An accident grant scheme for migrant labourers in Bihar that beneficiaries have no idea about

Bihar State Migrant Labour Accident Grant Scheme provides Rs 2 lakh compensation for death of a migrant labourer, but the scheme’s publicity is yet to resonate with the intended beneficiaries Patna, Bihar: Anmol Thakur (30) can never forget that day in July 2014. He was into a house construction work in Kashmir’s Shopian, but things changed drastically when two bullets pierced his body in a terrorist strike. “One bullet hit me in the back, another in the stomach,” Anmol says, showing the injury marks left behind by the bullets.A resident of Laharnia in Supaul district of Bihar, Anmol’s medical expenses were fully borne by the contractor. “I did not receive any other benefit… I have been sitting without work in my village for the last six months. I do not have land… To sustain my family, including my wife and two children, I have to go to Delhi or Punjab. I will go again after a few days," he says."At the time he suffered bullet injuries, the district magistrate and other officials came home and assured us of compensation. But no one visited us after his recovery,” laments Anmol's father Anandi Thakur. “No government gave us any benefit. The contractor provided only for medical expenses. You know how difficult it is for a labourer to stay at home for long," he sighs.Besides Anmol, Pintu Kumar (20) and Vinod Thakur (27) of Supaul district and Heera Lal Yadav of Kasimpur in Saharsa district suffered bullet injuries on that day. According to Anmol, all three have not received any government benefit. Thankfully, their medical condition is better than before.The Kosi area is the stronghold of migrant labourers. Pramod Yadav (28) of Ghoghadaria panchayat in Supaul district suffered injuries to the waist in a fall at a construction site in August 2022. He was treated at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. He has been confined to his village due to the disability since then."I was under treatment for almost a year. It cost Rs 3 lakh. The contractor gave only Rs 1 lakh. I had to bear the rest of the expenses. The government did not provide compensation. I do not even know that such compensation is given to labourers," Pramod says.Pramod has three sons and five daughters. He will be entitled to only three bighas of land from the family property. "Our village has been demarcated as Kosi Dam area. Not even one season of farming happens here. In such a situation, our family..." his father Bharat Yadav chokes.Pramod's nephew Manish is a school teacher and social worker. "There is a scheme for migrant labourers, but no one here knows about it. In every house, three to four persons have migrated for work. No government official ever organised camps or created awareness about the scheme in any village,” he asserts.Anmol Thakur, a resident of Laharnia village (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)Data crunchingAccording to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Private Limited, while the national unemployment rate was 7.60% in March 2022, it had reached 14.40% in Bihar. As a result, labourers from Bihar go to every corner of the country in search of work."You will find Biharis at all labour squares in the country. They have to travel thousands of km just to get daily wages. In such a situation, the government does not arrange for their safety. Accidents keep happening to them. Whenever the news of such deaths makes headlines, the government immediately provides compensation. If not, the compensation file remains buried," Anupam, founder, Yuva Halla Bol, tells 101Reporters."Contractors do not even provide them with insurance. The government is neither able to create employment for educated people nor for unskilled labourers," he laments.If a study by the International Institute for Population Sciences in 2020 is to be believed, half of Bihar's population has a direct connection with migration. Most of them are labourers, workers and students. Of them, labourers face problems the most.As per the Labour Resources Department data included in the Economic Survey 2022-23, 76 migrant labourers died in 2021-22 and 110 in 2020-21. Curiously, death of not a single migrant labourer from Saharsa district was recorded in 2021-22. Notably, on March 19, 2021, 11 labourers from Jajouri village of Mahishi block died in an accident when they were being taken to Punjab in a contractor’s pickup van.   No data for 2022-23 is available yet, but scrolling through the newspaper headlines from last September to December is enough to learn about 32 deaths. In September, seven labourers from Bihar died in a lift breakdown in Thane, Maharashtra. Also, four members of a migrant family died in a fire in Una district of Himachal Pradesh. The next month, four labourers  suffocated to death while cleaning the septic tank of a factory at Kamleshwar in Surat, Gujarat. In December, seven died after getting buried under a 100-tonne maize sack at Aliabad industrial area in ​​Karnataka. Around the same time, six workers died in a fire at a gloves factory in Maharashtra. Another four succumbed to cold weather at Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, the same month."Bihar government does not have any data of migrant labourers from the state. There are many labourers who die or become disabled at work or due to other reasons, but they are unaware of the government scheme meant for them. So even the government does not have data on migrant deaths," Vidyakar Jha, an RTI activist and social worker, tells 101Reporters.A worker showing his injury (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)State schemeAccording to Labour Resources Department, migrant labourers working outdoors are at risk of train or road accidents, electric shock, snake bite, drowning, fire, falling from a tree or building, attack by wild animals and terrorist, and criminal attacks, all of which are covered under the Bihar State Migrant Labour Accident Grant Scheme. The scheme provides Rs 2 lakh in the event of a migrant labourer's death. For total and temporary disabilities, the compensation is Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively. To be eligible, a labourer should be aged between 18 and 65. To avail of the scheme, the victim/victim's family must submit the Aadhaar or identity card of the injured/deceased, First Information Report photocopy, postmortem report, dependent's Aadhaar/identity card, photocopy of the dependent's bank passbook, residence certificate, dependent certificate and the certificate issued by the pradhan (village head) at the Right to Public Service counter at the respective block headquarters."This scheme is also promoted on social media. Before August 2023, only Rs 1 lakh was given to the dependents. Now it has been raised to Rs 2 lakh," Amit Pandey, media in-charge, Labour Resources Department, tells 101Reporters.Explaining the history of migration, blogger Ranjan Rituraj recalls that several industries — Bela Industries in Muzaffarpur and Modern Chocolate Company in Patna to name a few — existed in Bihar before the 90s. "Dalmia Nagar in Rohtas district was known for the production of sugar, paper, vegetable oil, cement, chemicals and asbestos. Before 1947, there were 33 sugar mills in Bihar, but only about 10 are functional today. After 1990, Bihar was torn between feudalism and socialism," he says."In 1960, the difference in per capita income of Bihar and Maharashtra was double. Now it has increased to almost eight times. People who migrated from Bihar after the 90s are not returning. The only solution to eradicate poverty is to launch micro, small and medium industries. Otherwise, migration in Bihar will only increase," he says.What government should doJitan Mandal of Veena panchayat in Kosi belt is a labour contractor. "The government says it publicises the scheme through newspapers, mobile phone, TV and hoardings. How many labour colonies have such hoardings? Perhaps, not even one," Mandal lashes out. Though labourers use mobile phones for entertainment, they are yet to understand and make use of the full potential.  "The government should first get accurate data of migrant labourers. Subsequently, labourers themselves can be made to spread the word about the scheme through mike announcements or street plays," he proposes.Patna resident and migrant labourer Chandan Sinha echoes Mandal when he says the state government should prepare data of migrant labourers. After that, the local official concerned should conduct a campaign from time to time at the panchayat or block level to promote the scheme. The campaign should be done more frequently in those areas that witness more migration, he explains."Right now, even the government does not want labourers to know about the scheme, because it will strain the exchequer a lot. If the attitude itself is wrong, how can the intention be good? And when the intention is not good, how can the policy be better?" he wonders. Edited by Rekha PulinnoliCover Photo - Pramod Yadav, 28, of Ghoghadaria Panchayat of Marauni block (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)

Diseases waiting to strike as biomedical waste dumped in fields of Supaul

Indiscriminate burning of biomedical waste along with other garbage points to a lack of awareness in villages around managing this hazardous waste Supaul, Bihar: A resident of Babhangama village in Bihar's Supaul district, Asha Devi (80) was diagnosed with a liver infection in 2013. “The doctor we consulted in Patna told us that the infection came either from filth or from stepping onto animal excreta. That is when we realised how harmful the garbage dump near our house was,” said Bipul Jha, Asha Devi's grandson. Until 2013, the empty government land next to Bipul's house served as a garbage dump for the 100 households of the locality. “We would just burn the wastes once a week. But after my grandmother fell ill, we stopped people from dumping garbage here. Now, everybody digs a pit in their own fields for waste disposal,” said Bipul.Asha Devi (extreme right), resident of Babhangama village in Supaul district of Bihar (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)Babhangama has four chemist stores. Apart from selling medicines, people are treated for ailments there. “We have kept a dustbin near the shop. Every two to three days, when it fills up with used syringes, needles, gloves and masks, we throw it in a pit dug in a field,” said Raju Mandal, the owner of one of the stores. In Bihar, low awareness about disposal of biomedical waste in rural and semi-urban areas has led to the disposal of hazardous material in agricultural fields. “Hospital waste can be dangerous. It is not just being dumped in villages, even scrap dealers in towns are recycling and selling off biomedical waste, which poses a high risk of infection. Cattle and stray animals are more prone to diseases as they feed on littered garbage that has biomedical waste mixed in it,” Dr Om Prakash Jha, a practising doctor from neighbouring Saharsa district, told 101Reporters. Shankar Mandal (65) of Bina village panchayat in Supaul has given away his land for dumping of waste from about 200 houses. This includes waste from two chemist stores. “That piece of land has a depression. Anyway, nothing much can grow there, so I thought of serving a social purpose by allowing people to dump waste there,” he said.“Unlike cities, villages do not suffer from land scarcity. Some farmers have too much land, while others are landless. People with large tracts of land usually allow dumping in a portion... However, we try to prevent them from throwing needles because they are sharp. Otherwise, it is difficult to distinguish biomedical waste from the rest,” Shankar said.In villages closer to towns and cities, urban local bodies do send a vehicle for garbage collection. For instance, this happens in Malhad and Karanpur villages near Supaul and in Bangaon and Mahishi near Saharsa city. But there is no segregation of biomedical waste from other garbage.“In the last two years, a government vehicle has been coming to collect waste. Before that, we used to throw garbage in the fields only. Now that we are on the periphery of the city, population is increasing and farm lands are decreasing,” said Rajesh Jha, a resident of Bangaon.According to World Health Organisation (WHO), only 15% of the healthcare waste generated is considered hazardous. It may be infectious — like the waste contaminated with blood or other body fluids (test samples), toxic heavy metals like mercury in thermometer or chemical solvents or radioactive diagnostic materials. The WHO data claim that about 16 billion injections are administered worldwide every year, but not all of the needles and syringes are disposed of properly. Open burning and incineration of biomedical waste emits toxins such as dioxins and furans and particulate matter in the air.Garbage being thrown near the railway line in Supaul (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)What the law saysAs per the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, hospital and medical waste cannot be disposed of along with municipal solid waste. The rules divide biomedical waste into categories such as anatomical waste, discarded medicines and chemicals, and specifies how each of them should be disposed of, the responsibility of which lies with the hospital administration itself.As per the 2020 report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on biomedical waste management, Bihar generated 27,846 kg of biomedical waste per day, of which only 10,201 kg was getting treated, which means 17,644 kg was being disposed of unofficially, a gap second only to Karnataka. The state has about 25,000 healthcare facilities, out of which 15,027 are yet to be authorised by the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) under the 2016 Rules.  As per the Central Pollution Control Board, authorisation is a tool to capture the information regarding waste management by healthcare facilities as well as the common biomedical waste treatment facilities. The report said the gaps in implementation of 2016 Rules exist because of a lack of awareness at the district level, lack of segregation of waste within the healthcare facility and non-segregation of household waste from biomedical waste by local bodies.Manish Kumar, media in-charge, state environment department, told 101Reporters that the department has been regularly spreading awareness about biomedical waste. "I cannot do anything more than this," he asserted.  Last November, the BSPCB sent closure notices to 1,800 health centres that failed to follow the prescribed standards under the 2016 Rules. 101Reporters asked more than 30 chemist shops in Bina, Ekma and Laukaha panchayats of Supaul about the rules, but only three were aware of them. "A municipality vehicle comes and takes away the garbage from our place. Many doctors also pay money for this," informed Pawan Kumar Jha, a compounder at the clinic of Dr DK Yadav in Supaul. A medical representative in Supaul, on condition of anonymity, said that biomedical waste generated in Supaul was mostly thrown on a private plot located near the railway station. “Vehicles for waste collection are sent only to registered doctors. All others just throw it anywhere. Since the municipal solid waste is mostly thrown near the railway lines, biomedical waste also ends up going there. However, there is still a little awareness in cities. In villages, people do not even consider biomedical waste any different from municipal waste,” he said.However, the local civic body denied that biomedical waste was ending up near the railway station. “Only regular garbage of the town is thrown near the railway line as of now. Biomedical waste is picked up in a separate vehicle and incinerated. We have already raised a requirement to higher authorities for setting up a waste processing unit. The unit will come up as soon as land is made available. And even municipal waste will not be thrown there then,” Krishna Swaroop, Executive Officer, Supaul Municipal Council, told 101Reporters. Edited by Ravleen KaurCover Photo - Disposal of garbage in Malhad village located near Supaul (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)

Viral infections, expensive fodder make poultry, cattle farming unsustainable in Bihar’s Supaul

Youth move to low-cost duck farming or migrate to other states as shortage of green fodder reduces milk output and contagious diseases kill birds    Supaul, Bihar: "I do not want my children to get into this business ever. They might as well migrate to Delhi or Punjab and take up manual labour jobs rather than rearing animals all day," said Nayanan Yadav (50) of Amaha village in Supaul district of Bihar. He owns more than 10 buffaloes, but earns only Rs 30,000 per month by selling milk to sustain his family of 11.The situation is similar in most of the houses in the village, where people have been abandoning their traditional occupation. Ramshankar Yadav (70) claimed around 40% of the villagers earn a living by selling milk. “It was more than 90% earlier,” he added.  “All our buffaloes are of indigenous breeds. Each one gives two to four litres of milk daily, which we send to the Sudha plant [Bihar's dairy cooperative]. We are paid Rs 50 to 60 per litre, depending on the milk’s quality. We even tried keeping a jersey (crossbred) cow that gives more milk, but she got sick and died. And now, there is no money to buy another," Nayanan lamented, adding that it was easier to migrate.Bihar is the poorest state in the country, with 33.76% of its population living in poverty. There are 82.9% marginal farmers in the state. "We do not own any land. Sometimes, we have to go very far to graze the animals. Earlier, we would graze them on common lands or in other people's fields after harvest. But now people do not allow it," Nayanan said. “Due to last year’s drought, a 25 kg sack of straw began to cost over Rs 200 to 250 against the earlier Rs 100. Half of the farmers in our village own jersey cows. But they get ill frequently, so people are turning back to indigenous breeds of cows and buffaloes," Ramshankar added. According to state animal and fisheries resources department’s 2022-23 annual report, Bihar has the fourth largest number of cattle at 1.54 crore and the fifth largest number of buffaloes at 77.19 lakh. The report said 132.13 lakh cattle have been vaccinated against foot and mouth disease in the 2022-23 fiscal. So far, 168.89 lakh cattle have been vaccinated against haemorrhagic septicemia and black quarter in a drive that began in October last year.  Nayan Yadav of Amha village in Supaul district of Bihar has more than 10 buffaloes (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)Fodder mismatchDepending on milk yield and body weight, a crossbred cow needs four to five kg of green fodder and seven to eight kg of dry fodder every day. A buffalo requires more. That apart, 100 kg of readymade cattle feed costing Rs 2,500 should be fed to milch cows every month.“Wheat straw costs Rs 500 per quintal (100 kg) normally. It touches Rs 1,000 to 1,500, if there is a shortage,” said Basant Yadav, a dairy farmer in the state capital Patna.Green fodder is difficult to procure as village common lands get encroached, especially in peri-urban areas. “My brother is a dairy farmer in our village, but even he cannot afford to grow green fodder now. The small amount of land he has is used to grow vegetables,” said Basant.Dairy farmers thus resort to giving excess dry fodder, which leads to nutrition deficiency in milch animals and increased susceptibility to diseases. The problem is drastic in crossbred cows as they require more care.“People buy crossbred cows at exorbitant prices. If they give 15 litres of milk daily, they require more feed too. Additionally, they have low immunity in the tropical environments as they originally belonged to cold countries. However, marginal farmers cannot afford coolers and blowers in summers,” Dr Uday Kumar, Secretary, Bihar Veterinary Association, told 101Reporters.“Initially, the cow gives milk but slowly due to nutritional deficiency, it falls ill, shows low fertility issues and sometimes even die,” he said, while emphasising that adequate green fodder is the only solution. “Green fodder has more nutrients and is cheaper to procure. A kg of dry fodder costs Rs 12, but growing green fodder costs less than Rs 1,” he said.“The National Dairy Development Board has come up with ideas like growing green fodder in off-season and making silage, growing moringa trees on the edges of the field and using its leaves for fodder. But what needs to change is people's attitude. If they want to earn out of dairy, they will have to adapt,” emphasised Kumar. A jersey cow costs Rs 70,000 and a buffalo Rs 1 lakh. "How can a labourer surviving on Rs 100 to 200 buy them when even big farmers are scared of taking the risk. On top of that, Lumpy Skin Disease, Brucellosis and mumps have become common,” said Arun Kumar Jha, who worked with the state agriculture department for 30 years. “The Central government's Livestock Insurance Scheme has been in place since 2014, but villagers are mostly unaware. Thanks to low publicity, only 5% farmers in villages get any relief from the government,” he added.Under the Samagra Gavya Vikas Yojana, the government gives a subsidy of over Rs 2 lakh to establish a dairy of two to four milch cattle. Extremely backward classes and scheduled castes and tribes get 75% subsidy. But the benefits hardly reached dairy farmers. “This is a sham. The bank staff and government officials collude with the beneficiary. Cattle is bought only on paper and the money is distributed among all,” said Praveen Kumar Jha, a former district agricultural officer of Supaul.According to the animal and fisheries resources department, milk production in Bihar increased from 92.41 lakh tonnes in 2017-18 to 121.19 lakh tonnes in 2021-22. The number of cows, buffaloes, goats and poultry birds also rose during the same period.If a farmer musters up courage to invest in the dairy business or takes loans, he becomes hopeless within a year because of the expenses incurred on fodder and medicines. “Profits come in only after three years, when the cow delivers a calf that can be sold further. However, only affluent farmers can wait that long,” said Praveen.A poultry shed in a village of Supaul district (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)No respite for poultry segment Neeraj has 3,500 chickens in his poultry farm in Sundarpur. He earns Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per month. “By village standards, this earning is enough and way better than agriculture. But a lot of money is spent on medicines too,” said Neeraj. Sanjay Paswan of Pipra Khurd panchayat has been running a poultry farm for six years. In April last year, bird flu spread and his 400 chickens were culled. The government gave a compensation eight months later at a low rate of Rs 90 for an adult bird and Rs 20 for a chick. “Once or twice a year, bird flu spreads and the authorities come to kill the birds. I only rear a few birds now so that the loss is not heavy. If the business dies now, I do not have the capital to set it up again,” said Paswan. Apart from bird flu, Ranikhet disease, Marek's disease, fowlpox and Gumboro afflict poultry birds. “The government organises training programmes, but many entrepreneurs enter the business with no prior training. There are so many diseases in birds now that people do not understand them initially and by the time they do, most birds are dead. This is a big reason for losses in the poultry business,” said Neeraj. Retail business at meat shops has suffered too, affecting the backend. This monsoon, Jaibar Miyan, a meat shop owner in Patna, had to shut shop for two months. “Earlier, the shop would be closed only during deepavali and chhath puja. Now, people from various organisations instruct in advance that the shops should remain closed on festivals. Business is not even 30% of the normal from July to November. We sell about 1,500 chickens per day normally. During festivals, even 500 is good enough,” he said. Duck farming promisingPappu Kumar (35) finished engineering course and launched duck farming at Sakra Paharpur in Supaul's neighbouring Saharsa district. “South Bihar has many duck farms. I bought my initial batch from there. I have 1,000 ducks at present. I am getting about 50% return as of now and plan to take it to a bigger level,” Pappu told 101Reporters over a phone call.Duck rearing in Saharsa district (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)Ducks are hardier and rearing them requires only a small piece of land to make a pond. This land is usually taken on lease. “I had a chicken farm earlier. As there was no profit, I started rearing ducks last year. I have 250 ducks now and the daily expense is Rs 500,” said Vipul  Kumar (26), a duck farmer in Patna. The ducks survive mostly on worms and fish in the pond and no special arrangements are needed in winters. Each female duck gives around 250 eggs every year, which sell at a good price. “We only have to ensure that animals do not pick them and there is no theft. If the government decides to promote duck farming, it has a lot of potential,” Vipul added. Edited by Ravleen KaurCover Photo - Pappu Kumar from Supaul district is making a living by rearing ducks in his village after completing his B.Tech (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)

Ranked ‘High Achiever’ in household tap connection coverage, Jamui district forced to buy drinking water

Contaminated groundwater and non-functional taps mire an ambitious drinking water supply scheme in BiharJamui, Bihar: Bablu Kumar (35) stays in the Railway Colony of Gangra village in Bihar’s Jamui district. He buys drinking water at the rate of Rs 20 for a 20-litre bottle. “We need at least two bottles a day. Of the 1,000 households in the Colony, about 700 buy water while the rest draw drinking water from a hand pump. Work for the tap water scheme started in our ward in 2019 but it is still incomplete,” said Kumar. Four concrete pillars on which a water storage tank was to be placed stand testimony to an unfulfilled dream of tap water supply in Ward No.1, where Bablu lives. The tank, pipeline connection to households and taps still remain."I did not have the documents of the scheme under which the project came. Now that I have acquired them, we have complained to the officials about the incomplete work. Hopefully, the matter will be resolved soon," said Mahesh Majhi, a member of Ward No.1. A ward member is the official in charge at the ward level of implementing the Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal Yojana (HGNJY) the tap water supply scheme of Bihar. In April this year, Jamui district, located on the Bihar-Jharkhand border, got an award in the half-yearly Jal Jeevan Survekshan-2023 (JJS) of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Central Ministry of Jal Shakti. The district was ranked third in the “High Achievers” category meaning it has achieved 75-100% tap water connections. This is second only to 'Frontrunners' a category of districts that have achieved 100% connections. The state Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) had put up a social media post on Facebook about the award on July 6.The JJS ranking is based on indicators like the percentage of households receiving more than 55 litres of water per person per day, potability and regularity parameters, source sustainability, chlorination, user charges and grievance redressal system. The two components of the assessment are self-reporting by districts on these standards and vetting by an independent agency to check the functionality of tap water connections. "Jamui falls in the category of aspirational districts — those defined by poor socio-economic indicators. Despite that, it performed well on the JJS. Hence, the award. However, if we compare with other districts in Bihar, not much work has happened in Jamui under the HGNJY scheme," said Ashok Kumar, Chief Engineer cum Special Secretary of the PHED department at Patna, the state capital.HGNJY is Bihar’s own scheme, separate from the Central Government’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). It was launched on September 27, 2016, and promised water supply thrice a day for two hours each. HGNJY aimed at providing tap connections to the whole state by March 2020. Till 2021, Bihar's HGNJY had achieved 152.16 lakh tap connections as compared to 8.44 lakh connections under JJM and 2.32 lakh connections through the National Rural Drinking Water Programme. According to a source in the PHED, two lakh households still await connection. Four km away from Ghangra is Patsanda village. Sanjay Majhi (50) says that his locality, Musahari Tola, is home to about 1,500 people but is still not connected via HGNJY. They are dependent on two handpumps installed by the state government in 2015 for drinking water. “The groundwater in Patsanda has high iron content so the handpumps are of no use. We have complained to the Mukhiya (village head) and government officials many times, but to no avail," said Majhi. Of the 13 wards in Patsanda, three are not yet connected to the scheme.Water being wasted at Patsanda as there is no tap attached (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)"But even in the wards that are connected, very few people drink tap water because it has not been filtered for years and the taps are broken in many places. They only use it for washing clothes,” said Majhi. “Biru Majhi, the ward member in Musahari Tola went to jail on minor charges and the work could not begin due to that,” says Anjani Singh, the Mukhiya (head) of Patsanda village. Though the Mukhiya and Gram Panchayat can exert pressure on the ward member, nothing was done in the case of Musahari Tola. Four years ago, Jamuni village in Chakai Panchayat of the district got an overhead water tank and taps in every household under HGNJY. “A large amount was spent on the tank, pipelines and taps but it has been a year now since these taps dried up. We have lodged complaints to officers at all levels of the administration but to no avail,” says  Bharat Sharma, a resident of Jamuni. Under the scheme, groundwater is extracted from a source near the village and a reverse osmosis filtration system is installed over it. The filtered water is pumped to an overhead tank and piped to individual households.“I don't see how Jamui's situation is better than any other district in Bihar. The scheme has either not reached villages and wherever it has reached, the taps and pipelines are lying damaged or closed. One will hardly find any village where the HGNJY is running well,” says Rahul Kumar, a resident of Jamui and a local journalist. “In the whole of Bihar, in fact, water supplied from the HGNJY is only used for washing clothes. If the scheme was working well, people would not have had to buy drinking water,” he says. Numerous water purification plants have mushroomed all over the state and are minting good money. Middle-income families can afford to buy water but poor households have to depend on handpumps, added Kumar.(Above) Incompletely installed water tank (below) a group of women from Musahari Tola (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)101Reporters found that even in villages connected with tap water under the scheme, either the pipeline is broken or the taps, leading to wastage of water. “HGNJY is full of corruption. It is well-known that contractors use bad-quality pipes and there is no coordination between them and ward members who are incharge of implementing the scheme on the ground. Wherever work has actually happened, it has not been followed up efficiently,” says Amlesh Jha, a Right to Information activist from Patna. In 2022, a news report published in the Hindi Daily Dainik Bhasker said 70% of the work done under the HGNJY in 10 blocks of Jamui is lying shut.Scarce groundwater creates a catch-22 situation Low groundwater level leads to contamination. Even as tap water supply is crucial in such areas, it is difficult to implement it there at the same time because water is sourced from underground aquifers only. The state Government’s Minor Water Resources Department which covers ponds and canals says that Jamui is one of the five districts where groundwater is lowest. In 2020, water was available at 11.28 meters before the monsoon and 7.35 meters after the monsoon. Whereas in 2021, water was available at 9.9 meters before the monsoon and 6.03 meters after the monsoon. Also, Jamui is one of the 11 districts in Bihar with high fluoride content in groundwater.“Arsenic is also being found in groundwater now,” said Gyan Chandra Gyani, an environmentalist from the neighbouring district of Bhagalpur. “Jamui is a hilly region. That's the reason the groundwater level there is low," said Gyani. There are 5-6 rivulets apart from Kiyul and Ulai, the main rivers in the district but they mostly run dry apart from monsoon."Groundwater is used for agriculture apart from drinking water and other needs. In such circumstances, if the water under the HGNJY is wasted due to broken taps or pipes, it is a grave misuse of such a precious resource. The PHED department is doing an appreciable job in trying to provide drinking water to areas with high contamination but they should look into this problem urgently and focus on an efficient filtration system," says Eklavya Prasad, founder of Megh Pyne Abhiyan, a non-profit working on water issues in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. 101Reporters called the District Development Council, Jamui, in charge of implementing HGNJY in the district, several times but did not get a response. An official from the Patna PHED office says on conditions of anonymity that till now, the HGNJY was being run by three agencies- PHED, Panchayati Raj and the Urban Development and Housing Department of the state. “Lack of coordination between the three departments led to problems. There were also litigation issues between ward members and contractors that delayed the process. However, in May 2023, the state government decided to hand over the scheme entirely to PHED. Things should improve now,” he says.Edited by Ravleen KaurCover Photo - Water collected from hand pump at Musahari Tola (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)

In Bihar’s Supaul, road to development is strewn with loss of livelihood

Farmers seek land for land as they have already lost agricultural plots to a railway line three years ago and are unable to buy new plots due to the poor compensation offered Supaul, Bihar: “We grow only wheat and paddy here and they require good space. Who can cultivate on such small patches,” asked Gopal Mahato (50). A resident of Kataia Mahe Panchayat in Pipra block of Bihar’s Supaul district, Gopal’s land was first acquired for building Supaul-Araria railway line almost three years ago. Of the total 80 kathas he owned, the rail line split 10.5 kathas (7,200 sq ft) into two parts. The government took approximately 2.50 kathas, and left 3 kathas and 5 kathas on either side of the rail line.Gopal got a compensation of Rs 2.75 lakh (Rs 1.1 lakh per katha), which was way below the actual land price of the area. He later managed to sell 5 kathas to two villagers for Rs 2 lakh per katha.“Now a road is coming up, just half a km away from the railway line. It will again cut up my 3 kathas. But this time, we will not budge. We need land in exchange for land,” he said.Gopal is adamant because 40 out of his total 80 kathas are flood prone, and hence unsuitable for cultivation. After losing land to railway acquisition, he has only around 30 kathas (32 kathas is one acre) at his disposal. From 10 kathas, he used to make around Rs 35,000 per year. With this amount gone, he is struggling to meet the needs of his family of five, including wife, two sons and mother. One of his sons takes up small electrical jobs, while the other is still studying. A bumpy rideThe Union Cabinet approved the four-lane NH 327E Greenfield Highway connecting Araria and Parsarma under the Bharatmala Pariyojana in 2017. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) okayed the 105-km roadworks in April last year.It is expected to reduce the travel time to West Bengal by 80 km and will benefit the people of Araria, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Madhepura and Supaul districts. However, farmers in Gidrahi, Jolhaniya and Thumha villages of Kataia Mahe panchayat have opposed the move. To register their discontentment, they convened a mahapanchayat on May 11 and decided to seek either land in exchange for land or compensation in accordance with the market rate.Local journalist Vimalendu Singh informed that the villagers of ward no 7 and 8 of Triveniganj Municipal Council in the district are also against the road project. At present, the revenue and land reforms department is conducting aerial surveys to mark the required land. Once completed, the government will decide the compensation amount. However, farmers maintained that the compensation rate would be at least Rs 80,000 less per katha than the market price. “After the railway acquisition, about 20 farmers in our area were forced to work as labourers. The line split up their fields. As the leftover pieces were not fit for cultivation, they had no option but to sell them to the owners of adjacent plots,” former sarpanch of Kataia Mahe panchayat Mohammad Jehangir told 101Reporters.He warned that if the highway project took off, then half of the villagers would have to leave farming. “It is only fair that farmers get a farm for a farm and a house for a house,” he added.Mohammad Rustum of Jolhaniya lost 20 kathas to the railway project. “I run a paan shop from a rented premise. There was no need to buy rice or wheat when I owned land. Now, at least Rs 40,000 has to be spent every year on that. The compensation I received was enough to buy only 13 kathas. So I deposited it in the bank,” said Rustum, whose family has six members.A mango orchard in Jolhaniya village which is due to be razed down for the four-lane project (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters)“As many as 15,000 people will be affected by the road project. The compensation money will run out, but people will not have a steady income. They will not be able to afford a farm or build a house with this meagre compensation. Either they should change the route or give us land in exchange,” said Naveen Kumar, a representative of the mukhiya (panchayat head) of Kataia Mahe.Supaul is also known for its mango, kadam (burflower tree) and sakhua (sal) plantations. One katha usually has around eight mango trees, which can fetch Rs 60,000 annually. The mangoes produced here are sold in Uttar Pradesh and Nepal also. Farmers are upset that the government compensation will only take the land into consideration, and not the plantations.  The sorrow of developmentMany national highways, including NH 106, NH 327A and NH 527A, already criss-cross Supaul district. According to the State Economic Survey 2021-22, Supaul district witnessed the highest number of rural roadworks in the Kosi Commissionerate area (Supaul, Saharsa and Madhepura) with the construction of 591 km of district road network and 3,161 km of rural road network starting September 2020. It also said forest area spread over 1,603.80 hectares were diverted in the preceding five years for various projects.According to social worker Anand Jha, about 40% men in Supaul district work outside Bihar. “If we look at the district closely, 30% area of the district is affected by floods, while the rest 70% has witnessed rapid development,” said Jha, who works for Gramyasheel, an NGO engaged in development and sustainable livelihood activities in flood-hit areas of Bihar.While announcing the NH 327E, State Energy Minister and Supaul MLA Bijendra Prasad Yadav had tweeted, “We have added a new dimension to the development cycle.” However, according to a study by the International Institute for Population Studies, half of Bihar’s population migrated at some point of time in search of jobs.Lawyer Chandra Nath Jha said farmers were against this “dimension of development”. “There is no industry and business in the area other than agriculture. It is the only source of income for many families. In such a situation, you have to understand what taking away land will do to this place. Villagers will have no option but to migrate. Now itself, most of the people from the district are earning their income from Delhi and Punjab only.”BJP Yuva Morcha district president Prakash Jha defended the road development works, saying it will prove to be a boon for the region. At the same time, he regretted that thousands of bighas of fertile land were being wasted.Praveen Mandal of Kataia Mahe put forth his demand very clearly. “The government should change the route. The railway line passes north of Supaul-Pipra national highway. If this road was planned south of the highway, farmers of this area would have been spared. They are already affected by the earlier acquisition,” he said.  Protests against the four-lane project at the local school grounds in Kataia Mahe Panchayat in May (Photo - Naveen Kumar, 101Reporters) Murmurs of better compensationAccording to a social media post from Supaul district administration, a review meeting was held on May 9 under the chairmanship of Bihar Chief Secretary Amir Subhani to discuss how land acquisition was affecting the progress of some railway projects in Bihar. However, there was no word on the farmers’ protest over land acquisition for road construction.Asked how the government would deal with the protest, Supaul District Settlement Officer Bharat Bhushan Prasad told 101Reporters, “I can only talk about the land survey. You have to contact the additional district magistrate to learn more about the protest.”When contacted, ADM Vidhubhushan Chaudhary refused to comment. Meanwhile, Ravindra Kumar Chawpal, Circle Officer, Pipra block, admitted that the administration was aware of the protests. “That is why there is a talk within the administration on giving more compensation as per the demand of the villagers. As per the government rules, the landowner has to pay four times the price. We are trying to complete the land acquisition as soon as possible, but we cannot tell when it will be completed."Edited by Tanya ShrivastavaCover photo - Work underway on the Supaul-Araria railway line (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav, 101Reporters) 

In Bihar, tobacco crop is injurious to farmers’ health

There is neither a blanket ban on tobacco due to political compulsions nor a compensatory mechanism, even as the risk of crop failure remains highPatna, Bihar: Bihar’s love for khaini is so famous that even former chief minister Lalu Prasad could often be seen chewing it in public. In a way, finding favour with the political class saved this sun-dried/fermented version of tobacco from the ban imposed in the state on other addictive substances such as liquor, gutka and pan masala.Traditionally, a user prepares khaini by placing coarsely cut tobacco leaves in the palm along with slaked lime and then rubs the ingredients thoroughly with the thumb. It is also commercially available in sachets, with spices and liquorice added to make it more appealing.In Bihar, Vaishali and Alipur are the main production centres of khaini, while Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Sitamarhi also contribute. Sarairanjan and Ujiarpur blocks in Samastipur district are famous for saraisa khaini, which is of high quality due to the region's favourable climate. The product has a niche market, much bigger than that of cigarette or bidi.Khaini has the least tax in the state among all tobacco products, though it has high nicotine content as in cigarette or gutka. While Goods and Services Tax (GST) reverse charge of 5% is applicable on tobacco leaves, other tobacco products have 28% GST. The silent acceptance of khaini and double standards in taxation stem mainly from the political dominance and connections of the Koeri-Mahtos, a backward caste with huge stakes in tobacco cultivation and allied businesses in Bihar.At the same time, the government does not compensate tobacco farmers in the event of crop loss or promote any scheme on this front to keep its image clean. Consequently, the farmers are left to fend for themselves, come rain or shine. Yet, many continue to cultivate tobacco due to the high profit margins a good crop year can offer. Bihar is the fifth largest producer of tobacco in the country, preceded by Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. The state produced 18.030 thousand tonnes of tobacco in 2020 compared with 18.930 thousand tonnes in 2019. Though there is a decline in production, previous years have also seen similar fluctuations. Production was at an all-time high of 23.010 thousand tonnes in 2014, before plunging to 15.810 thousand tonnes in 2017. In the subsequent years, it has hovered around 18-19 thousand tonnes.Bihar is the fifth largest producer of tobacco in the country, preceded by Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka  (Photo - Ashutosh Thakur, 101Reporters)Why farmers stay putTobacco produced in Bihar is mostly made into khaini. In 2014, when Jitan Ram Manjhi was the chief minister, tax on tobacco products barring khaini and bidi was doubled from 30% to 60%.According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey-Second Round (GATS-2), smokeless tobacco use (21.4%) is twice that of smoking (10.7%) in the country, with 85% (18.2% of all adults) of users consuming it every day. In GATS-1 (2009-10), smokeless tobacco users were 26% of the population against smokers who formed 14%.According to GATS-2 Bihar data, 23.5% preferred smokeless tobacco, with 20.4% using khaini. In GATS-1, the numbers were 48.7% and 27.6%, respectively. It shows that despite the reduction in tobacco use, khaini still holds a major share in the smokeless category, which is one of the reasons why farmers still cultivate the crop. “Tobacco is a drought-tolerant, hardy and short-duration crop. It has a good advantage over paddy and wheat,” Professor Subodh Kumar Jha of Lalit Narayan Sansthan in Muzaffarpur told 101Reporters.If wheat is cultivated, a farmer is likely to get a maximum yield of eight to 10 quintals from one bigha land (one bigha equals 20 kathas; one acre equals 32 kathas). Despite last year's drought, Nishant Thakur of Mirzapur in Samastipur’s Kalyanpur block harvested 40 quintals of wheat from his four bighas of land. As wheat was sold in Bihar for Rs 2,000 per quintal last year, he made around Rs 80,000. After subtracting the expenses, his profit stood around Rs 55,000-60,000.At the same time, Aditya Chaudhary of Mirzapur cultivated tobacco in just one-and-a-half bighas and got 10 quintals. He sold it to the trader for Rs 86,000. After covering all expenses, he made a profit of around Rs 45,000. When cultivation in four bighas was required to make a profit of above Rs 55,000 in wheat, tobacco farmer could make above Rs 40,000 from just one-and-a-half bighas.“Being a cash crop, tobacco’s profit margin is decent and the trade is strictly based on quality. The yield fluctuates. Some fields may give 20 kg from one katha, while some others may yield even 40 kg. The harvested raw tobacco can be priced anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 30,000 per quintal, depending on the quality,” Arvind Mishra, who works as state agriculture department’s coordinator in Saharsa, told 101Reporters.If the quality is poor, businessmen give only very low prices for raw tobacco. Farmers bear the loss in such cases because preparing products from raw leaves is a cumbersome task, though it can fetch more money. “Tobacco crop needs constant care, and involves a lot of work. Preparing khaini in households is also a laborious process. Even a slight mistake can ruin its quality and cause discolouration,” Mishra explained.Planting happens in September and the crop is harvested in January-February. For improving leaf size and quality, the plant’s flower head is removed (topping) and the growth of axillary shoots (suckers) is controlled. Both these time-consuming tasks are done manually.The process of turning the yield into market-ready products takes at least five months. The cut leaves should be dried several times. While good quality material goes into khaini, poor quality leaves are stuffed into cigarettes. The stems of the leaves go into gutka.According to Mishra, khaini from Hajipur and Samastipur is of better quality than any other region because the farmers there have been cultivating only tobacco for years. However, Kisan Union-Samastipur leader Ramashray Mahto claimed the cultivation has decreased in Samastipur district, though about 20,000 hectares have tobacco on it.  “In our village, tobacco farming has been passed down through generations. This is the only cultivation we know. Local MLAs promise to help us, but the government does not. In fact, a faction within the government opposes the idea of giving any kind of relief to us. Right now, the tobacco purchased from Bihar is sold in other states,” said Bipul Thakur, a graduate in his mid-30s engaged in tobacco cultivation in 100 kathas in Muzaffarpur district.(Left) Surendra Prasad Thakur from Mirzapur quit cultivating tobacco after devastating losses from flooding in 2017. Many other cultivators in his village have also quit, he says (Photo - Ashutosh Thakur, 101Reporters)Problems aplenty“There is no benefit in tobacco farming when we consider the risk and uncertainty. We cultivate it only when we manage to make more money out of wheat/paddy crop,” claimed Shambhu Mahto, who prepared khaini from his crop on two bighas of land in Sarairanjan block last time. He spent Rs 80,000 on cultivation and turned raw leaves into khaini, hoping for a better price. But what traders had offered him was just Rs 10,000 to 15,000 more than his expenses.“Rain is more dangerous to this crop than anything else,” Shambhu spoke from his experience. Surendra Prasad Thakur (60) of Mirzapur could not agree more. “I lost a minimum of Rs 2 lakh when tobacco on my five bigha farm was destroyed in the 2017 floods. After that, I switched to vegetable farming. Over 50 people used to cultivate tobacco in my village, now only a few are there.”Last year, drought hit them hard. "We had to pay Rs 150 per hour to get water using private pumpsets. Five to seven hours of irrigation was required for one katha land, which means a minimum of Rs 750 was spent on water alone. Yet, the tobacco quality was poor due to dryness,” Shambhu explained.Apart from droughts and floods, there are challenges like rampaging nilgais and fungal diseases to tackle. “Farmers try to make up for the losses by applying more fertilisers and chemical pesticides during the next crop cycle, which deteriorates the land quality,” said Tanu Priya, a student of Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University in Pusa.However, farmers felt that government apathy hurt them more. “After several reports on the high level of tobacco consumption in the state, the government stopped paying attention to us even more. As the farmers’ unions are also weak, middlemen grab our produce for extremely low prices and sell it at very high rates,” Nishant said.Ramashray agreed that tobacco farmers were victims of politics. “Neither the government bans tobacco nor helps its cultivators. Last year’s drought is a good example. If the government is ready to at least compensate for the losses incurred, farmers would not have to migrate to Delhi or Punjab for work.”Reacting to this, an official on condition of anonymity said, "How can the government support its farming when tobacco causes cancer to millions of people? There should be an alternative to tobacco farming." People of Bihar term khaini as buddhivardhak churna (a brain booster mixture). However, no amount of whitewashing or endorsements by celebrities and politicians can improve its reputation. It is high time farmers are weaned away from tobacco cultivation and introduced to ethically correct crops.   Cover photo - According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 23.5% of tobacco users in Bihar preferred smokeless tobacco, with 20.4% using khaini (Photo - Ashutosh Thakur, 101Reporters)Edited by Rekha Pulinnoli

Bihar village dumps overhead electric lines, diverts road route for the sake of garudas

Luck shines on Greater Adjutant Storks, classified as 'endangered'  in the IUCN Red List, as people of Kadwa Diyara in Bihar's Bhagalpur district join conservation efforts after gentle coaxing by an environmentalistBhagalpur, Bihar: Local wildlife conservationist Arvind Mishra saw a Greater Adjutant Stork for the first time during his visit to the wetlands of Kadwa Diyara in Bhagalpur district of Bihar in October 2006. That was the beginning of his long-term association with the migratory bird.“Till then, I had only seen its smaller species, the Lesser Adjutant,” Mishra, who has since turned into a conservationist of the Greater Adjutant, told 101Reporters.Around 100 of them could be seen across four to five districts of Bihar until 2007. Their main breeding spot was Kadwa Diyara, located 250 km from State capital Patna. “But just as in other Asian countries, their numbers started to dwindle, which set alarm bells ringing for us,” noted Mishra, also the state coordinator of the Indian Bird Conservation Network.He launched conservation efforts through his Mandar Nature Club, but ensuring community participation was key to his success. That was quite a challenging aspect as the bird, commonly known as garuda in the region, was not popular among the people.The bird’s above-five-foot frame, its grunt, balding looks, the enormous amounts of poop it generated, and the damage it caused to the crops worked against it. Moreover, it was an easy target for hunters due to its big size.But Mishra and the team were determined to make people understand that the garuda is an endangered species. It is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species and is also listed under Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. At present, the bird is found only in Cambodia, Assam and Bhagalpur.The bird's large frame (making it easy prey for hunters), strange look and sound, and disruptive habits make it a particularly hard species to conserve (Photo sourced by Rahul Kumar Gaurav)With consistent efforts, the number of Greater Adjutants in Bihar has increased to nearly 700 in 2019 from just 75-80 in 2006, according to Mishra. The latest numbers will be known in February 2023.Apart from Kadwa Diyara panchayat, Ashram Tola, Kasimpur, Lakhminiya, Bagri Tola and Pratapnagar in neighbouring Khairpur panchayat have a sizeable population of garudas. Its smaller species are found in other areas.Awareness drives changeInitially, Mandar Nature Club worked with people in various panchayats to create awareness about the bird. “I set up chaupals to connect villagers with the issue. We felicitated people who joined the conservation activities. ‘Garuda Saviours’ and ‘Garuda Guardians’ were designated through such efforts, which later made the village synonymous with the bird’s conservation,” Mishra said.Gyan Chandra Gyani, an environmentalist in Bhagalpur district, told 101Reporters that the environment and availability of food and water made Kadwa Diyara an ideal home for garudas. “We are seeing a constant increase in their numbers, thanks to the villagers who not only serve them but also protect them from hunters, electric wires and other threats.”Kadwa Diyara native and veterinarian Nagina Rai attested to the villagers’ zeal for conservation. “Until two years ago, deaths of garudas after coming into contact with high voltage cables were common. However, public protests forced authorities to adopt underground cables.” She credits the contribution of Dipak Kumar Singh, the then-Principal Secretary of the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Department, who worked very hard to make this happen.(Above) Rajeev Kumar, a local veterinarian from Kadwa Diyara (Photo - Rahul Kumar Gaurav); (Below) A local, Jaynandan, being honoured for the conservation work at Bhagalpur Bird Festival (Photo - Satyam Kumar)In 2018, when a four-lane road construction began, the villagers opposed cutting down banyan trees, a favourite nesting spot of garudas. The course of the road was changed to protect the trees. Rai informed 101Reporters that villagers also protect burflower trees, another popular nesting place of garudas. “Most of the people here are farmers. Though they collect wood from their ‘bageechas’ for personal use, they cut the trees down only under compelling circumstances because they want to ensure that garudas do not face an issue in building their nests.”  What is more, the villagers these days do not hesitate to give first aid to the birds in distress as they have received training in this regard.Dr Rajiv Kumar, a resident doctor associated with Mandar Nature Club, told 101Reporters that poachers used to target the migratory birds that occupy the wetlands from October to February. Several nomadic tribes have the habit of consuming garuda eggs, too. So the villagers came together and restricted their entry into the village and informed the administration if they spotted any suspicious individuals or groups in their area. A new identityThe Greater Adjutant has transformed Kadwa Diyara in many ways. “People initially complained that the large bird dirtied the area with its droppings and damaged their crops. Hence, they destroyed garuda nests by cutting down trees. Later, they learnt that garudas could protect their crops from rats. They also noticed that incidents of snakebites have come down, as garudas eat snakes, all of which gave the bird a new identity,” Dr Kumar said.Ornithologist Arvind Mishra with a tour group of school children visiting Kadwa Diyara (Photo sourced from Arvind Mishra)Shyamsundar gave a glimpse into how the village flourished after it became associated with the bird. “Garuda has made us famous. Tourists now flock here. Around 25 new shops have come up. A shopkeeper can earn approximately Rs 5,000 per month from October to February. This gives us an extra income other than what we gain from agriculture. Today, garuda is a symbol of our village’s development,” he said.Sunita (32) added that schoolchildren, people from other villages, and even a few foreigners, environmental officials and scientists come to see the village every year. Satyam Kumar (24) informed that two residents of Kadwa Diyara were feted at the Bhagalpur Bird Festival last year for their garuda conservation effort.Reiterating the benefits, local politician Prashant Kumar Kanhaiya (28) said, “Everyone from all walks of life has contributed to making Kadwa Diyara panchayat a garuda haven. If the government showed some will by supporting those who are treating the birds for free or publicising the conservation efforts beyond the district and the state, things could get even better.” Bhagalpur Divisional Forest Officer Bharat Chintapalli told 101Reporters that the conservation efforts have earned Kadwa Diyara the tag of ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECM), which classifies areas known to promote biodiversity.“The OECM tag helps improve bird conservation efforts in a particular area. We are continuously working to develop garuda nesting spots in areas adjacent to Kadwa Diyara,” Chintapalli added.Cover Photo: Courtesy of Prashant Kumar Kanhaiya Edited by Sharad AkavoorThis article is a part of 101Reporters' series The Promise of Commons. In this series, we explore how judicious management of shared public resources can help the ecosystem as well as the communities inhabiting it.

Corn farmers in Bihar caught in a maze of high input cost, low returns

Erratic weather, increased use of fertilisers, poor purchase mechanism and crop destruction by animals make maize hub Kosi-Seemanchal rethink its crop choice.Katihar, Bihar: The Kosi-Seemanchal region of Bihar is increasingly seeing a shift away from corn cultivation. Once a favourite of farmers, maize production has dropped steadily due to high input cost, climate change and low profit margin.“Maize has good commercial value in the form of popcorn, sweetcorn, cornflakes and chips. Many think we are making a quick buck out of it. However, the reality is only corn from Andhra Pradesh becomes value-added products. Our crop ends up as cattle fodder and bird feed,” explains Girindra Nath Jha, a journalist-turned-farmer.  But why does corn from Bihar fail to qualify? According to Grain Merchants’ Association president Pappu Yadav, exporters are looking for high quality grain, not high quantity of grain. “It is very simple. If they do not get the required quality, they will source the grain from other regions.” The result: farmers do not get a decent price, and hence ditch corn to grow wheat and paddy. Until July 8, maize was sown in only 31.84 lakh hectares in the state as against 41.63 lakh hectares during the same period last year. This means a drop of 23.53%.Located in the northeastern part of Bihar, Kosi-Seemanchal comprises seven districts — Araria, Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul, Purnia, Kishanganj and Katihar. The Gulab Bagh Mandi in Purnia is considered to be the largest maize trading centre internationally. India’s maize exports to neighbouring countries, including nearby Nepal, mostly happen through this mandi.The Bihar mandi system fails to support an adequate minimum support price for the procured maize (Photo: Rahul Kumar Gaurav)“Around 35 bighas of land in our panchayat had maize cultivation in 2005. Now, not even four bighas have the crop in it,” says Pankaj Jha of Ekma panchayat in Supaul district. Corn farmers are forced to keep vigil 24x7, as theft is a big issue, especially at night. “Same is the case with mango cultivation.” Another reason that works against corn is its input cost. “There will be a remarkable increase in yield if more manure and fertiliser are used. That also means high input costs,” Pankaj says. As such, investing in a costly crop during uncertain times — floods and droughts are all part of the game — is a risky business.Rampaging nilgais is another pertinent reason. They eat up the entire corn. “Due to these antelopes, vegetable and maize cultivation has become an enormous task in Kosi region,” he adds.Climate change pops upIf nothing else, fluctuations in weather pattern is the only certainty in Kosi-Seemanchal region. For example, until August 7, the state recorded 389.9mm rainfall, which is below average. Ideally, it should receive at least 657.6 mm.Now compare this with last year’s data. Bihar saw floods in the monsoon season at least four times, with as many as 31 districts getting affected.The Department of Science & Technology’s report titled ‘Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework’ lists Bihar in the ‘high vulnerability’ zone.“Climate change affects north Bihar the most. Maize cultivation needs water and sunshine in large quantities. Over the last few years, maize sowing and harvesting have been delayed by instabilities in weather patterns,” says Arun Kumar Jha, a retired official from Jharkhand Agriculture Department.Selling below MSPSixteen years ago, the Bihar government under Nitish Kumar repealed the Agricultural Produce Market Committee Act, mostly known as mandi system, and replaced it with the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) for procuring food grains from farmers at a Minimum Support Price (MSP).“Last year, the government had listed the MSP for maize at Rs 1,975 per quintal. However, we got only around Rs 1,500 per quintal in private mandis. We earned that much because poultry farms need bird feed. Paddy and wheat farmers are unable to get even that,” laments Harihar Nath Jha, a farmer and retired teacher.  The maize farmers in Kosi-Seemanchal region of Bihar suffer a three-way whack of climate change, high input costs and rampaging animals (Photo: Sourced by Rahul Kumar Gaurav)“In Bihar, selling to the PACS is a long-drawn process. The system is not in place in a regulated manner in all panchayats. The money is credited to the farmer’s account almost five months after the grain is sold. Since most farmers need cash immediately, they opt to sell at private unregulated mandis,” says Subodh Rai, the president of Katarani Chawal Sangh.However, Sanjay Jha, Agriculture Department’s farmer coordinator in Saharsa, differs. “The PACS has improved a lot over the years. Farmers are usually in a hurry. So they sell to private mandis,” he says.According to Kosi Navnirman Manch president Mahendra Yadav, the MSP does not concern small landless farmers. “Sharecroppers do not own land. They are into farming to feed their families. They do not care about MSP. If there is a surplus, they sell it locally.”High hopes on ethanol plant In April, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unveiled Bihar’s first grain-based ethanol plant in Purnia. The plant is likely to benefit farmers, especially maize and rice growers, in Purnia and Kosi divisions.“As much as 130 tonne rice husk and 150 tonne maize/rice will be bought from the farmers of Kosi-Seemanchal region for ethanol production in Purnia plant. The IndianOil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum will buy the fuel produced here. A 10-year contract has been signed to this effect,” says Manish Kumar, social media executive, State Department of Industries.Bihar’s first grain-based ethanol plant in Purnia (Photo: Sourced by Rahul Kumar Gaurav)About 20% of ethanol can be combined with petrol, which may bring down fuel prices in the country. Another good thing is that the by-product of ethanol production can still be used as livestock fodder."The daily production capacity of the plant is 65,000 litre. In addition, the plant will provide 27 tonne Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS), which can be sold as animal feed," he informs. "The DDGS production has not begun. But once it is launched, the animal fodder will be sold to livestock rearers to help boost milk production in the state.” Edited by Tanya ShrivastavaThe cover image is of Gulab Bagh mandi in Purnia, Bihar which is considered the maize bowl of the country, sourced by Rahul Kumar Gaurav.

Trouble comes in threes for residents of Kosi's riverbanks in Bihar

Trapped in the vicious cycle of floods, soil erosion and droughts, people in the state perennially lose homes and livelihoods due to the river's shifting course.Supaul, Bihar: Monsoon in Bihar is a bundle of paradoxes. While water-induced soil erosion usurps houses in districts with no rains, heavy downpour and resultant floods wreak havoc in other parts of the state. River Kosi, aptly called the 'Sorrow of Bihar', is the central character in this vicious weather cycle.On an average, the state recorded 75% less rainfall in July, which normally is the time of heavy downpour.Yet, there is no respite from flood-like conditions in areas where it has not rained much. Over 100 houses have been razed since last month in Bela Goth village in Supaul district's Kishanpur block, as the Kosi’s currents breached embankments. It's the same situation in Khai Tola and Musaldanga in Nisndara panchayat, Kishanganj district's Bahadurganj block. Kaharpur and Rangra in Bhagalpur district are equally devastated. In Purnia district’s Amour block, the Parman has breached its banks and entered several homes.“In the Kosi, erosion happens both when the water level is high and when it is receding. With high velocity, the water creates curvature on one bank and deposits sand to the opposite bank. However, when the water is receding, soil erosion happens due to suction force because the saturated pores are no longer saturated,” says Dr Dinesh Chandra Mishra, an IIT-Kharagpur alumnus who has conducted extensive research on the Kosi and penned several books on the subject. Charting a new courseWhy does the Kosi cause devastating erosion and floods that leave thousands of people homeless? The answer lies in the river’s changing course. A tributary of the Ganga, the Kosi flows in higher altitudes, cutting through the Himalayas. By the time it reaches the low-gradient plains of Bihar, millions of tonnes of silt get deposited in the river. Over the years, as the height of the river bed rose due to silt deposition, the Kosi began to chart new routes. The river does seem to have a mind of its own! It has a general tendency to change its course in the western direction. When the volume of water is low, the pace of its flow increases and causes rapid erosion of the sandy soil. Furthermore, the frequent change in the river’s course has changed the soil composition, making the areas along its banks highly prone to erosion. It is estimated that in the past 200 years, the Kosi has changed its direction from east to west in a stretch of 133km. This one's perhaps the most unpredictable river in the world. It flowed near Forbesganj and Purnia in 1731, but entered Murliganj by 1892. Again, in 1922, the river charted a new course through Madhepura. In 1936, it began to flow through Saharsa and Darbhanga. Such deviations from its natural path lead to flooding of residential and agricultural areas, always making the lives of thousands of people miserable. To tame the river, embankments were constructed along its path, which led to silt deposition in the same course all the time. This, in turn, increased the pressure of breach on embankments. By design, such constructions also made it impossible for water from other places to drain into the Kosi.  Farmers of Bihar face the conceit of drought. Heat and humidity have taken their toll on the paddy transplantation process. (Photos: Rahul Kumar Gaurav)It’s raining misery“If measures to prevent erosion are not taken in time, at least 500 families will be rendered homeless,” warns Chandrashekhar, the founder of Gramyasheel, an NGO working for the development of villages along the Kosi embankments. “Apart from Bela Goth, erosion has intensified in Khokhna Mana Toll, Mozha panchayat and Dubiyahi in Ghogharia panchayat, Kishanpur block. During the floods last year, our team had cited the looming threat of erosion and demanded that measures be taken to prevent it, but in vain,” claims Chandrashekhar, whose NGO was instrumental in relief work during the 2008 Kusaha floods. Sulochana Devi of Bela Goth blames the state government for the murky situation they were in. "Only 10 to 12 families have been allotted resettlement land. The rest live in makeshift houses built on roadsides. Initially, authorities provided dry food items. But now, nobody even visits us,” the 37-year-old tells 101Reporters. All the while, the only word of caution from the State Disaster Management Department was in the form of a tweet on June 24, where it listed out measures to protect rural areas from floods. No data on erosion and floods were made available, and it is hardly surprising when considering the fact that the department had, last year, provided the official figures of the flood-affected when the topic had become obsolete for the media.People have made temporary living arrangements at the roadside after erosion alongside Kosi river (Photo: Ajay Kumar)Farmers hit hardAround 27km from Bela Goth, drought looms large.“It’s monsoon season, yet the fields have developed cracks. Rice plants have turned yellow. We are at the mercy of gods now,” rues Guddu Choudhary of Veena panchayat, where special community pujas for rains were conducted recently.  Bihar is a major producer of paddy, where about 76% of the population is dependent on agriculture. Of its total 79.46 lakh hectares of arable land, rice is cultivated in about 32 lakh hectares, i.e. more than 40%. The state produces about 80 lakh tonnes of paddy annually.Heat and humidity have taken their toll on the paddy transplantation process. According to Bihar Agriculture Department Secretary N Saravana Kumar, only 15% to 20% planting could be completed in the state so far. Moreover, the lack of irrigation facilities has compounded the issue. “Ideally, paddy transplantation should have been completed by now, but fields situated in the upper grounds are not yet covered," says 38-year-old Mukesh Jha of Chakrami panchayat in Bhagalpur. "In the low-lying areas, pump sets are aiding in the process. When planting is delayed, the crop quality and yield gets affected. Last time, urea shortage hit us hard. We don't know when Mahadev will show some mercy." Ponds and micro-catchment systems along the fields have also dried up in many places. Bablu Paswan, a 54-year-old who has cultivated paddy in seven bighas of land in the same village, tells 101Reporters: “The water level has dropped considerably. In some villages, tubewells have dried up. Power supply from the agriculture feeder is also down. Though borewells have been installed under a government scheme, lack of maintenance has rendered them useless.” Bela Goth village of Supaul district after erosion (Photo: Ajay Kumar)Experts speak Shankar Jha, a scientist at the Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University at Pusa in Samastipur, says climate change has greatly impacted monsoons in Bihar. “Where it used to rain for 55 to 60 days some five years ago, it rains only for 45 days now. This is what our university’s study report revealed," he adds.Another agricultural scientist, Anil Jha says the air quickly absorbs the moisture from the Bay of Bengal. This, along with winds from the east and west, lead to turf formation that triggers rains in the surrounding area. “As that has not happened so far, the agricultural sector is suffering. If farmers have to stay ahead of the game, they should not shy away from climate-resilient crop diversification,” he stresses. Edited by Rekha Pulinnoli