1.12.4. Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI)
Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India, initiated in 2010-11, intends to address the constraints limiting the productivity of 'rice based cropping systems'7 in eastern India comprising seven states, viz. Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The BGREI is a subscheme of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVYJ). The following strategies are being adopted, in general, for maximising productivity and production of crops in the eastern region –
i. In situ water harvesting/conservation through adoption of cultural practices like bed furrow in deep black cotton uplands and flat sowing & ridging later in red soils.
ii. Reclamation of soil salinity through application of gypsum particularly in oilseed crops along with micro-nutrients like zinc, iron & sulphur in deficient soils.
iii. Reclamation of acidic soils through liming/paper mills sludge/application of organic manures/green manures to improve physical condition of the soil
iv. Promotion of Integrated Nutrient Management to ensure balanced use of fertilizers/organic manures/bio-fertilizers.
v. Adoption of soil & water conservation practices namely; summer ploughing, broad bed furrow, compartmental bunding, pre-monsoon sowing and rain water harvesting (Farm ponds) to check soil erosion and recycling runoff.
vi. Enhancement of irrigation Water Use Efficiency through adoption of micro-irrigation system (Sprinkler & Drip).
vii. Promotion of high value crops namely; sweet sorghum, maize, pulses and oilseeds in addition to hybrid rice in the region.
Outcome: Eastern region hitherto known as food deficit region, has with the help of the programme, turned food surplus region. The rice production from the region is estimated at
562.6 lakh tons an increase of 19.8% over last year against an all India increase of 7%. And the foodgrain production from the region is estimated at 1032 tons an increase of 11.9% against an all India increase of 2.2%.
The increased productivity/ production was optimized due to resource allocation and utilization. The significant increase in production of food grains in the region not only offset the decline in production in central and peninsular India but also contributed significantly to the highest ever production of food grains. The growth in food grains i.e. rice and wheat provides an opportunity to procure and create food grain reserves locally reducing the pressure on Punjab and Haryana, and cutting costs on transport and other logistics.
The focus will now be to consolidate the gains with continued emphasis during the 12th Plan. Further steps will be taken to improve the infrastructure for procurement and storage of the produce and to ensure a reasonable price for the farmers.
7 Current focus is on rice and wheat only.
Evergreen Revolution
The architect of the country’s green revolution, M.S. Swaminathan, gave a clarion call for taking up an ‘evergreen revolution’ that “increases productivity in perpetuity without causing any ecological harm and without using chemical inputs”.
“I am against a second green revolution, but I am very much for an evergreen revolution,” he said. Pointing out that a majority of food production comes from farmers with small holdings, he said it was essential to increase their income through higher productivity. But it should be done without harming ecological interests, he noted.
Swaminathan is an advocate of moving India to sustainable development, especially using environmentally sustainable agriculture, sustainable food security and the preservation of biodiversity, which he calls an "evergreen revolution."
