Erosion of Doon Valley's pride: Basmati rice

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SME Times News Bureau | 12 Aug, 2019
Rice trader Ummed Bora, a resident of Dudhli Ghat in Uttarakhand here, has just started sowing seeds for the Kasturi rice crop, an aromatic variety of rice. While there was hardly any rain during June, steady rainfall in the second week of July has given respite to the farmers in the region.

July is when seeds of Kharif crops are sowed. Bora has also planted a Type-3 paddy crop, which is popularly known as Basmati rice. Known for its aroma, Doon Basmati is slowly losing its place in markets all over the world owing to the increasing urbanisation, pollution and lack of support from the government.

Vinod Bora, a resident of Dehradun, claimed that at one point the fragrance of the crop used to envelop the whole area. When Basmati rice would be prepared, the aroma would reach the adjoining houses as well, he reminiscenced.

While Basmati is still being grown in the area, he mentioned, the area under cultivation and the income generated from the crop have shrunk.

Even other types of Basmati rice -- Haridwar-Saharanpur -- is sold as Doon Basmati rice, he claimed.

Whether it is Dudhli Ghat or Majra, the vast farms growing Basmati rice have transformed into residential complexes and flats. Bora claimed that farmers don't get proper compensation for their crops, but they get good prices for the land.

The farmers are attracted by the profits the selling of their land garners, asserted Ummed. He said that after selling their land, they move to the towns for a job or child's education, leaving their farms behind.

In 2017, Bora revealed that he used to export a consignment of Basmati rice worth Rs 1.5 crore to Germany. The next year it came down to Rs 50 lakh. The expected yield this year is only Rs 20-22 lakh.

Chaman Lal, a farmer, said the Basmati rice crop is very fragile and cannot withstand heavy winds. Rains are always playing havoc and it rains at a time when it affects the crop, he claimed.

He also blamed the Suswa river for the low yield. There used to be a time when the water from the river could be consumed without giving it much thought, but now it is unfit for consumption, even for animals, he added.

As a testament to the rising pollution, he informed, the water has also turned black and is being circulated to the farms in Dudhli Ghat through canals for irrigation. The water brings garbage and medical waste to the farms, resulting in the low yield.

The contaminated water from Suswa river has affected the aroma, for which it used to be famous, stated Surya Prakash, another farmer. "The river whose water we used to drink out of our cupped hands has turned into sewer.

"Nature has changed, the weather has changed, rain patterns have changed and thus, the scent of the Doon Basmati has also vanished," he said.

S.S. Rasaily, Member Secretary of the Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board, informed that a study has been sanctioned to find the reasons behind the decreasing yield of Doon Basmati rice and the report was expected within a few months.

He informed that there was no provision for the storage of Basmati rice seeds and farmers take turns for storage and preparation of the seeds. While this ensures quality control, there is no way for someone to procure the seeds from the market, he stated.

Rasaily said there is no record of how much the yield was 10 years ago, and thus there is no way to find out how much it has declined. He said even the Agriculture Department has no record of the trade.

The Biodiversity Board member even alleged that the Agriculture Department has not been taking any step to save the Doon Basmati.

Vinod Bhatt, a member of Navdanya -- an NGO focusing on agricultural issues -- and part of the study by Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board, said the area where the Basmati rice was being grown has reduced considerably in the last two decades.

Bhatt said the yield of varieties like Kasturi, Pusa, Basmati 1, Pant 4 has also dropped.

In addition, he said, rising temperature, declining fertility of the soil, shortage of water for irrigation, change in rain patterns and usage of chemical fertilizers have affected the taste and production of Doon Basmati.

At one point, the air around Dudhli Ghat and Majar used to be heavy with the fragrance of Basmati that rivalled sandalwood or flowers.

Doon Basmati, which had created a space for itself in the international market, is disappearing from the farms. Urbanisation, lack of awareness, water pollution and lack of support from the government has taken the crop to the verge of losing its place from plates across the globe.