Published in Dwarka Express on 1.7.22

Why Sadguru focusses on soil? Why there is no growth in organic farming activities? These pertinent questions need logical answer for those especially in urban areas where there is a spurt in the process of concretisation. We comfortably forget the importance of soil. Today’s soil was once a rock and over millions of years it takes to form topsoil. And today’s rocks may take another million years to become soil. Soil is an important part of the ecosystem. The soil texture is decided by the relative proportion of sand, silt and clay that make the soil. Humus is the organic matter that has been decomposed by soil microflora and fauna to the point where it is resistant to further breakdown. The soil acts as the medium for micro-organisms that add value to the quality of soil. It is not just farmer who depends on the soil for his farming activity. If alone the soil is losing its quality, sooner than later the homo sapiens will be deprived of food. Lot of awareness is being crated all over the world about the importance of protecting the quality of soil. Nevertheless, the human activity has done much damage to the quality of soil. The recent decades have seen the slow deterioration of the quality of soil, thanks to the artificial additions of chemicals and change in lifestyle. Time has come to revisit the approach to protecting the soil. Organic farming is slowly catching up. Hopefully with the support of all stakeholders the farming revolution by way of organic fertilizers, crop rotation and adding natural nutrients will reverse the situation and ensure protection of this important element of the ecosystem

Bye Bye Single Use Plastic!

By the time this newspaper goes on print, Single Use Plastic would have bid Adieu! It is good that Govt took this bold but belated step to tame the shrew. The saying goes, ‘Better late than Never’ should work well in this case. We hope that the system will stabilize soon and people will extend support for this great cause to environment. Initially there will be reluctance, lack of alternatives and revolt from Industry may be there. But this is applicable to any rule that would be enforced. However, there must be encouragement to new entrepreneurs and MSMEs to produce alternatives. There are millions of workers in this Industry who will lose job if not properly planned. Nearly one third of the plastic used in India are Single Use plastic. Everyone is advocating ban of Single Use Plastic. If we replace the SUPs with Single Use biodegradable alternatives, that may also not be a solution. This only will amount to change of use from dry waste to wet waste generation. What is needed is a clear understanding of Reusable alternatives. Grandma’s cloth bag is a better alternative than ‘use and throw’ alternatives.