AISSCE-2022

English Core (301) Project

Portfolio

Topic: A Comparative Study Between

Ladakh and West Bengal On Local
Solutions To Agricultural Challenges

Name: Pushkar Pandey

Board Roll No:

 Index

Serial Contents Page

Number Number
1 Certificate 2
2 Objective and Action 3
Plan
3 Report 4-13

4 Group Reflections 13

5 Contributions 14
6 Bibliography 15-16

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 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Pushkar Pandey of Class XII Sc. B of

Birla High School, Kolkata has completed this project under
my supervision. He has taken interest and shown utmost
sincerity in completion of this project for the AISSCE, 2022.
He has successfully completed the ALS Project work up to
my satisfaction.

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Signature of the Subject Teacher Signature of the External Examiner Signature of the Principal

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 Objective And Action Plan

Objective: The objective of this project is to examine the agricultural

challenges that farmers in Ladakh and West Bengal have to grapple
with in the contemporary times, and propose solutions that are relevant
to their local circumstances instead of being vague truisms.
Action Plan: Due to the corona pandemic and the resulting lockdown
restrictions, all the group members had to convene virtually in order to
work on the project. The steps written below in a roughly sequential
order outline the way we went about doing this project.

1) Our Group selected a topic from the options put forth before us
based on mutual consensus.
2) The topic was demarcated into the relevant subsections.
3) Each member selected the subtopics of his interest which he
wished to work on.
4) A common pool of information and resources was formed in which
every member put his findings and organised our collective
resources.
5) A draft of the report was prepared in which each member
contributed certain sections.
6) Our English teacher reviewed the draft, gave us feedback and
informed us about the changes we needed to make
7) A final project portfolio was prepared individually after
incorporating her suggestions.

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 Report
Agricultural challenges affecting any region can be divided into two categories. The first is
climate change and the second one is socio-cultural inequities. We shall be dealing mainly
with the first category.

Ladakh And Climate Change

Ladakh is cosily ensconced between the colossal Himalayas and the soaring Karakorams.
Agriculture in Ladakh is restricted to the lower valleys since the higher terrains are too
rugged. Irrigation is carried out by Kulhs and is subject mostly to the vagaries of glaciers and
the water cycle which in recent years have become far more extreme.

Traditionally, animal dung and human waste have served the role of sustainable manure.
Agriculture in Ladakh has always been meant for subsistence. The minuscule surplus
produced is exchanged via the barter system. Barley, wheat, peas and alfa-alfa (for fodder)
are some of the traditional crops grown here. Due to growing tourism in recent years, the
crop range has diversified greatly. In Ladakh, recent years has seen declining snowfall during
winters in conjunction with increased summer precipitation which will be the antecedent to
severe consequences if not mitigated. Due to the rocky terrain, there is no means to ingest
the increased rainwater, leading to floods.

Fig.1) Recently melon cultivation has

started in Ladakh with the help of DRDO
with the goal of crop diversification.

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Fig.2) A Physical Map of Ladakh

Fig.3) A figure of a Kuhl, a

traditional irrigation system used
extensively in Ladakh.

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Fig.4) The shrinking Drang-Drung Glacier in Ladakh. A cause of concern for everyone.

Fig.5) A graph showing the annual mean precipitation from 2000 to 2019.

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The graphs in the previous page show how there is immense irregularity when it comes to
the precipitation trends. The sporadic summer peaks will increase with time and so will the
capricious winter troughs.

Note: In the temperature graphs, certain datasets were referred to in an abbreviated form.
For the benefit of the reader, their abbreviated forms have been expanded below.
Climate Research Unit Reanalysis over Leh was referred to as CRU.
(NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Project) Data over Leh was referred to as NNRP.
(ECMWF Interim Reanalysis Data Archive) over Leh was referred to as ERA
India Meteorological Department station data for Leh was referred to as IMDST.

Fig.8) A graph showing the increase in annual temperature in Ladakh from 1979 to 2009.
The dotted line represents the change in temperature, which clearly has been increasing
constantly over this period. The same colour code applies for this graph as in the previous
figure.

The increased summer temperature has also brought along with it increased pests, leading to
the usage of chemical pesticides. This is alarming.

Measures must be taken to carry out controlled terraforming in the lower valleys where it is
feasible, along with mechanisms to capture the increased rainfall so that it does not go to
waste and bring about floods. Turning to organic agriculture by using bio-fertilisers and bio-
pesticides wherever traditional manures are insufficient is the need of the hour, given the
urgency with which we need to counter pollution. Due to the lack of opportunities in the
region, many people are moving away to the cities. Given the already scarce population in
Ladakh, efforts must be made to make agriculture a lucrative occupation in Ladakh to ensure
self-sufficiency when it comes to food supply. India’s goal of self-sufficiency entails making
its various subdomains self-sufficient as well.

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West Bengal And Climate Change

West Bengal has the highest proportion of agricultural land among all the Indian states. It is
blessed with abundant alluvial soil in the Gangetic plains as well as sufficient streams for the
purpose of irrigation. Rice is a leading crop in nearly every area. Sugarcane and oilseeds are
major crops as well. Though much of the jute growing regions are now in Bangladesh, the
region south of the Ganges river still is prominent for jute growing. Mangoes, jackfruit and
bananas are produced in the Southern and central portions of the state. Wheat and potatoes
are winter crops grown mainly in the southern regions. Tea grown in Darjeeling and
Jalpaiguri, in the Tarai lowland belt is famous the world over, with Darjeeling also
producing oranges, apple, pineapples, ginger and cardamom.

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Fig 9.) A Physical Map of West Bengal

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While Bengal has also seen an increase in temperature, much of the current scientific
literature has only focused on the impact of temperature fluctuations in causing natural
disasters in Bengal, as opposed to its direct tangible impact on agricultural patterns. In recent
years, Bengal has seen a delayed monsoon with concentrated rainfall. This leads to two
problems. A delayed monsoon jeopardises the crop calendar and forces farmers to rely on
groundwater which not only depletes groundwater but also leads to lower production due to
a delay in the sowing of seeds. This significantly affects Kharif crops. On the other hand,
concentrated rainfall during the later months significantly affects Rabi crops which do not
need so much moisture. Also, less water percolates down to the water table thus reducing the
rate of recharging groundwater. Concentrated rainfall also leads to more floods.

Fig.10) Graph showing a decreasing trend in annual rainfall in the recent years over Sub-
Himalayan West Bengal.

Fig.11) A Graph showing an increasing trend in annual rainfall in the recent years
over Gangetic West Bengal.
Therefore, we need to carry out water harvesting which can capture the excess rainfall during
the Rabi season, store it and use it to slowly recharge the groundwater annually. Rainwater
harvesting if carried out at the level of individual homes can lead to the development of a
decentralised water supply at a mass level. Since West Bengal ranks among the top states
when it comes to days when agricultural labourers do not get work, it is evident that there is
a great deal of disguised unemployment here, as opposed to the labour scarcity in Ladakh.
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To counter this, we need to create lucrative opportunities in other sectors so that people
migrate to other occupations.
I shall deal very briefly with livestock, which is also an indispensable part of agriculture.
Livestock not only contribute greatly to climate change, but are also affected greatly by it
since rising Temperatures as well as irregular precipitation makes it very difficult for
organisms to survive. A proposed, generalised (nevertheless potent) solution would be to use
transgenic animals, given the recent advancements in biotechnology. Gradually, the gene
pool of local animals can be modified so that they have greater adaptability and heightened
productivity.

Conclusion

The Neolithic period was a remarkably transformative period for mankind. We transitioned
from hunting to agriculture as well as started living in permanent homes during that period.
This is probably why V Gordon Childe coined the term, “The Neolithic Revolution”. Today,
in the 21st century, we have come a long way from those bygone centuries. We live in
fractured times, and with the increasing threat of climate change, it is of utmost importance
to review the agricultural challenges afflicting us as well as explore ways to combat them. 

My major takeaway from this project is; a common problem can manifest itself in a
multitude of ways across regions, owing to different conditions across them. This is precisely
why we need local solutions to problems like climate change which despite being global,
have different localized effects across regions. Life in Ladakh is still relatively primitive as
compared to West Bengal. Any attempts to industrialise it forcibly at the cost of ecological
health and cultural sensibilities will be devastating, and a form of cultural imperialism. At
the same time, we must be prudential rather than emotional, and thus be open to utilization
of technology, which in recent times has advanced quite a fair bit. One must however keep in
mind that utilisation of technology must not happen in a profligate manner. Traditional
solutions have persisted for aeons precisely because of their efficacy and may still be valid
after the requisite tweaks.
An issue that I did not deal with was socio-economic inequities. Socio-economic inequities
are a complex issue and deserves a report of its own. To justify this exclusion, I would argue
that there is a difference between agricultural challenges and agrarian challenges. The former
is largely due to natural causes, or in the case of climate change, an infliction of nature upon
man due to the latter’s impudence whereas the latter is a product of socio-economic
challenges. Given the need for brevity in this report, I decided to be pedantic and focus on
the former rather than end up being facile in the quest for breadth. I hope this exclusion will
be met in good faith.
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We are at the crossroads of two possible routes, one where human civilisation moderates its
exploitative nature and the other being a nosedive towards the pitiless annihilation of
civilisation as we know it. The planet will survive even if we don’t. It survived the bronze
age collapse, yet it took us a millennium to stand up on our feet after the collapse. This time
may be different, this may be a final solution. It is up to us to bend this final solution in our
favour. Much of the global population ends up deep within the soil, the same soil which
produces the food that helps build our bodies. Thus, one might argue that agriculture is the
most intimate productive activity man engages in. Therefore, we must ensure that we ensure
the sustained existence of this activity for our sake, for as the bible says, we are but dust and
unto dust we shall return.

GROUP REFLECTIONS
It is a running trope in public humour, especially the domain that focuses on students, that
group projects are rarely done by the entire group. However, the ALS report on a
“Comparative Study Between Ladakh and West Bengal On Local Solutions To Agricultural
Challenges” was a negation, or maybe an exception to this motif. As the leader of my group,
I had the full support of my fellow members. There were four of us in total, making the fair
distribution of responsibilities without overburdening anyone a fairly easy task. I believe my
penchant for doing research on arcane topics, in conjunction with my proclivity for writing
lengthy expositions was of some help to my group. Throughout this project, the unity
exhibited by each of its members helped ensure that our efforts were holistic rather than
parochial, that our ideas were executed effectively, rather than in a crudely contrived
manner. In conclusion, the successful completion of our report was due to the cohesion
amongst us. I am sure my fellow comrades who assisted me in this project now see the truth
in the maxim, “A single twig breaks but a bundle of twigs is strong”.

CONTRIBUTIONS

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This project was made by four students. Their names along with their major contributions are
listed below.

1) Anant Poddar - Analysis of Agricultural system in West Bengal and possible local
solutions to the agricultural challenges.
2) Pushkar Pandey - Analysis of temperature and rainfall patterns in Ladakh in light of
climate change and its impact on agriculture
3) Rudraksha Roy Mandal - Analysis of Agricultural system in Ladakh and possible local
solutions to the agricultural challenges.
4) Upamanyu Roy - Analysis of climate change in West Bengal with special focus on
variation in precipitation.
Since the final reports are individually made, each student has incorporated elements of
research that they might have discovered, or ideas that occurred to them in an attempt to
customize their project, that have not been listed above. Nevertheless, the list above will
suffice to show the equitable distribution of labour that took place in our group.

Fig.12) The four group members in intense discussion (You = Upamanyu Roy, the one
who took the screenshot)

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 Bibliography

A lot of information went into the making of this project. I will ensure that I cite the source
for every bit of data I and image that I have quoted in this project. A lot of sources that have
not been explicitly quoted have nonetheless been important insofar as they helped the author
understand the intricacies of the topic. I will cite the original source wherever I can find it. In
the other cases, I will cite the source where I first found the particular resource.

The sources of the images used in this project have been mentioned in sequential order
below.

 Fig.1) - The Tribune

 Fig.2) and Fig.9) - https://www.mapsofindia.com/
 Fig.3) Chapter 2 - “Soil and water management techniques” of the book “Indigenous
Technology Knowledge for Watershed Management in upper North-West Himalayas
of India”
 Fig.4) - https://www.mountaininitiative.in/blogs/174-shrinking-glaciers-of-ladakh-a-
clarion-call.html
 Fig.5) and Fig.6) - “An analysis of precipitation trend in Leh, Ladakh, Northern India”
by Tenzin Yangkey
 Fig.7) and Fig.8) - Chevuturi, Amulya & Dimri, A P & Thayyen, Renoj. (2018).
Climate change over Leh (Ladakh), India. Theoretical and Applied Climatology
 Fig.10) and Fig.11) - SS Nandargi and K Barman. “Evaluation of Climate Change
Impact on Rainfall Variation in West Bengal". Acta Scientific Agriculture 2.7 (2018):
74-82.

Among the sources for the images listed above, the research papers also helped provide
information as well as clarify concepts. A few other important sources indispensable to the
making of this project are listed below.

 Dolker, P. (2018). An Overview of Transition in Traditional Agriculture of Ladakh. J.

Himalayan Ecol. Sustain. Dev, 13, 7502-7526.

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 https://thewire.in/agriculture/arid-trans-himalayas-rise-pest-attacks-indicates-
changing-climate-conditions
 Mission Organic Development Initiative of Ladakh, Policy Strategy and Action Plan
document
 Livestock and Climate Change, a booklet issued by the Food and Agricultural
Organisation of the United Nations
 Porto-Neto LR, Reverter A, Prayaga KC, Chan EKF, Johnston DJ, Hawken RJ, et al.
(2014) The Genetic Architecture of Climatic Adaptation of Tropical Cattle. PLoS
ONE 9(11): e113284. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0113284
 Kaushik Jana, Debasis Sengupta, Subrata Kundu, Arindam Chakraborty & Purnima
Shaw (2020) The Statistical Face of a Region Under Monsoon Rainfall in Eastern
India, Journal of the American Statistical Association, 115:532, 1559-
1573, DOI: 10.1080/01621459.2019.1681275

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