Dear Group Members,
I am working with Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development, western region office at Udaipur
Some of the issues identified in the study are as follows:
· The plantation of jatropha on wastelands, which are
synonymus to commonlands, and degraded forest areas pose threat to fodder availability for cattle and population dependent on livestock; which is incidently section of small and marginal farmers, who cannot fulfill the fodder erquirement from agricultural residue and have to depend on common lands for fodder. Locking the land under Jatropha plantation would shrink the land available as pasture and commonland (already under severe threat from encroachment). Especially in Chattisgarh there have been reports where in platations have taken place on Panchayat/wastelands (that too without consultation of gram sabha with dubious role of panchayat heads raising doubts at govt's initiatives of involving panchayats in allocation of land for plantation).
Can some body from the group help in locating the areas where this has happened and giving contact details of any perosn there, as i would be visiting Chattisgarh from 9-12 of May and intend to document the impact for the study as one of the fallouts of current promotion pattern of jatropha.
· Another issue is contract farming for Jatropha in Tamil Nadu,
where farmers have been initiated to take loans for cropping Jatropha, the questions here are who is guiding them for cropping and harvesting practices, how much is investment coming and what;s the protection form insect or pest attack. Although there are many more issues attached to this particular topic i would be detailing later.
Can some one help in giving any contact which would help in reaching the farmers and examine the ground realities there. Also where particularly this has taken place (geographical area, so as to focus energies in visiting those areas directly). Meeting with D1 oils officials is also in offing on national and international policies of the
company.
This study would be culminating in a workshop in Delhi
I would be helpful if members of the
group can help in this regard.
Kanishk Negi
Programme Officer
WRO, Udaipur
Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development (SPWD)
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