PADDY SEED SHORTAGE HITS FARMERS IN BALANGIRWednesday, 12 June 2013 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

PADDY SEED SHORTAGE HITS FARMERS IN BALANGIR

Wednesday, 12 June 2013 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Though the first monsoon rains have created a favourable condition for sowing of paddy seeds, farmers in Balangir district are facing shortage of paddy seeds affecting their cultivation process.

According to sources in the Deputy Director of Agriculture office here, this year kharif paddy cultivation has been targeted to be taken up in 1,86,000 hectares of land in the district and a total of 1,11,600 quintals of seeds are required.

Deputy Director of Agriculture Manoranjan Mallick speaking to this correspondent said, “We have placed an indent of 52,653 quintals of paddy seeds this year. Besides the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC), this year the Odisha Agro Industries Corporation (OAIC) has also been asked to supply seeds to farmers.”

“However till today, we have received only 4,093 quintals of seeds from both the agencies which is extremely inadequate to meet the farmers’ demands,” he informed.

The seed processing unit in Balangir district is not functioning, thereby increasing the dependence of farmers on the seeds sold in open market at higher prices. Irate farmers gheraoed the office of the Deputy Director of Agriculture on Monday protesting shortage of paddy seeds.

“We gheraoed the DDA office protesting against the shortage of paddy seeds and stopped a meeting midway there. Unless the paddy seeds situation in the district improves significantly, farmers will resort to district-wide agitation soon,” said president of Zilla Krushak Mahasangh Sudhir Parischha.

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NEEM ;The Tall and Burnt Tree by Sudhir Mishra/ Balangir .10th June 2013.

Among the tall and robust tree  found  in our surrounding the  Neem  is one of among the tallest tree,  whose all parts starting from its  leaves, seeds, bark, trunk and its existence  in the  locality  provides a benefits  for people in several ways like  providing natural treatment  for  skin ailment of  people, ensuring livelihood (through its seed and oil extracted  from it,) besides  providing bio fertilizer/insecticide to  farmers, and  enriching  the  surrounding by providing much needed oxygen and  purifying the air.

In the earlier days one of the major thoughts dominated among the minds of people was to think good and take steps for the  benefits of common people and Community at large,  so that they would get punya.  Keeping  this consideration people  would plant trees on both sides of the  road so that in  summer a traveler would not get exhausted due to sun-rays and would get enough shade to take shot break or rest there.

In earlier days there were hardly any motor vehicles and people either used to move  by walking or by bullock cart.

Prior to independence ,even though princely states ruled by King  was prevalent here and the  King was ruling his  states.Besides   other steps , a lot of trees had been planted lot of Neem trees on both sides of roads which was not  cut by people due to fear of Kings ‘s authority and otherwise. With the passage of time these trees had grown into  big size .According to an estimate, there were around 250 neem trees in  one stretch from Balangir to sonepur five decades ago.

While it takes around 30 to 40 years to grow such a size of neem tree, it takes hardly few days for this harsh death of neem tree. The forest department official role in protecting and guarding has been not “encouraging.

As Neem is a useful tree. People would un-bark for treatment skin disease and the neem flower would be consumed by people which also cured skin ailments naturally. However unscrupulous people are cutting the neem trees just above the roots and setting fire and a few days later the tree collapsed. The painful existence –half burned yet providing all the benefits to people like  shade, fruits, bark and shade to birds  is overlooked by the highly educated and sensible Eco friendly  individual.

Even as in the whole world there is a growing demand for neem tree and its product, yet  neem trees are facing the ordeal – all this when everybody is passing through it in glistening coal tar road with great speed-Will anybody look into it?

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Floating clouds over a mountain;.-Picture by Sudhir Mishra on 11th June2013 evening.

Floating clouds over the  mountain-1










Floating clouds over  the mountain-2

As  the sun set the  lone bird flying amidst clouds

and returning to his nest

Floating clouds over the  mountain-4

Worker dies in Suktel project area

INBRIEF

Tuesday, 11 June 2013 | Pioneer | in Bhubaneswar

Worker dies in Suktel project area

Balangir: A labourer, Subrat Mahakur, of Angul district, who was working as a helper in a dumper truck engaged in the Lower Suktel project construction, died when dumper dashed against him while he was waiting on roadside to go Magurbeda on Sunday. He had been rushed to the Balangir district hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. This incident took place at a time when villagers are again readying to oppose the project as decided at a meeting of Budi Anchal Sangram Parishad held at Kapilbahal recently.

The shinning and scattered clouds over a mountain; different moods of clouds ;picture taken by me while moving just outside the town today's evening(9th June 2013)

The shinning and scattered clouds over a mountain-1

The shinning and scattered clouds over a mountain-2

The shinning and scattered clouds over a mountain-3



THE shinning and scattered clouds over a mountain-4

The shinning and scattered clouds over a mountain-5

Save The GREAT Banyan TREE--

 Save the Great Banyan tree.

By
SudhirMishra/Balangir /9th June2013
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The Great Banyan tree -which provides shades to all ,holds soil firmly by spreading its roots and check soil erosion, besides providing habitat to a large number of birds and others insects - its  number is dwindling ;It In our child hood days we would find usually a banyan tree in the entrance of the village and  people would sit  under it  held meeting and children would play birds would chirp there--people would pour water  in the roots of tree after taking bath or while returning from bath-expecting that they would earn punya(result of  good work-or say blessing  from God).

And people in the past used to take up plantation of Banyan tree in the cross roads or at the major square so that people would get shade.After plantation they were also taking care-that the tree survives.

But actually our fore fathers were intelligent enough  see the scientific reasons associated with banyan tree- it provides shades-keep the  environment cool- hold soil tightly -through its roots- checks soil erosion and  provides shelter to large number of birds and insects would would carry and brought fruits and while transporting it fall on the ground ,which helps in germination of trees.Moreover a banyan tree at the village entry was providing large amount of oxygen to people besides serving as identity point-; unfortunately their number is dwindling- other trees which are less beneficial are coming up in that place- it is high time  that we should first conserve the  banyan tree and preserve and works for its  more plantation for checking the soil erosion, ecological imbalance and for the benefit of mankind.
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The beautiful sky,tender mango leaves and Gangasiuali plants-( whose leaves consumption is said to cure Malaria)