First of all, the disclaimer is that this article has as much to do with the so-called Godman Sadguru’s ‘Save the Soil’ campaign as it may have with the importance of the soil and the leading rhinoceros – not at all. . Yes, that’s right you can now become known as a Lord of the Rings, if you are looking for a bearded and bike-riding guru on social media or in the media because of the ‘Save the Soil’ hype. If we start discussing the pollution of Jaat-Bhat, the mouth is full.
There is no end to water scarcity, air pollution, grain scarcity, noise pollution. In this world of continuous modernization, the types of waste are also increasing. It is natural to forget to worry about the soil which is considered as the primary element when new wastes and pollutants like e-waste are being wiped out. Not only our food, daily necessities but also the nutrients used in the development of our body are found in the soil. It is also a bitter reality that the soil is dying and we are heading in the direction of global food shortages.
If you don’t want to starve, you have to save soil. According to a United Nations report, 52% of the world’s arable land has fallen. According to the report, half of the land we currently use for grain production does not even have the nutrients needed to grow good quality rice. One might think, but the enduring truth is that the world’s population is growing as fast as the soil is falling. The world’s population will reach 9.5 billion in the next 20 years.
We have the confidence that everything will change because even man makes rapid progress. Also, state-of-the-art technology will support mankind – nothing like that is going to happen. In this case we have to eat sugar – yes, the question is whether there is no guarantee of how much sugar cane will have to be grown to eat sugar – maybe we have to take synthetic sugar. This is because in the next 20 years, we will be able to produce only 40% of what we produce now. Scientists are constantly warning us that we now have only arable land / soil that lasts for 40-50 years.
If we don’t worry about this now, there will be enough food to gather bread. Right now, after hearing and reading all this, it happens that all this comes in the report – nothing like this is going to happen. Believe it or not, in the case of clay, the phase is approaching day by day from which we have no way back. The time has come to demand that the government take steps to stop the erosion of soil.
Thus environmental campaigns such as carbon emissions, green power production, sustainability constantly remind us that the situation we are in is at stake. But it is wrong to put everything else on the right side and ignore the soil that gives us life. There is no point in addressing the issues of green energy or carbon emissions if we do not have enough to feed our future generations.
Oil – Like oil, this soil is also a limited source. In farming we do not ‘restore’ as many nutrients as we take from the soil. It would take another 200 years to restore the level of soil that was in the United States alone. Don’t take dust and clay lightly as it washes away entire cultures. Soil erosion does not only lead to loss of fertile soil. Pollution increases and siltation in river-springs expands – thus obstructing the flow of water, destroying aquatic life. Watersheds do not store water and the risk of flooding increases. In this way the cultures are washed away along with the soil.
Poor soil quality not only affects the paddy but also increases the amount of silt due to the soil being blown away by the wind and falling on the reservoirs which takes up oxygen in the water and destroys the aquatic and aquatic vegetation. Dead zones have developed in parts of the Gulf of Mexico. Soil should be conserved using technology as the 18 inch layer of soil at the ground level contains micro-organisms which are indispensable for fertility, cultivation, soil health. Soils are alive, artificial fertilizers that serve as a substitute for two to four nutrients are not sufficient for a complex soil structure. The micro-organisms required for the natural strength of the soil should not be taken lightly as it enhances the nutritional value of both soil and food.
We are an agricultural nation but the whole world feeds on paddy. The future is in jeopardy if we do not save the soil. If farmers are concerned, healthy soil is essential for their success. To prevent soil erosion, to ensure that its nutrients do not fall and increase, it is necessary to protect the carbon in the soil – this requires governments, scientists and farmers to unite. In the tug of power, in the coinage of industries, in the deforestation for the sake of selfishness, in the expansion of grazing lands for cattle to meet carnivores, the land will indeed be trampled underfoot.
By the way
Kabir’s famous doha is, ‘Mati kahe kumhar se tu kya ronde moy, ek din aisa hoyega, main raudungi toy’ – there is no need to think about this duha. We know what we do. There is no need to resort to Save the Soil for political purposes and to look cool on social media. These are serious questions that need to be seriously addressed by understanding the work of scientists and environmentalists and changing policies. If the soil is safe then mankind will be safe. Superficial campaigns do not bring revival, seemingly honest campaigns only have the cloak of high society’s vague morality.