Promotion of Hi-Tech Floriculture in Kalimpong District

                           Kalimpong was carved out of Darjeeling District in the year 2017 to become the 21st District in the State of West Bengal. Situated in the Sub-Himalayan range between two hills, Deolo and Durbin, the region is known for its rich biodiversity. More than 80 % of the inhabitant's livelihood depends on agriculture Despite being one of the highest monsoonal rainfall receiving region, high surface run off has made Kalimpong one of the most water scarce region in the state. With inadequate irrigation facilities and agricultural extension service, Farmers in the area resorts to subsistence farming with an average annual farm return as low as INR 10,000. Average paddy yield in the district is 2 ton/ha which is considered to be lowest in the state.

West Bengal Accelerated Development of Minor Irrigation Project(WBADMIP) has undertaken 40 Minor Irrigation schemes in the districts to channelise water from the perennial springs towards water scarce agricultural lands. These 40 schemes once completed will be operated and managed by the community represented by Water User Associations. To make sure the WUAs maintains inclusion, access and equity in the future, its members are empowered through various capacity building programs on water management as well as exposure tours to the farms of progressive farmers from other WUAs.

Besides the 40 Schemes, Project has also taken up the constructions of five Water Silos that will support 24 Hi Tech Floriculture units on Garbera and Carnation cultivation. The water Silos are pre fabricated steel water storage tank with a capacity of 25,000 litre each. Water from the silos will be delivered through pvc pipes that will feed the drip system fit in each of the 24 polyhouses of size 96 Square meter each.

A Water Silo

A female benificiary

 The climatic conditions in kalimpong makes it congenial for growing a wide variety of highly remunerative flowers like Garbera, Carnation, Orchids, Gladioli, Anthurium etc. Floriculture is not new to kalimpong, rather its a century old tradition. Flowers from Kalimpong has been reaching the western market since long, however lack of adequate infrastructures and most importantly water scarcity halted its pace . The hi tech floriculture unit established under the project will not only provide a source of livelihood for the beneficiaries but also will contribute towards rejuvenating the lucrative floriculture sector in the district which desperately needs some momentum.
                      

Tapping Spring water for irrigation in the Hilly Districts of Bengal

             

Springs are the lifeline for majority of the inhabitants
from Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts

 Springs or more commonly known as Dhara are the major source of water for domestic and irrigation purpose in the hilly districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong. A spring is a point at which water flows from the aquifer to the earth's surface. Springs can be either perennial i.e with continuous flow or seasonal. According to a report published by Central Ground Water Board in the year 2014, Irrigation practices in the higher hills are largely dependent on the springs or streams that is fed by the springs. Despite the fact that the hilly regions gets  adequate rainfall during the monsoon, most of the springs gets dried up due to factors such as high level of surface  runoff, ecological degradation and unsustainable land use management. The high level of surface run off hamper the ground water recharge leaving less water for the dry winter seasons. With the growing impact of burgeoning population as well as climate change, availability of ground water in the springs are getting scarce day by day.

             Agriculture in the hilly districts are mostly rainfed and a large part also is covered by springs. The declining trend in water discharge from these springs has been engulfing the farm economy since long thus triggering off mass migration of rural youths to other cities. 

A desiltation tank under the Surface Flow Minor Irrigation Scheme

WBADMI Project in this regard has undertaken Surface Flow Minor Irrigation Schemes(SFMIS) in the hilly districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong to arrest surface run off from the perennial springs by creating artificial reservoirs to make the water available for irrigation in the nearby agricultural fields. A total of 15 such schemes has been taken up and will be handed over to the Water User Associations for their operation and management. Furthermore, Project has undertaken another 30 schemes in the two districts to rejuvenate the dried up springs with the similar objective of catering the irrigation requirement in the agricultural field. As the construction of these structures are carried out, there are simultaneous process of capacity building programs among the beneficiaries for the adoption of on-farm practices improving water management at community level and also to create opportunity to improve their livelihoods, bring social stability and upscale the agriculture based economy for a prosperous future.

Addressing Elephant Infestation in the Farmland of North Bengal Through Strategic Horticultural Plantations:

             Paddy in Bengal is linked with food security, being the staple food, the Kharif season is almost entirely dominated by paddy cultivation, in many districts this crop is cultivated even during the Rabi(winter) season. More than 80 percent of the farming community in the state are small and marginal farm holders. Farming in rainfed areas with small and marginal land holding has always been challenging. Some of the major challenges are, water scarcity, unavailability of community based institutional framework for operation & management, appropriate technologies, a ready market and last but not the least, climate resilient agriculture. The uncertainties propagated by these challenges has prompted migration of many youths from the rural Bengal towards distant urban cities in search of a better life. In this regard, The World Bank funded West Bengal Accelerated Development of Minor Irrigation Project (WBADMIP) has been able to develop a successful model with its integrated approach on agri water management thus bringing a ray of hope to these economically as well as ecologically disadvantaged rural farmers of the state.

A Female WUA member from Nipania Block, Darjeeling District
 displaying paddy crop destroyed by elephants.

                  While farmers in the WBADMI project areas are leveraging from the incremental benefits catalysed by assured irrigation and appropriate technologies, some of their counterparts are still living with uncertainties. These ill fated farmers are inhabitants  of areas adjoining to the forests and frequently encounter elephant infestations. Despite having assured irrigation and agriculture support services, farmers hasn't been able to leverage much from the project deliverable. The elephants often maraud their cropland and destroy everything .

With the degradation of natural food habitat, the elephants gets tempted to shift towards human habitat in search of food and destroy crops in the process. Their taste buds are also shifting more towards agriculture crops like paddy, maize, vegetables etc. than usual wild trees and shrubs.

Black pepper cultivation in Chenga Basti, Mirik Block, Darjeeling

      Based on consultation with wildlife experts and local communities, Project introduced black pepper as non preferred crops for elephant on pilot basis initially in Darjeeling district. A total number of 8086 black pepper saplings were planted covering 292 farmers from Chenga Basti under Mirik Block with technical support from Central Plantation Crop Research Institute, Mohitnagar, Jalpaiguri in the financial year 2017-18. With a market value of Rs 500/kg, these 8086 plants are expected to generate a cumulative net profit of INR 1.05 Crore ( USD 147000) after three years against an investment of INR 16,17,200( USD 22677).
        Further expanding this initiative, Project is also introducing citrus plantation as a barrier crop in the areas with human elephant conflict . Citrus based plants act as repellent to marauding elephants besides the additional income the fruits generates.