The one Rain and Otherwise Dry Summer

The one rain that Subbu was hoping had come and gone like a lightning.  It rained for just 1 hour 15 minutes just enough to wet the ground a couple of days back in midnight.  Lo !.   After that temperature seems to have further increased.

Whenever I call him he complains only of intense heat.  There is no other topic to discuss.  Hot Hot and Hot summer.

He says the farming activity has come to standstill in neighbourhood.  In our farm, luckily we are maintaining, thanks to some proactive action taken earlier.  But still the water is receding in the pond very very fast.

It seems in his family farm also, the water is so hot that paddy fields are simmering. Water is bubbling. He was in full appreciation for Organic Farming methods that we have experimented in my farm.  He seems to have applied only cow dung to a portion of his farm.  He got very good results and is showcasing it.  But no farmer is appreciating it.   They are hard code,  winded to chemical farming. In his words "They keep applying one after another salts to the farm.  The surface without water has hardened so much that nothing will grow. They will only abandon the farming and sell it to flats"

Meanwhile there is no Wind, only Hot weather. In the night there is bitter cold.  This is desert climate.    There is nothing more to talk.

Entire country is now facing unusual hot summer. Actually the summer has still not arrived.

When the water depletes......

Country is facing major drought like situation.  In Marathwada, the crisis is so deep, government is sending water in train wagons. 5 lakh liters of water is hardly sufficient to meet demand for 1 crore liters.  Anyway, people have started hunting for water from deeper wells.  Police protection, curfew etc have been imposed to stop riots on account of water.

Due to climate change we frequently hear this term drought, floods and extreme variation in everything. AMD (metrological dept) has predicted more than average monsoon this year. Hope it will not bring floods.

Meanwhile down south at my farm, the situation is much better.  Water, however is going down day by day.  We need 5000 liters of water to run the farm / day.  We get around 2000 liters through windpump. Amidst hot Sun, the wind is blowing only in mornings and evenings, typical of any summer.

Subbu is hoping for one rain atleast. He says that will solve many problems. But sky is blue.  When I seek good news, he will give bad. and when I loose hope, he will give shockingly good news. That is Subbu with alternating emoticons.

Fish pond is having 3 to 4 feet of water only.   I asked how are they doing. Subbu was sad. He said they have not grown at all for the amount of care he and Kandan had taken. He says he followed every damn advice of fisheries. But fish has grown only 3 finger width. Can't be sold. Can't be eaten. He was sad.

I told if more fish is concentrated on less water, with no fresh water being added, they will suffocate for lack of oxygen. Asked him to take a hard call.   "Distribute them to other places, sell or eat them leaving a few tens behind".......  But Subbu wants to wait (for that one rain).

The temporary lady staff have been inducted again with some regular work. each are paid around 120 per day to water. They have been given new plastic pots to carry water and pour on coconut and other trees.  It makes sense to give them work as otherwise their own farms are dry.

He was happy to announce that the cuddapah stones for the seating arrangement have come. Earlier foundation structure using bricks were made ready. They are looking good. But still stones are not mounted on the brick platforms as their edges are very sharp. The stones been delivered to Paramu's (Carpenter) house (about 3 Kms away) for smoothening the edges. I am told he has angle grinder with him. Electricity supply is not there in the farm to do this work.

He also mentioned the work on Nursery skeletal structure using available pipes is completed.  Earlier I had suggested to dismantle the nursery built with casurina sticks. That is to be replaced with the 1.25" pipes that we have in stock. These pipes were earlier used in borewell under windpump to pump water.  That was replaced with 2" pipe in due course.

He said the total size of skeletal structure is 20 feet x 10 feet. height is 8 feet.  That is two pipes on front and back. one pipe each on either side. one at the centre.  Total 13 pipes.  The required angles were already brought by him. he also said they are not concreting the pillar pipes. But just hardening the hole with mortar. This is to ensure we can more or remove them in future.  May be he is sick and tired of working with cement, and gravel.  Once completed, a new green shade net will be purchased from Tirunelveli town.

I am restless to see these two structure finish.  I advised Subbu that we should finish any work that we undertake.  Good or bad, just see the end.  I am getting a feeling of late we are not completing anything to its logical end.

Farm Update in Visuals - April, 2016

This time too there was a goof up in the browsing centre. The files given by Subbu was lost by that guy. After saying sorry Subbu has to travel again to Valliyoor and upload.  He has reduced the file size to 130 KB. I asked 300KB neverthless this gives an idea. 

Marigold growing slowly. This will add to beauty once it flowers and usefulness as it is tough crop.

By and large there is grass growth.  too much heat.  I told Subbu not to cut them. Let it be natural ground
cover. He too admitted.  At a distance one can see to lady staff plucking jasmine flowers and kandan working.

The coconut is growing healthy. It is big task to keep them alive with scarce water

Finally, the dining table / general purpose discussion table is taking shape.  The cuddapah stones will have to be struck on these pillars to complete.  The centre table and 6 chairs around.  The vendor is not delivering the stone properly.
Subbu wants to change the shop.  All over again......  This is how time is wasted in remote places.

Another set in another corner.  The mango tree should give shade over a period of time.

Harvested Onion.  Looking good.  I am getting confidance now.  Subbu sounded positive too in his voice.
Rice Paddy is in the bag adjascent.  He did'nt send a picture of grains.  But said it is good.

The transplanted Brinjal plants.

Jasmine plants have come to maturity.  They should give constant yield, however small it may be.  Need to expand this

Sapota Tree

Closeup of white brinjal. This will be tasty and soft. 

Red Banana. Growth is slow. apparantly due to water logging and drought alternating.

Not so healthy this time. Let us give some time.

Well the pond is drying up rapidly.  See the water marks.  I was worried. Subbu is not. I donot know why 

Sapota

The road leading to the farm gate. to the right is visible some part of farm. I made this road.

Hot Summer misery has started already !. Need to dive deep into the issue

It is just April, and already it looks like peak summer.

Subbu had been mentioning that it is too hot over there. Water is very scarce. No wind and hence no production.  Neighborhood ponds have dried. We have to keep the farm going.

One rain would bring some relief.  It did indeed rain yesterday some 7 km away from the farm. Now there are no clouds even. They had purchased water yesterday.

Worse days are ahead.  Hmmm  Let me think......

The overall scene in India is not that great.   All rivers are dry. The sand is being looted by organised crime with help of state for construction.  The water holding capacity of many of the rivers and ponds are Nil. Ponds and lakes are occupied, not maintained or encroached.

There is draught like situation in every state.  In Maharashtra for getting a bucket of water, people stand in long queues. Govt is thinking of getting water in train.  There is riot and 144 in place in few districts.  Same situation in Andhra.  People are migrating to Delhi. Agriculture had been ignored by present government from the beginning.

Farm Update 01-Apr-2016

Subbu was down with cold.  Not fever, but persistent cold.  I could not understand why?.  After all they are living in pristine village with tons of fresh air, pure water and healthy food. But why cold ?

He himself gave the answer. "Sir the heat is so unbearable we drink water every 5 minutes. May be that has lodged itself in the head. "   It is true  I myself have experienced that.  If water is pure it is ok. But people who are going out and working tend to drink lot of water from all places.  Especially the "sharbath" drinks or soda from petty shops.

Anyway one of the reason why it took few days suffering was his own abstinence from going to a doctor and having an injection.  That was a wise thing on his part to have done. No injection, no medicine for cold. Just endure till it gets off you.   Cold has no medicine. Just develop resistance. So next time it will not come.

Farm had some activity before 3 days of break. Now work has resumed and they are as follows;

a) Paddy was harvested.  Subbu decided it shall be manual. that is good. One reason is according to him the peacocks have played in the field and paddy is not straight in many places. Machine cannot cut. you have to lift with hand and cut. Hence manual.  That is good. I prefer employing labor than pouring diesel.

b) I guess total yield was 2 Bags of paddy. Each bag is 74 Kg.  They paddy was separated from the straw by beating on stones.   After de-husking paddy in a rice mill,  it should yield half of that rice. That is around 75 KG rice.  Good for an experimental farm.

Paddy harvest in progress manually

c) Onions have been harvested.  Total 15 KG. He is drying it in his house for safe storing. In the farm, there is no proper place. Inside the room there are rats coming. The door is not so good.

d) I guess Onion is running at Rs. 20 /- kg. We will wait till it becomes 50/- Kg and sell. Till then it has to be stored.

He said both paddy and onions are healthy in shape and size.

e) Besides there are numerous vegetables in small quantity.  Time has come to sell in small quantities to visiting peddlers.  I asked him to invite those ladies and offer them the small produce. Few lemon, few guava, coriander leaves, brinjal etc.... Let them sell and we learn.

f) The stone slabs for the seating arrangement has still not arrived. It seems it came with wrong thickness. The cuddapah stone ordered was to have 2 inch thick. What came was half inch. It was sent back and fresh stones have to come. We need to put solid stones otherwise it will break if some weight is placed on the table.

g) Water scarcity has started. Subbu has started crying again. I need to think for a solution. while Windpump is working fine, there is no much wind.  Brinjal plants have been replanted. Now everything requires water. The climate is very very hot. Water holes are dry around the place.

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