Upgradation of socio-economic profile of women folk of Indian Sundarbans through seaweed culture , funded by Department of Science & Technology, Govt of India.
INTRODUCTION
The project have been generatedto train the women folk of the Sunderbans area on the importance of sea weed as an alternative livelihood. Sea weed is a favourable protein supplement to the under-nourished women folk of the area. Seaweed culture in the present geographical locale is not practiced; neither the technology is known to the local people. The dominant seaweed species are present in wild condition on jetties, blocks, mangrove stumps and pneumatophores.
OBJECTIVES
Optimization of sustainable harvesting practices of sea weeds from natural resources.
Identification of sustainable cultivation locations and standardization of culture and cultivation practices of Gracilariaverrucosa.
Development of culture farm of the sea weed, G. verrucosa in 1 acre land for demonstration purpose.
Standardization for post harvesting technology for drying, packaging and storage in specific location.
Development of methodology for preparation of poultry and cattle feed, liquid fertilizers and other nutritional value added feed from G. verrucosa.
Arrangement for buy back of the products.
Preparation of training and awareness generation materials at grass root level.
PROJECT AREA
Tridibnagar village in Basanti Block covering 1312 ha in Eastern part of Indian Sundarbans, 24 Parganas (S), West Bengal.
COMMUNITY BACKGROUND
The vulnerable coastal rural communities of the project area in Indian Sunderbans are very poor, majority are below poverty line and a significant population belongs to SC/ST community. Their life is very hard as they have to always fight with nature for their sustenance. The men folk are engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry and capture fishery however salinization of soil or severe viral attack often damages these sectors. There exists severe gender inequality in Indian Sundarbans. The women have to contribute for the family in terms of finance caring little for their comfort, health and personal life and they are engaged in prawn seed collection from the rivers. This often causes life risk as they are prone to skin diseases and shark bites and crocodile attacks. This also keeps them away from their houses for long time which enhances the household problems and usually they suffer from malnutrition, mortality during child birth (18%) , skin problems and anaemia.
DETAILED PROGRESS REPORT
METHODOLOGY & SYSTEMS APPROACH ADOPTED
Initial meetings with the elected representatives of Jharkhali Gram Panchayat was conducted on wherein rural communities and staffs from NEWS were present. Staffs from NEWS elaborately described the objectives, methodologies that are to be adopted and the outputs of the programme. AgrahaniSangha Club Demonstration pond for cultivation of sea weed was used for the benefit of the rural communities. Village level meetings were conducted wherein women from about 60% of the household participated. In these meetings PRA exercises like social mapping, wealth class, transect walks, venn diagram and resource mapping was conducted to capture the baseline status of the village. The participants’ list in the initial stage consisted of 30 beneficiaries , with three self-help groups (SHGs) namely Sundari SHG, Vidya SHG and Bonmayuri SHG with ten members in each SHGs , of which about 98% belong to SC/ST communities.It was ensured that only women are the beneficiaries.Monitoring of aquatic parameters (like water temperature, salinity, pH, DO and transparency) for data bank establishment.
Awareness programme amongst the rural households on sea weed are taken to build campaignabout its benefit& use, cultivation, harvesting, processing and marketing. Trainingwere given in phases on demonstrations of seaweed culture by monoline/rope culture method and raft culture method (fixed net type) in the demonstration pond and also in the shrimp ponds (co-cultivation).
TECHNICAL BACK-UP SUPPORT & LINKAGES WITH NEARBY INSTITUTIONS
Direct technical back-up support is being provided by the Department of Botany, Delhi University. In addition, linkages with potential sea weed marketing organisation from the region have been initiated so that the produce could be sold off through the SHGs. Presently dialogues with these marketing organisations is ongoing. A marketing survey format is in the process of development targeting to attract agar producing industries and primarily big hotels in an around Kolkata.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COMPONENT: TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE DEVELOPMENT NEW-INNOVATIONS/OBSERVATIONS
An innovative method of sea weed culture using local materials was developed using ropes, bamboo and nets for sea weed culture in some of the ponds where the people are already cultivating prawns, crabs and other fishes. The method evolved as a result of active participation of the rural beneficiaries.
