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Honey bee publish details |
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SRISTI Sanman |
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Creating Community of Grassroots Achievers: SRISTI Sanman 2006 |
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Honoring the herbal healers
Samatbhai’s Gyan Van
Mr Samatbhai Solanki of Junagadh, Gujarat has learnt about traditional medicine with the help of Dhanvantari families, and works as a healer in the surrounding villages on an honorary basis. He has 300 types of medicinal herbs in his “Gyan Van” (knowledge garden) and hopes to expand it to 1000 herbs one day. He can treat skin burns within 10-12 days with his herbal extract. He has an open house; those who cannot afford are hosted by him, fed, and treated at his cost.
Aarkhiben's herbal pesticides
Ms Aarkhiben Mithabhai Vankar (75) left Bamna, her previous village eight years back, and is now staying alone at Khapreta Village. She uses homemade herbal pesticides in her fields, and has prepared an effective treatment for heliothis control. She also knows many traditional veterinary practices. She expects no monetary rewards for her treatment, and sustains herself on whatever people offer voluntarily.
Ramaji knows it all
Mr Ramaji Bhemaji Parmar (32) of Sabarkantha, Gujarat is known in the nearby villages as an animal and human healer, who rushes to people even if they call him for help at midnight. He says “As long as I am alive, I will work for the mankind”. He knows the cure for all common diseases, skin disorders, kidney stones, diarrhea, bloat, milk increase, and fracture in animals. Due to his poor economic condition, he cannot afford a hygienic space for crushing plants, and a clean storage space for his herbal remedies.
Broken bone? Try Bariya’s herbal remedy!
Mr Nanjibhai Navalsingh Bariya (58) of Dahod, Gujarat is a retired school teacher, and is known as a traditional healer in the nearby villages. He can treat broken bones and sprain using his herbal extract. His interest in herbal plants emerged from watching his father working in biodiversity related issues. He now takes children on treks for biodiversity and nature education. Every Sunday, people with various ailments gather at his place, and he treats them free of cost.
Garasia's treatment for animals
Mr Ratnabhai Chhotubhai Garasia (70) of Navsari, Gujarat has studied till 7th standard, and is working as a traditional healer for the past 30 years, and is an expert in stomach related ailments. He observes the odor and the appearance of the dung of the diseased animal in order to diagnose the ailment, and uses his herbal formulations to treat them. His wife helps him with his farm work on their two acre land. He has also developed herbal remedy to treat placenta retention, and diseases transmitted through saliva.
(Also see: HB, 5(4):19, 1994)
Charity begins at home
Mr Shivsharan is a gardener at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He is doing experiments in the Institute’s garden, seeking to understand the medicinal value of the plants and flowers grown there. He treats earache, diabetes, kidney pain, paralysis, deaf, heat stroke, acidity, jaundice and many other health problems with his herbal practices.
Using corn silk to treat human disorders
Mr Keshavbhai Shamjibhai Savlia (35) of Junagadh, Gujarat could study only till 9th standard, and works as a farm labourer to earn a livelihood for his family. He has invented various agricultural tools. He has also developed a herbal cure for human disorders using the silk of corn, which remains to be tested.
Herbal treatment for gynecological disorders
Ms Mojam Begam of Rajasthan is a herbal healer, generally treating gynecological disorders. She has acquired this knowledge from her grandmother. She has been administering medicines for conception, menstrual disorders, prolapse of uterus, leucorrhoea, menorrhagia, etc. for the past 12 years. She never charges any money for the treatment and has treated more than 500 patients for the various gynecological disorders.
New crop varieties
A new cardamom variety- PNS-Vaigai
Mr P.N. Surulivel is an agriculturist cultivating cardamom and coconut. He has developed a new variety of cardamom, which has significantly higher yield and recovery percentage than the popular local variety. He has also been appreciated and awarded by the Spices Board, Cochin for his efforts in 2003. He was very successful in selling his bold and green colored cardamom in Satvik 2006.
NP 77 pepper variety
Mr R.G. Hegde of Karnatka is an innovative farmer. He has developed a drought resistant variety of Pepper, NP 77. Dharwad Krishi Vishwa Vidhyalaya (Dharwad Agricultural University) has appreciated the development of this variety. He has attended many Shodhyatras and is always very keen to share the seeds of his pepper and long pod Moringa variety.
Gurpreet ka hunar
Mr Gurpreet Singh of Uttranchal is an innovative farmer from Uttaranchal. He has cultivated a new variety of lemon grass “Hunar” with high citral content, and has also improvised on its extraction process, making it efficient and purer. He had worked in the tea industry for 10 years. His farming background, along with his experience in tea industry provided him a mindset of scientific agriculture, which was instrumental in this process of selection.
Technical innovations
Mini microscope
Mr Chandra Narayan Bairagya of West Bengal is a teacher of Bio Sciences. He has many innovations to his name including a three in one fish reproductive chamber, multiple projectors and a mini microscope. His microscope is a lightweight device that looks like a conventional microscope, but weighs only 250-500 gm (depending on material of frame) and has a magnifying capacity of 450 to 675. It is very useful for fieldworkers who otherwise need to carry microscopes with them.
(Also see: Honey Bee, 17(1) & (2): 28-30, 2006)
Solar boat
Mr Ganesh Gimiri (42) from Sonitpur, Assam has an electrical repair shop and also works on contractual jobs. He has developed a boat run on solar power. Though the concept of solar boat is not new, some of the materials that he innovated for swift running of the boat are quite commendable. He developed a submersible motor attached with propeller so that there is minimum energy wastage. He has also changed the usual iron propeller with a self-designed aluminum propeller, to make it lighter and rust free. There are three batteries, which are charged by solar energy. For the rainy season, he has kept a provision for charging the batteries through electricity.
Bharali’s areca nut peeling machine
Mr Uddhab Bharali of Assam is a young entrepreneur from Assam whose main interest is in making machines for general utility. He wanted to study engineering but certain unavoidable circumstances prevented him from doing so. But at the same time, his flair for developing machines did not let him stop. He has devised many types of machines like pomegranate seeds extractor, bamboo processing machine and cassava peeler. His areca nut peeling machine is a fully automatic peeler which can cut all kinds of areca nuts at the rate of around 100-150 nuts per hour.
Savalia’s ribbed tawa
Mr Ravjibhai M Savalia (56) of Bapunagar, Gujarat is the founder of Ahmedabad’s ‘Savalia Research Centre’. He has studied only till 10th standard, but has been developing various innovative products since 1972. He has developed an energy saving frying pan, “ribbed tawa”, with a mechanism for efficient heat utilization. The University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT), Mumbai has confirmed the advantage of ribbing in increasing thermal efficiency besides a similar confirmation by Indian Institute of Petroleum.
Plucking cotton made easier
Mr Natubhai Ratubhai Vadher (33) of Surendranagar, Gujarat owns a welding workshop, farms his 33 ha landholding, and grows cotton in most of his farm. He is trying to develop an automatic sowing instrument, a ‘Khala’ (the gap that remains after some seedlings die) filling instrument, a special machine for plucking cotton-balls, and a motorcycle driven sprayer pump. He also wishes to create a self operating seed sowing machine. SRISTI has given him an interest free loan of Rs.20,000 to support his research and invention endeavors.
A chair that treats: The Maruti Jhula
Mr Shakrabhai Prajapati of Mehsana, Gujarat has made a unique exercise chair that is useful for the treatment of arthritis, constipation, and obesity. He created the chair in view of the poor people who can not afford going to gyms and exercise centers. He has sold his product all over Gujarat, and has constructively used the feedback of his customers to improve it.
(Also see: HB, 17(1) & (2): 20 & 36, 2006)
The small wonder
Master Jigarkumar Chhodvadia of Bapunagar, Gujarat studies in the eighth standard and was the youngest experimenter to be honored. He has expressed ideas about a small toy car being operated by solar energy and a machine that creates noise and generates strong light to drive Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) away from farms.
Institutional initiatives
A unique method for forest protection
The Jungle Preservation Association of Surat, Gujarat is a community of people seeking to conserve plant and herb varieties. The 200 members preserve and protect 500 hectares of jungle, setting a unique model for the preservation of national resources. The forest was handed over to the villagers by the Forest Department for 15 years for management, with the right to keep half the economic benefits in return. Villagers created an association to preserve the forest, and decided on some stringent laws to keep intruders away. They sell fuel-wood for economic use, and grazing is not allowed in the forest area. Any illicit felling invites a fine of 500-100 Rs. and the Forest Department and the villagers collectively decide on the punishment. A forest guard has also been appointed, and each household contributes 10 Rs. for his wage.
Unconventional institution of Jamnagar
Five years ago, there was a severe shortage of drinking water in Jamnagar, Gujarat exacerbated by farmers using machines to extract water from Veradi River that flows through the village. In response, villagers decided to build check dam across the river and made a pact not to extract water by machines. It was decided that once the rainfall stopped, the still water would only be used for animals. Villagers also decided to grow crops that required less water and formed communal rules to prevent water pollution. As a result of these measures, the river water was conserved and the shortages were eliminated to a large extent.
Saving trees: The Jeevanshala Ambardi way
The 1200 students enrolled at Jeevanshala Ambardi, Rajkot have planted about 8000 saplings on the Institution’s land. They are responsible for caring for the plants, and the wastewater from bathing in the hostel and cleaning utensils is used for watering the plants. The school was established in 1885, and it was realized back then that tree plantations were necessary in the school area, so the terrain was leveled. Acacia was planted initially because of the poor soil conditions, but was later replaced with species like Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss), Sitafal (Annona squamosa Boj. ex Hook.), Gulmohar (Delonix regia), etc. Each time a student is admitted to the school, he gives his name to a plant, and is responsible for tending it during his school years. Mr Premjibhai, an old innovator provides seeds and plants to the institution, and Mr Chellbhai Shukla, a board member at GIAN provides it the required financial help.
Water conservation practice in Devadthal
Devadthal is a village in Ahmedabad, 30 km from Bavla, with more than 3000 people comprising Adivasis, Padhars, Kolis, and Patels. Paddy, cotton, and wheat, are the main crops grown here. The water from the existing well was too brackish to be used in irrigation, so the only alternative was to conserve rainwater in ponds. The villagers decided that the pond around Hinglaj Mata’s temple should be used only for drinking water; banning washing animals, clothes, and utensils therein, and outlawing its use for irrigation purposes. Those who violate the rules are charged a fine of Rs. 151, which is then used for village development activities. This village has also worked together to build 10 check dams for water conservation. These measures have also reduced the incidence of water borne disease in the village.
Voluntary rules for water conservation and use
More than 35 check dams have been built around Fofer River, at the border of Mespar village in Rajkot. Earlier, the villagers would draw water from the dams, and this eventually led to water scarcity. The committee chief stopped using his machine to draw water from the dam, and the villagers started following him. They held a meeting and decided that no one would draw water from the check dam for irrigation; instead this water should be used for recharge of ground water in the area. Today the river can provide enough water to Rajkot for one whole year.
Joint preservation of jungle
Dhambaja village is about 75 km from Surat. There are around 4000 people in the village, comprising Chaudherys, Gaamits, and Dhudiyas. The villagers collectively preserve and maintain a 5-hectare jungle. Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss), Sagwan (Tectona grandis), Safeda (Eucalyptus sp), and fodder grass are the species growing in the forest area. Villagers cut the grass and fodder grown in the jungle and share it amongst themselves. Any illicit felling of trees from this area results in a fine of Rs. 50-100, which is then used for village developmental activities. The fuel needs of the village are satisfied by its 150 gobar gas plants. |
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee, 17(4) & 18(1):36-40, 2006 & 2007 |
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