Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
(structure, aeration, retention and movement of water and nutrients)
and chemical properties (pH, accumulation of salts and nutrient
transformations and availability).
Only an overall improvement in all these properties can sustain soil
health and thereby sustain productivity. The solid, liquid, gaseous and
biotic spheres of the soil are in such a dynamic equilibrium with changes
in one phase affecting another. Hence the soil management strategies
should shift towards a holistic approach.
Change cropping systems Hence, cropping systems need to be
redesigned from the existing exploitative mode to a conservation mode
to preserve soil health. Without understanding and considering the soil’s
true nature as an ecosystem, continuous mono-cropping on the same
soil relying on inorganic fertilizer additions – done in the style and scale
of industrial manufacturing – has led to decline in the soil’s productive
potential. Such practices lead to the emergence of newer and newer
nutrient deficiencies in spite of the addition of newer fertilizer materials.
The use of nutrients through organic inputs is, therefore, imperative for
maintaining the sustainability of the system. 19
Non-pesticide management and native livestock breeding address
the issue of soil pollution caused by chemical fertilizers, as well as enrich
the soil’s health in a most gentle manner – by using inputs prepared
from native cow dung. We must bring back native breeds of livestock
to supplement the organic requirement of the soil. Furthermore, in
no-tillage farming, tree foliage ensures that the surface organic carbon
and beneficial microbes contained in the soil are not exposed to direct
sunlight, which would lead to degradation of soil.
LOW PROFIT MARGINS ON PRODUCE
Unlike most other sectors, the farm sector employs 60% of the
population but contributes to only to 18% of the GDP. 20 The majority of the
farmers fall under the category of small and marginal farmers. Around
70% of the agricultural produce area is used for production of wheat
and rice, but it amounts to only 25% of the earnings from the sector.
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