Picturesque and orderly, the fields in Lalasi village of Rajasthan’s Sikar district showcase the changing face of agriculture. Here, Bhanwar Lal Meel furrows his ancestral 4.50-hectare land with innovation. This 41-year-old farmer, whose formal education concluded with the 12th grade, has reshaped traditional farming methods and integrated novel techniques to ensure his venture’s profitability despite decreasing groundwater levels and unpredictable rainfall.
His land now boasts a tidy arrangement of vegetable and fruit crops, sustained by a 3.3-KV solar power panel, which fuels pumps and other electrical devices critical for the modern farmer. The introduction of slim polyethylene hoses for drip irrigation and the strategic placement of trees exemplify the cutting-edge approaches at play. A pond, recently constructed with the support of the Prime Minister’s Krishi Sinchayee Yojana subsidy, represents more than a mere water reserve; it symbolizes the progressive steps being taken in Shekhawati, where farmers are adopting ingenious strategies to optimize water utilization and earn fair prices for their produce. These methods have broadened the sowing area, amped up yields, and in turn, fattened the wallet per hectare farmed.
In the larger Shekhawati region, encompassing the districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Churu, and Neem Ka Thana, dwindling groundwater spells trouble for agriculture. In response, many agriculturists pivot towards vegetable cultivation which yields a harvest eightfold greater using only a quarter of the labor required by conventional crops. The vegetable sowing area has swelled in the past decade, nearly doubling.
Take Mahesh Pachar from Jheegar Bari village or Sundaram Verma of Danta, whose groundbreaking rainwater harvesting and water-efficient crop growing techniques, respectively, are redefining farming in arid conditions. Verma’s ‘dryland agroforestry’ innovation earned him the coveted Padma Shri in 2020.
Fueling this transformation are success stories like Bhanwar Lal from Sarwari village, who turned his field-grown gooseberries into profitable candy, powder, and murabba, netting ₹15 lakh a year. Dharampal Singh of Bharu village took the organic route with similarly positive outcomes.
Chiranji Lal Maharia, an agricultural expert with a substantial land holding in Kudan village, highlights a surge in farmers’ incomes. The average has rocketed from about ₹1 lakh to ₹8 lakh annually, thanks to these modern practices and technologies. The crop sowing area has expanded as well, by a factor of one-and-a-half. This monetary leap is further bolstered by state-initiated agricultural budgets, offering subsidies for horticulture and modern farm tools.
With water scarcity gripping the region, Mr. Maharia, along with others, has branched out into sheep and goat rearing, a flourishing side trade that also benefits from veterinary expertise.
Looking ahead, the Agriculture Department’s announcement of up to ₹1.35 lakh in farm pond construction subsidies presages more good news. Farmers are advocating for canal water to quench their thirsty fields. The potential revision and repair of the Indira Gandhi Canal, along with a fair allocation strategy like that observed in Sanchore, could be a game-changer, bringing both agricultural and drinking water relief to the inhabitants of Sikar division.
Sikar Sambhag Nahar Lao Sangharsh Samiti has called attention to discrepancies in inter-state water agreements, urging Rajasthan to secure its rightful water share. Amid these complex hydro-political issues, Sikar Collector Qummer-ul-Zaman Choudhary is concentrating on guiding farmers toward new cropping patterns, marketing aids, and cooperative frameworks, aimed at enhancing their earnings and ensuring a sustainable agricultural future in Rajasthan.
