BENGALURU: The Ayush Arogya Camp, organised by the NGO GoPals on Sunday, aims to encourage farmers to build gaushalas near their agricultural lands. Training and educating farmers will help ensure that all resources are used efficiently making farmers completely self-sufficient, NGO volunteers said.
Keshav Modi, a volunteer, explained that they aim to promote rearing of native cattle breeds beyond just as a milch animal. Cow urine and dung can even be used as manure or processed for making biogas and ayurvedic medicines as well, he added. The use of fertilisers in producing more yield is a misconception which needs to be changed. It is only with the increased use of urea and fertilisers, which has resulted in low yield produce, while doing organic farming, he added.
Farmers and citizens need to be educated that organic farming is crucial for creating a healthy lifestyle and maintaining ecological balance as well, Modi said. Hence, setting up gaushalas near farmer’s fields are useful as they will create a symbiotic relationship between the cattle and the agricultural land. Such camps help in creating awareness in rural areas and educating them towards building such models in their own fields and benefitting from produce from both cattle and agricultural land.
Sudhir V, owner of a gaushala in Budhamanahalli village, Bengaluru, said a gaushala makes a farmer completely independent. Setting up a multi-facilitated land with a fish pond, a gaushala, a farm land, and a biogas plant will make the farmer not only self-sufficient, but an entrepreneur as well. The excess produce can be sold in the markets which will be a source of added income for the farmer, Sudhir said.
Sudhir also said adopting such a set up will also help reduce burden from the government towards providing constant aid to the farmers. Setting up a gaushala is not expensive and any farmer can easily build one in their backyard.
NGO volunteers are collaborating with several corporate companies, farmers and stakeholders to create awareness about creating a chemical free, healthy and sustainable environment.