Jaipur, Rajasthan – Small and marginal farmers – already waging a daily struggle for survival – are going to suffer the most by climate change which is currently manifesting itself in the state of Rajasthan in India through the abnormalities such as rising temperature, erratic rainfall, shrinking forest cover, food insecurity and dwindling scope for livelihood in agriculture and animal husbandry.
This was the common refrain of the representatives of farmers and peasants from different agro-climatic zones of the state who presented their testimonies at a public hearing on climate change organized at ‘Swaraj’ – the headquarters of the prestigious Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants’ Society (CECOEDECON) in Sitapura Industrial Area on October 5, 2010.
The CECOEDECON Secretary, Mr. Sharad Joshi, said the public hearing was organized as a run-up to the Climate Summit to be held next month at Cancun in Mexico with the objective of drawing the attention of national and international policymakers towards the plight of farmers, livestock owners and small producers at the grassroots levels affected by global warming.
In a unique and interesting manner, the public hearing was conducted in the ambience of a court with adherence to the legal procedure, arguments forwarded by the two sides and pronouncement of a verdict by the jury. More than 150 representatives from different parts of Rajasthan took part in the proceedings, which were attended by researchers, experts, government officers of agriculture, water and animal husbandry departments and representatives of NABARD and the State Livelihood Mission.
Significantly, CECOEDECON – which is one of the few non-government organizations around the world accredited by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – had attended the Climate Summit in Copenhagen in 2009 and will also participate in this year’s global mega-event in Cancun. The participants emphasized the need for formulating a climate protection strategy in Cancun on the basis of experiences at the grassroots.
The five-member jury comprising distinguished experts from different fields heard the testimonies of representatives with the assistance of “lawyers” and “court officials” and delivered a “judgment” after the public hearing. The jury consisted of former judge of Rajasthan High Court, Justice Panachand Jain; retired bureaucrat, Mr. L. C. Gupta; eminent water expert, Prof. M. S. Rathore; professor at Indira Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sansthan, Prof. Anita Brandon; and special correspondent with The Hindu, Mr. Sunny Sebastian.
The jury was unanimous in its finding that the changes in weather, lengthening of summer season and the decreasing livestock were some of the most dangerous consequences of climate change. Several studies and practical experiences have proved that the primary reasons for drastic changes in weather are the harmful human activities in industrial and economic domains.
The jury observed that climate change had posed a serious challenge to food security, livelihoods, agricultural production and ecological balance. The average temperature of earth is constantly increasing because of environmental pollution and declining forest cover. This challenge should be met squarely at both the national and international levels.
Sixty-two-year-old farmer Hanuman Sahay Sharma from Naila, situated 20 km away from Jaipur, said the animal husbandry activities had practically come to naught in his village due to scarcity of water and fodder. The farming of jamun and tomato has stopped in the village following a sharp decline in the ground water level.
Om Prakash of Singhana village in Jhunjhunu district said on the basis of his experience spanning 40 years that agriculture and livestock rearing avocations had been directly affected by global warming. Irregular and unpredictable rains as well as increase in temperature have adversely affected the crop yield.
Several farmers such as Bao Bai Jatav of Suraj Ka Kheda village in Tonk district, 50-year-old Mathura Lal Sahariya of Gesua village in Tonk district, Om Prakash Sharma of Kabida village in Sikar district, Bhaira Ram of tribal-dominated Salumbar tehsil in Udaipur district and Bhogilal Sahariya of Shahbad in Baran district, all underlined the need to protect planet Earth and the precious life on it by serious, sustained and meaningful efforts.
Mr. Devi Singh Bhati, Member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, narrated his experiences vis-à-vis climate change as a subject expert. The CECOEDECON Co-Director, Dr. Alka Awasthi, and Unit Head, Dr. Alok Vyas, spelt out the objectives of holding the public hearing and pointed out that the jury’s findings and the narratives of farmers would be submitted to the policy-makers to help them devise their action plans and strategies in this field crucial for survival of life.
About the Author:
Kalyan Singh Kothari is currently a freelance journalist, accredited by the Government of Rajasthan, Jaipur. A veteran in the field, he has 30 years of experience as reporter/ war correspondent/ content writer/ journalist/ editor for various newspapers and publications, and still continues to work on journalistic assignments for UNICEF-Rajasthan, and various other national and international organizations, contributing developmental grassroots stories and features from Rajasthan.
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