our biggest takeaway from this has been learning to live with minimal needs. You don’t need to visit supermarkets, malls or shops constantly to fulfil your needs. It can be done with most basic necessities,” says Harikrishnan. 

Collecting memories

The couple strictly adheres to their mantra of themselves learning about a place’s history, culture and traditions while travelling, instead of relying on locals to guide them. For example, they read about Lonar Lake in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district in advance, and how it was created by a meteorite collision. Usually, people visit conventional places such as Mumbai and Pune while visiting the state, but their homework helped them discover this lesser-known but magnificent place. Likewise, they were stunned by the handicrafts in villages of Kutch. 

In Jaipur, they met Padma Shri awardee R K Derawala for his work in Bagru block printing. His grandson, Manu, gave them a tour of their printing factory. They also unexpectedly stumbled across Indian Coffee House where legendary painter M. F. Husain drank coffee in the pink city. 

They visited India’s last village, Chitkul in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, which is 11,320ft above sea level. They made khichdi in temperatures as low as -10°C, which they say is one of their most treasured memories. The next morning, they visited the Indo-Tibetan border, and then drove for an hour to meet India’s first voter, 104-year-old Shyam Saran Negi in Kalpa village. 

In terms of cuisine, they have tried every regional dish, including Sachin Tendulkar’s favourite breakfast, the famous Kolhapur Bawda Misal at a local restaurant. In Gujarat, fafdas and jalebis came to the rescue. 

And finally, their encounters with people from different communities was their most enriching experience. Whether it was a father-daughter duo that gave them a free boat ride around the Hanging Bridge in Karnataka, the girls in a Rajasthan village welcoming them with their famous phrase ‘Padharo Mhare Desh’, a Kutch family that invited them to spend the night at their home or their interactions with the Siddi tribes of African ethnicity in Yelapur, Karnataka — they experienced immense outpouring love and kindness from strangers.

Their weekly videos and pictures are a testimony to this. The way they have shot and edited videos are engaging and hold a narrative. No wonder their subscribers shot from 10,000 to 1,00,000 in just a couple of months. 

You can watch their vlogs here. 

Edited by Divya Sethu 

To escape a hectic city life, full of woes and stress, and relocate to a quiet abode in the hills might very well be every urban dweller’s dream today. But how do you shift to an organic way of life in the hills without infringing upon the rights and agencies of the area’s original inhabitants?

Amrita Chengappa, who left behind her bustling city life in Lucknow in search of something simple, remains mindful of these questions. In 2002, she, along with her husband Santosh, moved to Chitai Pant village in Uttarakhand’s Almora district to lead a better life. “The idea was not to come to a village and turn it into an industrial area,” Amrita tells The Better India. “People come to the hills with many agendas and ideas in mind, but then they build a house on someone’s land, and the owner of the land ends up becoming a watchman for their home.” This, she says, was something that both her and Santosh wanted to avoid.

Together, the couple runs SOS Organics, launched in 2008, to integrate sustainable farming with producing a vast range of organic products, including candles, natural cosmetics, seasonings, honey, health foods, salt lamps and home care items.

‘Small is beautiful’

Amrita has always been interested in traditional knowledge including ayurveda, something she says is very prevalent in the southern region of the country, where she is from. The entire idea of SOS Organics was inspired by E F Schumacher’s Small Is Beautiful: A Study Of Economics As If People Really Mattered. “In the book, he talks about an economic system which is more decentralised and small, where people do work that they actually enjoy or can take something away from, besides only monetary benefits,” she explains.

“We wanted people to understand that you can make a viable project without actually taking from the Earth. Locals in the Kumaon region are generally only employed by the government or the army. Our idea was to do something women-centric. We were also clear that we wanted the project to be sustainable, economically or otherwise,” she adds.

It took Amrita and Santosh five years of travelling and acquainting themselves with the area before SOS organics took shape. “We did research and looked into the lives that locals were leading. Gandhi had talked about how villages should be making their own candles and other products, which I thought was a good idea to implement,” she says.

At SOS, the idea is to take as little from nature as possible. “The entire project runs only on rainwater harvesting. We don’t even have a Jal Nigam connection. We’re living in a rain shadow area that experiences a lot of water problems. Watching a local carry a 50-litre can of water so you can take a bath is an eye opening experience, and really made me think twice about my own water usage. So one of the first things we did was build water harvesting tanks, where around 2 lakh litres of water has been harvested. Around 70% of our power is solar-generated. We also aim to use whatever produce is already available here,” she says.

Going into further details about what exactly goes into SOS’s products, Amrita explains, “All the colours we use in our soaps are natural. We use the bichu buti, or stinging nettle, which gives a lovely green colour. We also use haldi, and neel patta (indigo). We use essential oils instead of fragrant oils, which have artificial smells. We make teas from tulsi, rhododendron, stinging nettle, and other herbs that are found here easily. We also use them to make Italian mixes where we take, say, junglee ajwain, to be incorporated. We wanted to use whatever was already growing here, and then look at value addition.”

“We have access to junglee apricot kernels, which we use to make cold pressed oils using our kachi ghani. The skin that’s left is powdered, dried and made into other products. So we avoid as much wastage as we can, and leave behind small footprints. You actually need very little to create a livelihood,” she says.

Their candles are priced at around Rs 160, cold-pressed honey at around Rs 220, and seasonings at around Rs 140.

While COVID-19 slightly impacted their earnings last year, SOS Organics was able to generate a turnover of around Rs 1.2 crore. They receive around 25-30 orders per week. “One of the best things has been repeat customers who contribute to around 60% of our total orders,” Amrita notes.

‘Prepare yourself for what’s to come’

“Because we don’t use chemicals, the shelf-life of our products is around one year. So we can’t really get into a massive distribution model and produce a million pieces. In any case, that’s not our vision. We’re different from a big brand that just calls themselves ‘organic’,” she says.

She adds that they’ve never had a budget for marketing, and most of their popularity has spread through word-of-mouth. Most of their funding has been private. It took them around five years to break even.

To make the products, SOS has employed a small team of local women who make everything by hand. “They all live about a 5-minute walk from where they work, and do so in two shifts. They come in at 9.30 am and leave at around 1 pm. Then they come back at 2 and leave at 5,” Amrita says. The women leave before it gets dark, as they have to carry wood and water back home. In addition, the area is often frequented by leopards, so maintaining the women’s safety is a priority for SOS, she adds.

They have a separate self-help group of women that only sort their grains. Around 7 women have been employed to make the products. They’re interchangeable with their skills, Amrita says, so while she comes up with the smells and combinations, it’s the ladies who see the final product through. The village is plagued with a massive problem of alcoholism, she adds, so she ensures the money goes directly to the women’s bank accounts, instead of the hands of other family members who might misuse these earnings.

Coming to what challenges she faced in starting and running the business, she says, “People were a little suspicious when we first came here, possibly because they’ve seen their lands being exploited by urban dwellers. We were met with a bit of resistance from locals, which dissipated when they understood our intentions better. When we first came here, we also found that people were not aware of or well-connected to their roots. For example, to them, ragi used to be gareeb ka khana [food of the poor]. They were also apprehensive about anything that was ‘traditional’. We had to convince them that there was a market for the produce found in their region.”

On what advice she would give to people hoping to make an all-round lifestyle change to a more sustainable way of life, Amrita notes, “Sustainable living starts with yourself. People have this misconception that they can go to the mountains and have the same lifestyle as they did in, say, Delhi. That’s not how it works. If you want to fly first class and drive a Beemer and then come to a village to start a project — those two things don’t go hand-in-hand. You also need to know that you can’t just go into this expecting an abundance of profits. So if you’re not mentally prepared, it can be quite taxing. People looking to shift to a more sustainable lifestyle need to be open and prepared to learn a lot. When we began, we did everything by ourselves, because we couldn’t afford to hire anyone. Designing our first label, setting up our first website, the first photographs we clicked — that was all us.”

Her transition from the city to a village in the middle of nowhere, Amrita says that there were challenges but adds, “I have access to fresh air, clean water, and an uncontaminated environment. So what more could I have asked for?”

For orders, or more information on the importance of sustainability and how to lead this lifestyle yourself, you can visit SOS Organic’s website.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

Growing up amid the hills of Garhwal, Uttarakhand, Babita Bhatt’s childhood had made her privy to the rich crop diversity of the Himalayas. Eating delicious and organic food was a daily affair she had known all her life.

After marriage, the 43-year-old moved to an urban landscape to work as a software professional in a big media house. For years, she worked in the shelter and safety of her comfortable job, but things changed when her baby girl was born.

“I was looking for millets and maize that would have been good for my baby, and found that whatever I could get my hands on was far from pure, and completely polished. My childhood in Garhwal had equipped me with the understanding of what real organic produce is, and my search for the same in big cities came up short. From the look to the taste of the produce I found, everything seemed artificial and laden with chemicals,” Babita tells The Better India.

‘We can grow, but where do we sell?’

Babita was also acutely aware of the remarkable variety of crops that were found in the Himalayas. “If you consume 50 per cent organic products, but the rest is laden with chemicals, then the entire purpose of eating organic is defeated,” she notes. “I wanted to bring the lesser-known and indigenous produce of the hills to people’s doorsteps.”

Alongside she harboured a desire to provide Himalayan farmers a better market to sell the vast range of produce that they were growing. “I also had relatives back home who grew their own produce, and everyone’s complaint and fears were centred around the fact that even if they grew crops, where would they sell it?” she says.

In 2016, Babita quit her high-paying job to move to Dehradun, and began Himalaya2Home, an online platform that sells a vast range of produce grown by a network of over 2,000 farmers in the region. From flour to pulses, millets, spices, rock salt, ghee, oil, pickles, sugar, herbs and tea, the venture’s portfolio includes over 140 products that aim to cover as much of the hill’s rich crop diversity as possible.

Each crop is grown, processed and packaged in an ethical and sustainable manner, without the use of any chemical fertilisers or pesticides. While promoting organic eating and preserving Himalaya’s diversity, the company also aims to establish direct partnerships and empower farmers by providing them a channel to sell their produce.

“Giving up a stable job to enter the risky world of entrepreneurship was definitely a challenge,” Babita says, adding, “I moved there with an idea in mind, and spent over a year finding and trying to connect with different farmers in the area to get them on board. I met villagers to understand what crops they grow, how they grow them, and what challenges they were facing in selling them. I got myself registered with Uttarakhand’s Organic Board. To collect the information of thousands of organic farmers single-handedly was also a challenge.”

Speaking about Himalaya2Home, Babita says the name is a reflection of the company’s aim. “Our idea is to show that everything you need in your kitchen can be organic. We started with pulses and spices and eventually expanded,” she says. The platform currently ships to all over India, receives at least 3,000 orders a month and has a customer base of around 4,000 buyers.

Additionally, Babita also collects heirloom seeds from all over Uttarakhand to sell to farmers. She also introduced a native variety of black rice—indigenous to Imphal—to farmers in Dehradun. “I studied both Dehradun’s as well as Imphal’s environment to understand that the climatic conditions are similar. I procured the seeds from Imphal and gave them to my network of farmers. The rice took to Dehradun very well, and now many farmers grow it,” she says. “Many of these organic seeds are not available in other parts of Uttarakhand, so I want to popularise them and propagate organic farming,” she says.

Towards healthy eating

Babita gives a 100 per cent buyback policy to the farmers. She says. “No matter what happens to their crops, the amount that is paid to them won’t be reduced.”

In Maldevta, 70-year-old Kathait ji, is a testament to this. “I have been a farmer all my life. Our entire family has been in it for generations,” he tells me. “I have been selling my produce to Babita ji for the last 4-5 years,” he says, adding, “Earlier, I used to sell to another company. In the first two years, they gave us a decent rate for our produce, but later they started slashing our rates and stopped a major chunk of our payment. Our livelihood came to a standstill. We survived by selling locally. But the officials of the organic board introduced us to Babita ji, and things have improved since. She pays us for whatever she buys from us without flinching.”

“I think of the benefit to farmers in two ways. One, of course, is steady income that they receive for their produce. The other is that, say, when these farmers feed their cows this organic grass, the animal is healthier, and their milk is of superior quality. So their hard work is paying off,” she says.

On her journey as a woman running a business of her own, Babita notes, “Balancing motherhood and your own business is certainly tough. When I was a software professional, I’d get certain hours of free time. But ever since I began Himalaya2Home, I’ve been working day and night. I am constantly supervising the packaging and production, and making sure that all crops are being grown with the standards of ethics and sustainability that our company aims for. These challenges always exist for a woman entrepreneur, given the society we live in. I try my best to maintain the balance,” she says.

As far as women entrepreneurs are concerned, she says, “You have to take charge. Draw your own lines and find your own balance. Remain focused regardless of what notions others might hold about you running a business and taking care of a family.”

To see Himalaya2Home’s vast range of products, or for more information, you can visit their website.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

Nestled in the lap of Kumaon foothills in Uttarakhand’s Faguniakhet region, at a height of 5,000 feet, the picturesque location of Fagunia Farmstay looks like a scene straight out of a movie. The 3-storey house is surrounded by a dense forest, a seasonal waterfall and offers a view of the Pangot and Nainital mountains.

But there’s more to this house than what meets the eye. It is built using traditional Kumaon architectural practices that are environment-friendly and earthquake-resistant. Just like every Kumaon structure, this one too is built using stone and wood in a way that keeps the house thermally insulated.

The house is built and owned by Anil Cherukupalli and his wife, Aditi. The Delhi couple quit city life to embrace a sustainable way of living in 2018. As they did not have an architecture degree or prior experience in construction so they researched for months and collaborated with local masons to translate their dream into reality.

Apart from being avid travellers, the duo has a significant amount of experience working in the environmental sector. They have worked at the World Wide Fund for Nature and NGOs working towards the conservation of wildlife and ecosystem.

“Our jobs influenced our thinking and prompted us to adopt a minimalist lifestyle. It was love at first sight with this property, which had a small house and a farm. We wanted to create a space for guests who can come here to unwind. So we used the foundation of the existing house to build our farm stay,” Anil tells The Better India.

He adds, “Due to primary building materials, the house will last for a century or more. During construction, we followed the already existing contours of our site to minimise building pressure on the mountain slopes, which will further help in increasing the longevity of our homestay. No trees or new mountain slopes had to be cut or cleared in this process.”

Balancing a hectic job in Delhi while instructing the local contractor to build the Kumaon-style house without generating a big carbon footprint was not easy. It took nearly two years to create this majestic place.

Kumaon Architecture & Other Eco-friendly Practices

The indigenous architectural style uses local resources of the Himalayan landscape like stone and wood as the main construction material for walls and roofing. A small proportion of cement was used as the primary bonding material for the foundation work.

“More than 70 per cent of the stone and wood was recycled and upcycled from the pre-existing house at the site. The two materials retain warmth and reduce the energy used for heating. Windows form an integral part of the design and are built in a way that allows for plenty of natural light. The two-foot thick stone walls also help in keeping the house cool in summers and warm in winters. As we are in a mountainous location with cold weather that prevails for most of the year, our homestay rooms are compact just like every Kumaon house to keep it cosy,” says Aditi. Additionally, most of the interior has repurposed furniture like tables, chairs and a bookshelf.

The couple did not restrict their sustainable practices to the construction process. They installed a solar power backup inverter system that generates 5-8 units daily along with a centralised solar water heating system for the bathrooms.

The greywater is channelled to the soak pit which has multiple filtering layers of gravel and sand. It eventually percolates below the ground to replenish the water tables. Meanwhile, the black water or sewage is converted into fertiliser with the help of a twin pit toilet system. The wet waste of the household is converted into compost and the plastic waste is burnt safely in an enclosed incinerator.

The natural fertilisers are used to grow organic food like turmeric, ginger, cucumber, zucchini, capsicum, brinjals, among other vegetables. Recently, they have started growing buckwheat and will soon shift to millet-based farming. To further the cause of sustainability, the couple is currently working towards implementing permaculture farming in their plot.

Though the couple reiterates that they have a long road ahead to become 100 per cent self-sufficient and a zero-waste generating farm stay, Anil adds, “We are focussing on implementing small steps to achieve a big target.”

Edited by Yoshita Rao

In June 2020, Satinder Singh Rawat moved from Dubai to Noida after losing his job as a retail operations manager due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 46-year-old had been working in the Gulf for 15 years and the sudden loss of job forced him to rethink his career plan.

“I was handling around 200 stores and managing a business worth Rs 2,500 crores. I could have applied for another job in the same sector, but it would pose the same risks and challenges during the ongoing pandemic,” he says.

So Satinder decided to embark on a different career path and switched to farming. In a conversation with The Better India, he talks about how he recovered from the loss of income and became financially independent through his agri startup, Shreehari Agrotech.

‘The effort is worth the returns’

Satinder began by discussing his idea with his father-in-law and friends. As the lockdown eased around September, he travelled to and leased a 1.5 acre land in Ramnagar village in Nainital, Uttarakhand. “My father-in-law suggested I pursue horticulture initially, as it would help produce flowers every two months. However, this was not feasible financially, so my wife Sapna and I decided to try growing button mushrooms with,” he says.

In January, Satinder started growing mushrooms by setting up a concrete facility and two huts made from bamboo and plastic. Inside these, he fit air-conditioners to maintain optimum temperatures. “In March and April, we harvested our first produce and earned sales worth Rs 6 lakh,” he says

The mushrooms were widely sold in Ramnagar’s vegetable markets, wedding venues, banquet halls, restaurants and to other customers.

Satinder says that over 50% of the sales were his profits. While the couple tasted success, it was a tough six months for them while they set everything in place, he adds.

“We had zero background in farming and no formal training in growing mushrooms. We hired a professional on a contract basis to take us through the initial phase. Later, we roped in a professional grower permanently. Our core team works alongside him and is learning the basics of mushroom farming,” he says, adding, “However, we have now learned the ropes and can independently make mushroom compost and grow them without outside help.” Satinder’s core team consists of 10 locals of the village, two of whom reverse migrated from Delhi owing to COVID-19.

Moreover, the mushrooms are grown through a chemical-free process. The temperature needs to be between 18 and 19 degree celsius. Hence, we installed air-conditioners,” he says, adding that he invested his life’s savings into the venture.

Satendra says the erratic electricity supply and on-ground difficulties posed other challenges.

“But the efforts and risks are worth the returns. I am no longer stuck in the 9-5 job cycle,” he adds.

Today, the couple earns Rs 2.5 lakh per month from their venture.

Promoting the hut model

Sapna, who handles the technical operations of the business, says that the infrastructure can grow 70 tonnes of mushroom. “We are in the process of building two huts in Bhatwaron village, which falls under the Beeronkhal block of Pauri district, and aim to increase production to 70 tonnes, which will be worth Rs 40 lakh in the next six months,” she says.

Apart from growing button mushrooms, the couple learned how to grow the oyster variety, another edible mushroom that is popular in local markets. “Recently, we started processes to grow seasonal vegetables organically. We are keen on exploring organic produce and feel that it will help both humans as well as nature,” she adds.

“I want to promote an economically feasible model for farmers who grow traditional crops such as cereals, wheat and sugarcane. Producing non-conventional agriculture in the region can prove economically beneficial to them,” she notes.

Satinder says that the startup aims to promote its model of growing mushrooms in huts to other farmers. “The 20×50 feet hut set up spreads around 1,000 sq feet area. The infrastructure costs Rs 1.5 lakh with the air-conditioners and can sustain up to six years. The investment cost recovers in the first cycle of harvest itself, and the remaining production comes as profits. The air-conditioning allows the mushrooms to grow through the year,” he adds.

“We want to help farmers think beyond traditional farming. If a farmer can identify a market and good location, he can earn more money from a small land and will not need to depend on mega crops,” he adds.

Edited by Divya Sethu

Located in the middle Himalayan belt of Uttarakhand, the forests of Rudraprayag district lie in altitudes ranging from around 800 metres to 3,000 metres above sea level. Nearly 70% of the forest, however, lies between 1,000 and 2,000 metres above sea level. These forests are susceptible to a variety of natural disasters, including forest fires and landslides, while shortages in fresh water supply to local communities is a key concern.

“Nearly half the forests in Rudraprayag are dominated by pine trees, which makes them susceptible to forest fires. The lack of soil moisture and rich vegetation create ideal conditions for forest fires in the event of high temperatures. As soon as you have heavy rains, the same forests become vulnerable to landslides. In pine-dominated forests, the soil thickness is very less. There is very little topsoil, which is why only pine trees dominate the landscape. During these unpredictable rainfall events, a lot of top soil and debris get washed away. This takes away all the nutrients and adds to the discharge of rivers below, leading to silting, flooding and other problems,” says Vaibhav Singh, a 2015-batch Indian Forest Service officer and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) at Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand.

There is also the problem of supplying fresh water to rural communities. Villages situated in the region get their water supply from nearby springs and water sources lying inside the forest. Since most of the middle Himalayan belt is in a dry region, over the past few years, locals have been complaining about water shortages. They often complain about the springs drying up and no proper supply of water during summers. Most residents of these villages are women and senior citizens since most working men from there find employment elsewhere. The women are into livestock rearing, and thus dependent on forests for fodder.

“Since my tenure in Rudraprayag began, we started doing soil moisture conservation work extensively and on a planned basis. We were lucky to obtain funds from the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), while rainwater conservation and harvesting is a priority area for the government both at the Central and State level. With the funds available, we decided to construct as many water retention and soil preserving structures that have multiple benefits,” he adds.

Since Vaibhav took over as DFO in June 2019, there has been a strong emphasis on addressing these problems by building soil moisture conservation (SMC) structures which include Chal Kahls (‘water ponds’ in Garhwali), contour trenches, check dams, and percolation pits, among other such structures, in an organised and planned manner.

In the past year alone, Vaibhav and his forest staff have constructed a total of 612 Chal Kahls with a total water holding capacity of more than 10 million litres while also eco-restoring over 400 hectares of degraded forest land.

Over the course of two years, however, they have reportedly constructed 887 Chal Kahls with each structure having a water holding capacity ranging from 10,000 to 2,50,000 litres.

During the monsoon season and the winter rains from October to December, these structures trap significant volumes of rainwater. This water improves the microclimate of the soil and adds to the soil moisture.

Location, Location, Location

The process of making these ponds start before the monsoon season from May onwards. The forest staff start digging these structures in May and continue to make them as and when funds from the government are available. They try to complete a majority of these structures before the monsoon and winter rains. The most critical part of constructing these ponds is site selection to ensure their effectiveness. The field staff, including forest guards, forest watchers and range officers who select the site, need to be properly sensitised, trained and monitored. Constructing these structures at the proper site, Vaibhav notes, is the biggest challenge.

“If we select the right sites, 50% of our job is done. We have to gauge the gradient of the slope, the place, the rock structure present, the location where you intend to make that pond and its utility in a given area. If you construct these ponds at the wrong site, then the drainage water might not even get collected there. If you’ve chosen the wrong slope, the structure won’t be most effective. To channelise the excess water into these ponds from these slopes, we also dig these small trenches. If you construct Chal Kahls on a very steep slope, the velocity of the water may damage or wash them away. All these water ponds vary in their size and capacity. The smallest ponds we make is of 10 cubic metres of dug up soil, which amounts to roughly 10,000 litres of water holding capacity. Most of the ponds we’ve constructed have a water holding capacity between 10,000 and 20,000 litres,” he explains.

Increasing soil moisture in a given area not only aids the growth of other vegetation but also reduces the vulnerability to forest fires. Moreover, there are about 70 water supply projects managed by the Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, a department overseeing water supply, irrigation and sewerage in rural and urban areas in Rudraprayag division that channelise water from the water springs and other bodies into villages. Constructing structures like Chal Kahls has rejuvenated these springs and increased the discharge of water and groundwater percolation.

To supplement these efforts, the forest department has constructed contour trenches along 436 hectares of degraded pine forests over the past two years. They also planted some suitable grasses for fodder on the edges. When water gets trapped in these trenches, the fodder grass derives moisture from it and starts growing. This is beneficial for local communities because their livestock gets access to more fodder. It’s beneficial for the department because the micro-climate within the forests improves.

“Contour trenches trap rainwater and top fertile soil during rainfall and improve the microclimate which further promotes a diversity of vegetation. To further add to the efficacy of trenches, napier and other fodder grass slips were planted along the trenches. During the monsoons, the grass derives moisture from the water trapped in trenches and grows extensively. It provides fodder to the livestock of locals as well as wildlife. These structures arrest the erosion of soil. In digging contour trenches, we’ve seen that in almost 1.5 to 2 years, they get filled with silt and top soil. These structures are beneficial for conservation of soil, which is a precious resource in this part of Uttarakhand,” explains Vaibhav.

Structures like contour trenches, water ponds, and percolation pits will, over the long term, further supplement aquifers and rejuvenate natural water springs. “But, there is a 15% to 20% margin of error in choosing good sites,” he adds.

Thankfully, under DFO Singh’s tenure, the relationship between locals and the forest department has improved, which has an impact on site selection.

“Most of our forest staff are also from the same communities. They maintain strong informal channels of communication with the local residents. On many occasions, locals also give us feedback about where to build these SMCs,” claims Vaibhav.

An Officer’s ‘Untiring Support’

“The great thing about DFO Singh’s work is the fantastic planning that goes behind it. More importantly, he has been able to establish a good relationship between the forest department and local communities, which was once tenuous. I’ve done multiple ground reports on these initiatives, and there is no question that he has done great work in the division,” says Vinay Bahuguna, a local journalist for Amar Ujala, a popular Hindi daily newspaper.

Just before the monsoon started last year, the forest staff constructed many check dams in three locations, which the DFO went and visited during and after the monsoons.

“When the rains came, the upper catchment area of the hillock got washed away. There was a lot of debris, boulders and they were all stopped from crashing down thanks to these check dams. In these check dams, we also saw huge quantities of fertile soil that were stopped from being washed. We make a lot of vegetative check dams, particularly pirul (pine needle) check dams. Again, site selection is crucial here. In small valleys with not very high gradients, we cut tree logs, tie them up and stuff them with pine needles and rocks, which stops the flow of water. If it’s a very steep gradient, you have to make a crate wire check dam. If you make a loose boulder check dam here, it’ll simply get washed away. When the gradient is gentle, the width of the drain is not very wide, you can make a small rock and boulder check dam. We start scanning areas from higher altitudes and then proceed downwards. In total we’ve constructed 1,892 check dams which include crate wire check dams, vegetative check dams and dry stone check dams,” he claims.

Despite all the achievements in the past two years, there have been a few stiff challenges along the way. The biggest one is the “extreme shortage” of labour. Although the pandemic has brought some relief to this aspect, given that many have come back to their villages after losing work in the cities, the department depends primarily on seasonal Nepali labourers. Another challenge, he says, is that most of the forest staff working under the DFO are above the age of 45 and canvassing for sites to build SMC structures is an onerous task.

Funding for these initiatives, meanwhile, come from three key sources—State CAMPA funds, Forest Fire Prevention and Management (FPM) scheme, under which some of the soil moisture conservation works are done, and the Union government’s Namami Gange Programme, which facilitates a certain amount of check dam construction work.

The impact of the forest department’s work, however, has been felt on the ground.

As Yashwant Singh Chauhan, a Range Officer with the Agastmuni Block in Rudraprayag district, explains, “A couple of days back, the temperature here was 44° Celsius but you wouldn’t know whether it rained or not because there is so much moisture in the soil. Also, there is a village called Bhausal and in the surrounding area, we’ve constructed a Chal Kahl. The Dhara (spring emerging where sloping ground and impermeable strata intersect with the groundwater table) above the village has been recharged thanks to the Chal Kahl we’ve constructed there.”

He adds, “The impact of whatever works we do in forestry is not often seen immediately. It’s like afforestation work to regenerate the forest. The real results will be seen only years later.”

Meanwhile, the forest department has also gone on to undo some of the wrongs done in the past like concretising a small lake near a quiet hamlet called Chirbatiya.

“This concrete work was done about 10 to 15 years ago in the name of beautification, which I found had killed the lake. An oval-shaped concrete base was constructed inside a lake with further concrete fencing around it. It had become an artificial water tank because all its ecological value was eradicated. We broke it down and did a lot of dredging work in the surrounding areas. There was also an encroachment with the owner of the structure bringing tourists there, whom we evicted. The lake is now taking its natural shape,” says Vaibhav.

In the coming year, the Forest Department will work alongside the Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan for the 70 water supply projects. “We will be working in the catchment area of 25 of those projects. We have submitted our proposal for funds. That way in the next three years, we can monitor whether the work we are doing is actually having a significant bearing on the discharge of the springs and water supply streams,” he says.

The bottomline remains that DFO Vaibhav Singh has led by example to revive these forests in Rudraprayag, protect them from forest fires, preserve the precious topsoil and deliver fresh water to locals.

As Yashwant says, “DFO Sir has taken a real interest in these soil and water conservation efforts since his arrival here. Subordinate forest officers and staff will work well if the person at the top takes interest. He has always backed our efforts with his untiring support. In the past year, we’ve managed to get a lot of work done.”

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

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Didsari, a tiny village in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, is known for its distinctive seasoned salts, where almost every household in the village prepares its own salts. It is a very ancient practice to blend regular salt with spices such as turmeric, chilli, garlic, pepper and more.

However, the village was one of the unfortunate regions that were severely affected by the devastating floods of Uttarakhand in 2013. As part of the relief work, Harshit Sahdev, a life coach and counsellor from Dehradun, visited the village to help build a bridge.

Harshit formed an instant connection with the locals and returned to the village in 2018 as a tourist with Chloe, a French national. On interacting with his old pals, Harshit learnt that the village was struggling to stand on its feet. The duo explored ways to help, only this time it would be for the long haul.

It was Chloe who casually remarked about selling the seasoned salts in France after she tasted ‘Pahadi Namak’ (Pisyun Loon) with food. It gave Harshit the idea to sell the salt and help uplift the farmers economically.

The duo invested Rs 10,000 and purchased the salts to sell them in France. The stock was over within days. Seeing the response, Harshit formally registered his startup, ‘Himshakti’ in 2018.

Today, three years later, Harshit is running a successful brand that sells salts and other spices directly to customers across India and other countries like France, UK, the USA, Russia and Vietnam.

So, what makes the Didsari’s salt unique? Harshit shares how the lives of locals are changing, one sale at a time.

Tapping A Salt Lake

Harshit has tied up with five women farmers to make the salt. He supports Self-Help Groups to procure organic produce like spices, salt, flour and tea.

“The farmers belong to remote regions where there isn’t even a proper road connection, let alone have a market to sell their produce. But their culinary wisdom is impeccable. With help from chefs and food technologists, we tweaked the ancient salt recipes a bit. The salts can be used for seasoning and enhancing tastes,” Harshit tells The Better India.

The typical process involves procuring salt from Rajasthan’s Sambhar Lake, India’s largest inland salt lake. The unique feature is its PH level is nine, one of the highest in the world. It is naturally iodized and contains 84 minerals, including zinc and copper iron.

The salt is then ground with locally grown herbs and spices. Harshit extends technical knowledge and financial support to the farmers to ensure quality and taste. This includes seeds, organic fertiliser inputs, tips on water management and so on. Harshit soon plans to collaborate with NABARD and provide more support on growing spices, manure and livelihoods.

Talking about the products, Harshit says, “Our hemp seed salt is gluten-free and has antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. The flavourful salt is derived from small brown seeds, also called ‘Bhaang Ke Beej’. The turmeric salt consists of turmeric, cumin and black pepper perfectly blended in pink Himalayan salt. It is good for your immunity, digestion and relieves pain. The red chilli garlic salt is made from red chillies, Kashmiri red chillies, garlic and black pepper perfectly blended with pink salt. It can be used for seasoning, cooking and marination.”

The pricing of the salts is affordable to ensure a wider reach. Meanwhile, the farmers are paid a fair price. Shubham Pawar, a farmer associated with Himshakti, says, “Marketing is a huge problem for us. But this venture has helped a lot in terms of seeds, fertilizers and revenue.”

The village is also seeing a social change.

One of the women associated with Himshakti walked out of an abusive marriage once she gained financial independence. With intervention from Harshit and other villagers, the matter was addressed and resolved.

On The International ‘Salt Map’

The company currently has a market value of Rs 9 crore and their turnover is in lakhs. The best part? They have got a good response from the clients and the investors available in the market.

Apart from selling salts directly to customers, Himshakti has also tied up with homestays, hotels and resorts such as JW Marriott Mussoorie, Jaypee Residency Manor and La Villa Bethany.

Sunita Kudle, who runs a homestay in Mussoorie, says she serves Himshakti mountain salt along with salads to her guests. “As soon as people taste it, they immediately inquire about its ingredients and where they can buy it,” she says. Meanwhile, Anuradha Chopra, a homemaker from Dehradun, says mountain salt is full of flavour and medicinal properties and is now used more than table salt.

Investors and mentors were equally impressed with Himshakti for its on-ground impact. Hindustan Salt Limited, a government venture, appointed Himshakti as its ‘Marketing Partner’ to promote ‘Gulabi Namak’ (Pink Salt). Since most of India’s pink salt comes from Pakistan, this collaboration is an effective way to popularise the local salt.

The venture even bagged a grant of up to Rs 25,00,000 from IIM-Kashipur and received training on entrepreneurship. This helped Harshit to venture into other products such as cereals, Chaulai, Jhangora, Red rice, Mandua flour, Turmeric, Green tea, Black tea.

While the lockdown situation has restricted their sales, Harshit is hopeful it will pick up once the lockdowns and restriction on movements end.

Get in touch with Himshakti here.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

In 2006, Bengaluru-based Pratibha Krishnaiah graduated with a degree in computer science. She got a corporate job, which she worked over the next eight years. She says the salary was good, she was excelling in her field, and things were going well.

However, she felt like she needed a break.

So Pratibha signed up for the State Bank of India’s Youth for India Fellowship (SBI-YFI) in 2014. This programme offers India’s young talent a chance to connect with rural communities and enables the participants to work on development projects with experienced NGOs. Little did she know that the event would change her life entirely.

Pratibha moved to Khetikhan village in Uttarakhand for a 13-month fellowship to work with an NGO working with rural communities.

As she settled and started acclimatising with her new life, she observed that a yarn of wool and knitting needles accompanied the village women at all times. “Be it a neighbourhood meeting, a family event, social gatherings, or merely spending time at home – women knitted woollen sweaters, socks, scarves and other items at all times,” she tells The Better India.

The 37-year-old says that speaking to these women helped her learn that knitting was being pursued more as a hobby and for personal or family use, but the products were not being commercially sold.

Giving village women something to believe in

So Pratibha decided to rope in women and help them earn money out of a hobby. She approached these women and shared her idea. She suggested that she’d buy their products and sell them.

But Pratibha was not well-versed with knitting and had to take lessons from locals and YouTube. Language was another hurdle she had to overcome for effective communication.

Initially, she managed to win the confidence of ten women. Once these women earned money and had faith in Pratibha, they realised that earning income from their skill could be a reality and not just fantasy.

Slowly, more women joined, and they named the venture Himalayan Blooms, which sells knitted and crochet items through the website and off-line market.

In 2015, Pratibha finished her fellowship and returned to Bengaluru. “It was around that time an article was published about my work. I received over 100 emails appreciating my work. Out of them, 95 were full of praise while the remaining persons expressed willingness to support the cause,” she explains.

Pratibha says one particular NRI, Joginder Kundra, seemed very passionate about the women’s work and wanted to support them monetarily. “The 70-year-old man lived in the US and agreed to start a fundraiser. But I had not planned to stick around to see how the future of the venture would pan out – I was just going to hand the project over to the NGO. I also wanted him to visit the women before he invested in them. He flew from New Jersey and spent ten days understanding their work. He decided to support them,” she says.

She adds that the NGO cited a lack of expertise for not accepting her project. So Pratibha had a decision to make – stay and see the venture through, or leave and start afresh.

Pratibha says that deciding the fate of her project was a difficult decision to make. “I recalled my time in Uttarakhand, and one particular incident touched me. During my stay, the women used to suggest that I travel and enjoy my time in the valley instead of trying to work with them. They said that many NGOs came and worked for months and disappeared. ‘Such initiatives don’t last for long,’ they had said,” she says.

“I was shocked to hear the reality of these non-profits and decided that it was time to change it. I went to Uttarakhand in February 2016 and decided to take up the business until it self-sustains,” she says.

Pratibha worked closely with the women and visited her home in Bengaluru only twice a year. She trained the women in all aspects of the business. At present, there are over 200 women across 40 villages who are part of the cause, earning between Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000 a month. The orders are accepted online and sold across India and other parts of the world. The business fetches a revenue of Rs 15-20 lakh per year. Pratibha takes an honorarium of Rs 10,000 every month to meet her expenses.

‘Nothing that a woman can’t handle’

Meena Bhat from Khetikhan, who is part of the initiative, says, “Earlier we used to see Pratibha walking down the streets, and she was curious to know about our lives, daily struggles and aspects of livelihood. She learned about knitting, suggested a business model and handed over yarns to each woman.”

Meena says that once the first batch of women started earning, more joined. “We now have a workshop which doubles up as an office. We handle business, accounting, bookkeeping, accepting orders and deliveries,” adds the 28-year-old.

She says the business has multiplied more than they expected. “We used to knit and crochet 10 kilos of wool a day. Now it has increased to 100 kilos. The women from our village never thought of monetising the skills and should have pursued it before. During the festive season, we earn up to Rs 15,000-20,000,” Meena adds.

Meanwhile, Kusumlata Oli, another woman who is part of the venture, says her husband is unemployed, and earnings from crafting helps the family meet their children’s education fees and daily expenses. “I feel proud and glad to be financially independent and be able to run the house,” she says.

She says the business has given them confidence and taught the women many aspects of life. “We have learned time management as we handle house chores and the business simultaneously. Many women from the village thought it was challenging to balance. But we have shown that it can be done, and inspired others to join. They also observe how we handle house expenses and become successful. The women feel that if we can succeed, they can as well,” she adds.

Kusum also says the women want to scale up the business and expand the market.

Meanwhile, Pratibha says that she has started focusing on the same. “I am planning on taking the business to a level where it self-sustains and am chalking out an exit strategy. COVID-19 has been a blessing in disguise as the women handled all the aspects of the business efficiently in my absence for six months during the lockdown,” she says.

She says that the women handle the website, Instagram, Facebook page, click pictures and promote the products. “I will stay until the business functions smoothly and hand over the reins to the women. The transition is already in the process, and we hope for some support from the government,” she adds.

She notes, “I do not have plans for now and like living in the moment. I love rural life. So I’m definitely not going for a corporate job, but probably to another village and remain off the grid.”

To order from Himalayan Blooms, you can email them at himalayanblooms@gmail.com or visit their website. 

Edited by Divya Sethu

Sita Devi of Tehri District in Uttarakhand, is a prime example of the sheer grit and perseverance with which women of the hills safeguard their land and livelihood in the mountains. Having faced failure, disapproval and doubt, she stands proud today as the “Kiwi Queen” of her land.

Sita and her family’s primary sustenance has always been agriculture. Until 2018, they grew traditional crops like ragi, millets, potatoes and peas. However, characteristic of mountain life, the family crop would more often than be ruined by monkeys and wild animals. This often left Sita dejected, so much so that she even considered giving up farming altogether.

An aleatory conversation among local Self Help Group (SHG) members of her Duvakoti village introduced her to the idea of growing kiwis. This highly nutritious fruit is grown in the steep hilly terrain that experiences 700-800 chilling hours. To boost kiwi production, the National Horticulture Board was offering financial assistance to farmers to cultivate, store, pack and sell the fruit on their lands.

“Believe it or not, I have come to experience that monkeys don’t even come near this fruit,” Sita excitedly shares.

A Journey of Perseverance

As brilliant as the idea was, in the beginning she faced major ridicule from local villagers for trying it. Kiwi, being an exotic fruit, was not so easily accepted as a means of earning a livelihood.

Nevertheless, Sita saw potential in the option and decided to go ahead with it. Defying local norms of traditional farming, she immediately contacted the Horticulture Department and got enrolled into the training programme offered under their scheme. The courageous move took this determined farmer miles away to the town of Solan in Himachal Pradesh but Sita says that it was all worth it.

The programme taught her the entire process of how to sow, water, harvest and monetise on the kiwi crop. Sharing her knowledge, she says, “Each plant has to be planted two to four meters apart, as the trees grow enormous in size. Regular but measured irrigation is integral in harvesting a good yield, but beyond that there is no need for extra fertilisers or equipment.”

She adds, “I like to sprinkle the land with a little organic cow dung every now and then to add some extra nutrients to the crop.” Later, the Horticulture Department also installed a drip irrigation system on her land, which completes the watering of plants within two hours while also saving water.

Soon her relentless efforts paid off. The first harvest bore a whopping 40 kg of fruit. While some of it would be enjoyed among friends and family, the remaining 30 kg fetched her an income of Rs 15,000 from the local markets of Tehri alone.

Today, she has 33 kiwi trees spread across a land of 2 nali (0.98 acres). The crop was affected by hail storms this year, leaving only four trees with flowers to bear fruits.

“If cared for in the right way, growing kiwis is a wholesome job in itself. It feeds my family with sweetness and sustains our living needs amply. If not this season, the trees will bear fruit the next season and help me cover up through trade within the vicinity of local markets,” she asserts.

The Road to ‘Queenhood’

Once Sita’s crop started yielding benefits, the skeptics around her changed their perception as well. Soon many farmers of her village began receiving seeds for planting kiwi from the horticulture department.

Of the 45 farmers who began cultivation, only her plants survived.

She attributes this success to her personalised care of the crop. “The plant yields high benefits but requires systematic cutting of the stems. Most people enjoy reaping the returns but are not consistent enough in putting the efforts required to tend to fruits,” she says. Sita would tend to the crop almost like caring for her children. Maybe this is why when the villagers started calling her the “Kiwi Queen”, it was not only apt, but also justified.

Sita says that hardships have no consequence in sustaining one’s livelihood. “It is important to not give up and find what works for you within the means available.”

She married early and had to drop out of school. Her husband, with whom she has two sons, works as a driver.

However, despite the obvious responsibilities that come with being a mother, a wife and a woman, she devoted her life to ensuring that her land was taken care of. Reaching beyond the confines of personal sustenance, Sita says her name has become synonymous with dignity throughout the district of Tehri.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on the world, stories of frontline warriors who have gone above and beyond to bring hope in this time of crisis come to light. One such warrior in the field of education is Kalyan Mankoti.

Hailing from Aso village in the Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand, Kalyan used to travel for hours, covering 35 kilometres—from Almora town to teach at a junior school in Chanoli village—every day. When the pandemic struck the country, Kalyan moved from Almora town to Chanoli Village with his daughter, leaving behind his comfortable life in the town, all to continue his commitment to teaching.

He wanted to bring education to the doorstep of 75 students.

His decision to relocate from Almora town to Chanoli village was not an easy one. His travel was completely restricted due to COVID protocols, inviting probing from the police. But his sincerity and ardor to help his students continue their education during the lockdown, convinced the authorities to cooperate with him.

Kalyan had to complete various paperwork and consult with the District Magistrate. The health department was also contacted and, at the same time, took the society under trust. Even the education department was made aware of his initiative. With proper facilities for masks, medicine, and sanitisation, he embarked on his journey to make proper education accessible to students during the pandemic. Following SOPs related to COVID-19, he began teaching a small group of students.

The exercise of learning, studying and comprehending were taken up in a field near the jungle.

The weather was another obstacle that Kalyan had to overcome. While sharing his experience, he says, “Once on a rainy day, it became difficult to hold classes in the wet field. There was this huge empty house with a stone roof attached to the road. Soon after the rain stopped, the children sat on that roof and started studying. Ever since, the roof has become our classroom whenever it rains.” He adds that when the owner of the house became aware of how his house roof is serving as a classroom, he was more than happy to assist them.

Kalyan mobilised people to help him in his initiative. Along with his daughter, he is also assisted by his old students who are currently pursuing different courses in the university. Some of them are from the Chanoli village, whereas the rest take turns to come and live in the village for a couple of days. The children are helped with Science, Languages, Social Science, Music, etc, along with classes on singing, and paper and mud art. Himani, one of the oldest students of Kalyan, has also taught the students about plants and vegetation while conducting various amusing scientific experiments and fun games.

Along with Himani, Bhuvan Kandpal, Gargi, Riya, Bhupender, Ojaswi, Anurag, Sachin, Saurabh, Deepa, Pushpa have also diligently contributed to Kalyan’s initiative of educating the children. Even the village elders have their part in interacting with the students and helping with their holistic education. Revti Devi informed the children through her tales on how to present themselves in public and Tara Devi shared with the children the recipes for different mountain dishes. On the other hand, Bhupal Singh, another resident of the village, educated the children about the milk business and how to use a lactometer.

“The children are also being taught how to start a small business using the dairy products and vegetables grown in the village. Bhupal Singh says this initiative provided them with an opportunity to understand the children closely,” shares Kalyan.

Kalyan’s initiative is now a symbol of integrity, bringing different individuals together for a common goal. The children learn a lot from one another. The group comprises children from government and non-government schools. Those who had forgotten their native language, Kumaoni, are now able to converse in it. Children not only get their usual lessons but also engage in extensive conversation with the people of the village, gathering additional information on a variety of topics. They learn local recipes, sing old forgotten folk songs, and learn about the nearby vegetation and medicinal plants. This model exemplifies how much the community can contribute to the holistic education of children.

“I have started to receive a lot of positive responses from people. Moreover, teachers from Rishikesh, Pauri, Nainital, to name a few, have started adopting this model in their respective areas,” says Kalyan, who is delighted about his successful undertaking.

Various COVID-19 awareness campaigns are also being carried out in the village by Kalyan. Discussions are taking place, hoardings and banners are being installed. Small groups of people are delivering various information to individual households through songs and street plays in accordance with Covid protocols.

The arrangement of the afternoon meal continued for the children with the help of Bhojan Mata, community members and teachers. Each household provides cereal and vegetables. Even during these delicate and sensitive times, Kalyan kept the flame for education lit with the help of the villagers.

“It is fulfilling to see how students now carry their textbooks and favourite story books while they go out to graze their cattle. I am content they did not grow apart from education during these critical times; in fact, they became more attuned to it,” concludes Kalyan.

Read this story in Hindi here.

(Written by Vipin Joshi; Edited by Yoshita Rao)