A parent’s perspective…

Jagtar Singh talks about his experience with the Navi Disha School, Sahouli

My elder son has passed out from Navi Disha School, Sahouli.  He is now in class XIth and is studying science from Government Senior Secondary School, Dhangerha. He wants to become a doctor.   I feel due to a strong base and clear concepts; my son is doing well in the senior school.  The confidence level of my child and his command over the language is good as compared to other school students.  My younger son is also a student of Navi Disha School, Sahouli, class I. 

For us it is a pleasure to attend the school events and see the children perform.  Teachers work hard with the students and the result is evident.  We want the school to flourish and we help in collecting funds for the school whenever there is a need.  We also get together to seek help from the Panchayat for the school.  Parents whose children are in other schools also get inspired by our experience and we help them in whatever way we can so that their children can also study in the Navi Disha School.  I feel because of good education, these children will grow up to be successful & responsible citizens and help in growth of the community and our village.

Chemical free, healthy crop!

Name: Farmer Major Singh, Village : Behniwal

Farmer Major Singh has his farm in 9 acres of total land and he cultivates wheat and cotton as his main crops. He did chemical farming on his land for both the crops. He joined the Sustainable Agriculture Program promoted by The Nabha Foundation, supported by TSPL in Feb’2018 through the awareness camp organized in his village, followed by pest management training camps. These camps shared best practices suitable towards reducing chemical input in the form of pesticide sprays and trained them to identify friendly pests that benefit their crop. These training camps helped him realize the impact of unwarranted pesticide sprays on their soil as well as his overall cost per crop. In rabi crop 2018, Major Singh implemented many of the suggested best practices under sustainable agriculture and thus team organized pest management training camps on his farm to show the benefits of chemical free farming.

Major Singh implemented the techniques of pest management in 2.5 acres of land under kharif crop. He increased his income by reducing his cost and he also increased his yield of cotton by 5 quintals. He spent a total of Rs. 13175/- in 2017 on chemical fertilizer and pesticides whereas in 2018 he spent only Rs. 8075. He increased his overall income by Rs.29000/-. 

Major Singh with his new found confidence implemented the suggested best practices such as bed plantation and inter-cropping at his farm in the rabi crop in 2018. He had sown wheat using the system of wheat intensification technique, inter-cropping it with gram in 0.2 acres. System of wheat intensification is planting the crop on raised beds which saves the farmers from over irrigation of the crop as well as uses lesser seeds as compared to direct sowing. He also intercropped wheat with gram on 0.2 acre and intercropped vegetables, fodder and oats in 0.5 acres. Rest of his crop was wheat sown directly. In his rabi crop, under sustainable agriculture he reduced his pesticide spray to zero and reducing his fertilizer input by 20 kg per acre (costing Rs. 5040/- for 9 acers). He increased his yield by 1 quintal per acre, increasing his overall income from the crop by Rs. 16560/- approximately.

He is also implementing organic farming techniques in wheat in 1 acre of his land and experimented with inter cropping of mustard in his orange orchid in 1 acre.