THE STORY OF VILLAGE PALAMPUR - Class 9 PDF Download

THE STORY OF VILLAGE PALAMPUR

Introduction: -

1.      Farming is the main activity in Palampur Village. Other small scale activities include small scale manufacturing, dairy, transport, etc. It has fairly well developed system of roads, transport, electricity, irrigation, schools and health centre.

2.      The village is well connected with an all weather road to Raiganj and further on to the nearest town of Shahpur. The types of transport available in Palampur are bullock carts, tongas, bogeys (wooden carts drawn by buffalos) loaded with jiggery, and other commodities to motor vehicles such as motorcycles, jeeps, tractors and trucks.

3.      The population of the village is 450 people belonging to different castes with 80 upper caste families.

4.      The houses of the upper caste families are made up of brick with cement plastering. The backward classes comprise of one – third of the population of the village and live in one corner of the village. They live in much smaller houses which are made of mud and straw.

5.      Most of the households have electric connections. Electricity powers all the tube wells in the fields and is used in various types of small businesses.

6.      Palampur has two primary schools and one high school.

7.      The village has a primary health centre run by the government and one dispensary where the sick are treated.

8.      Factors of Production: - The aim of production is to produce the goods and services that we want in an attempt to make economic benfits. There are four requirements for  production of goods and services: -

a] Land: - land is used for various purposes such as agricultural, non – agricultural, barren and wastelands and forests.

Agricultural land could be fertile, less fertile, fallow and cultivable waste.

The non – agricultural uses of land include settlements of people, industries, means of transport and communication, schools and hospitals, parks, shopping complexes, etc.

Barren and wastelands are those lands which have either been rendered useless due to disposal of waste, lack of water, overgrazing, erosion, land degradation or any other reason or is naturally a wasteland.

Forests are one of the most important assets in a country as they provide many benefits from ecological balance to raw materials and habitat to wildlife. Forests on the basis of administration can be classified into Reserved, Protected and unclassed. 

b] Labour: - it is the people who will do the work. There are four types of labourers: - unskilled, semi – skilled, skilled and highly skilled. Different categories are absorbed in different kinds of occupations and are also paid according to their level of skills and wages that can at least cover a family’s minimum requirements of calories, clothing, shelter, education, medical assistance and entertainment. The present minimum wage per person per day is Rs. 160 / - . In Rajasthan, the minimum wages per person per day is Rs. 212 / -. The wage rates differ across states, sectors, skills, regions and occupations owing to difference in costs of living, regional industries' capacity to pay,consumption patterns, etc.

c] Capital: - also known as physical capital and is required at every stage of production. This is further classified into two: -

i] Fixed Capital: - Tools and machines range from very simple tools to sophisticated machines such as generators, turbines, computers, etc. Tools, machines and buildings can be used in production over many years and are called as fixed capital. They can be purchased or rented or hired and are owned for a period of more than one year. Land is not included as a part of fixed capital as it is not a product and a fixed capital is a concept which includes creation of a product by adding value to it. The amount of fixed capital needed to set up a business is quite variable, especially from industry to industry. Some businesses require high fixed-capital investment. Common examples would include industrial manufacturers, telecommunications providers and

oil exploration firms.Fixed-capital investments don't depreciate (wear and tear). Some devalue quite quickly, while others have nearly infinite "usable" lives.

ii] Working Capital: - is raw materials and money in hand. Production required a variety of raw materials such as yarn used by a weaver, clay used by a potter etc. Also, money is always required during production to make payments and buy other necessary items. Unlike tools machines and buildings, these are used up in the process of production. It is a measure of a company’s financial strength.

d] Entrepreneurship: - is the factor of production that ties the other two together. It provides innovation and creativity in the production process and the use of other factors. It helps create a profitable business. Theentrepreneuris the individual who takes an idea and attempts to make aneconomic profitfrom it by combining all other factors of production. The entrepreneur also takes on all of the risks and rewards of the business.

9.      Farming in Palampur: - It is the main activity in Palampur. 75 % of the people are dependent on farming for their livelihood as farmers or farm labourers. The economic and socio –cultural well – being of these people affects the production on the farms. But he land is fixed and all lands including wastelands as well have been converted in to farmlands. So, there no scope of increasing the land area by bringing more land under cultivation.

10. The standard unit of measuring land is hectare, though in villages other measuring units are also used such as bigha, guintha, etc. One hectare equals the area of a square with one side measuring 100 metres. Land is not left idle in Palampur with crops grown throughout the year. 

11. Kharif and Rabi Cropping Season: - The agricultural crop year in India is from July to June. The Indian cropping season is classified into two main seasons-(i) Kharif and (ii) Rabi based on the monsoon. The kharif cropping season is from July –October during the south-west monsoon and the Rabi cropping season is from October-March (winter). The crops grown between March and June are summer crops. The terms ‘kharif’ and ‘rabi’ originate from Arabic language where Kharif means autumn and Rabi means spring. The kharif crops include rice, maize, sorghum, pearl millet / bajra, finger millet / ragi (cereals), arhar (pulses), soyabean, groundnut (oilseeds), cotton etc. The rabi crops include wheat, barley, oats (cereals), chickpea/gram (pulses), linseed, mustard (oilseeds) etc. The Kharif crops are totally dependent on the quantity of rain water as well as on its timing. The main source of water for Rabi crops is rainwater that haspercolatedinto the ground; they requireirrigation. A good rain in winter spoils theRabi cropsbut is good for Kharif crops. The Kharif crops are also used a cattle feed.

12. Potatoes are also cultivated between October – December. Sugarcane is also grown in Palampur and is harvested only once in a year.

13. Farmers in Palampur are able to grow three different crops in a year in Palampur due to a well developed system of irrigation. There was a great impact of electricity to transform the system of irrigation. Instead of the Persian Wheels now electric run tube wells are used to draw water from the ground which could irrigate much larger areas more effectively.

14. Not all villages in India have high levels of irrigation. Apart from the riverine plains, coastal regions in our country are well irrigated. In contrast, plateau regions such as the Deccan Plateau have low levels of irrigation. Out of the total cultivated area only 40 % is irrigated the rest is dependent on rainfall.

15. The main reasons for uneven irrigation different regions of India are: -

a] High levels of irrigation are due to: - large areas drained by many perennial rivers, a high ground water level, soft rocks and soil through which the water percolates easily into the ground, heavy rainfall, a good system of dams and canals, regular supply of electricity to draw water from the ground, development of technology related to irrigation such as sprinkler and drip irrigation system and ground and surface water management.

b] Low levels of irrigation are due to: - areas suffering from drought due to uncertain monsoon, lack of rivers or seasonal rivers, hard rocks which makes it difficult for surface water to penetrate into the ground, less rainfall, lack of dams and canal network, erratic electricity supply which hampers the drawing of water from the ground, poverty of farmers who cannot afford costly technology, lack of water shed management. 

16. Ways to increase production on a given piece of land: -

a] Multiple cropping: is the practice of growing two or more crops in the same piece of land during a single growing season. It is a form of poly culture. It can take the form of double-cropping, in which a second crop is planted after the first has been harvested, or relay cropping, in which the second crop is started amidst the first crop before it has been harvested. One example of multi-cropping is tomatoes + onions + marigold; the marigolds repel some tomato pests. It does this by three key processes – competition, one plant gaining benefits from the other and both the plants benefiting from each other.

17. Benefits of Multiple Cropping: - This technique makes effective use of inputs such as soil, water, fertiliser etc. Thus output per unit area increases with manifold returns to the growers. Multiple cropping can be done in annual food crops, fodders, vegetables, fruit plants and perennial crops. It could enable the country to be self-sufficient in food production and export the surplus to generate revenue to finance the cost of other projects.

a] With multiple cropping, incidence of crop failure owing to biotic agents is minimised. One crop may provide cover to the other against such agents through biological control.

      b] Multiple cropping could also help in maintaining soil fertility provided suitable crops such as legumes are included in the cropping system. For example intercropping of a legume crop with others could increase the process of nitrogen fixation that would enhance the nutrient status of the soil. There is reduction in the need of artificial fertilizers which can otherwise be expensive.

     c] An important aspect of multiple cropping is the utilisation of nutrients more efficiently as the crops growing on the same piece of land simultaneously would have different nutritional requirements.

      d] Diverse foods outputs are obtained through multiple cropping, thus providing a chance of choice for using food commodities.

      e] Multiple cropping is also important from marketing point of view. As we are getting more than one crop simultaneously so even if the selling price of one commodity is less in the market, the other will be there to compensate. There is less dependence on purchased inputs and overtime crops maintain productivity with lesser inputs.

     f] Multiple cropping narrows the space available for weeds to grow and hamper their growth thus lead to enhanced food production.

     g] Farmers can keep their fields under continuous production.

     h] It also reduces the adverse effects of weather conditions for the farmer as planting and harvest is at different times of the season.

18. Demerits of multiple cropping: -

     a] Sometimes the insect pests and diseases get more favourable environment to flourish, thus diminishing and deteriorating crop yields. Inter-cultural practices are sometimes difficult to be carried out in the crops grown together.

     b] Some plant crops are very specific in the type of soil they need for maximum profits.

     c] This type of farming system is done keeping in mind the needs of the soil and not he needs of the crop.

     d] If the crops are not chosen properly than chances of competition between can increase affecting production.

     e] It may also reduce the fertility of the soil as more than one crop is grown at a time in the same piece of land.

19. Intercropping: - means the growing of more than one crop in rows where the minor crops are planted between the rows of major crop. For instance, the crops like canola, mustard, garlic, tobacco, watermelon, muskmelon, etc. can be successfully intercropped with sugarcane crop. The crops in intercropping may have a different sowing and harvesting time.

20. The second type of multiple cropping is mixed cropping which comprises simultaneous growing of two or more crops on the same piece of land with same sowing, maturity and harvesting time. Mixed cropping is especially important for fodder crops where it can provide enormous quantities of feedstuff for supporting sustainable livestock production. Mixed cropping of oat and berseem is suitable for enhancing fodder stuff to feed livestock.

21. Relay cropping: - is another type of intercropping where second crop is sown while the first crop is near maturity. This practice is beneficial in terms of resolving time conflict for plantation of various crops. For example delayed sowing is an important reason for yield decline in wheat crop that can be avoided through relay cropping of wheat in standing cotton crop. Relay cropping can also fetch certain other benefits such as usage of residual moisture from the previous crop and reduced planting costs.

22. Traditional Methods of farming vs Modern Methods of Farming: -

a] Traditional seeds were used before 1960 which yield per hectare was 1300 kg but the production through HYV seeds went up to 3200 kg per hectare.

b] Traditional seeds needed less irrigation whereas HYV seeds need more irrigation.

c] Traditionally, farmers used cow dung and other manures whereas modern farming requires artificial and chemical fertilizers.

d] All facilities were easily available for the farmers in the village itself but now the farmers have to go to the cities in order to obtain these resources.

e] Traditionally, farmers only used draught power but now the farmers have access to all sorts of modern farm machinery which has reduced their work and the work can now be done faster which has also reduced wastage of crops lying on the fields but can be harvest packed and transported to the market simultaneously.

f] Traditionally, agriculture was monsoon based but with the extensive use of electricity water is available throughout the year as the water can be draw from the tube wells as and when required.

g] Traditionally, the farmers used a large part of the production from their farm for meeting their personal needs but with increased production the farmers now are able to sell a huge part of their farm production in the market and earn greater profits.

h] Traditionally, the farmers did not have proper facilities to store foods grains but no there are proper storage facilities not only with the farmers but also with the government which has greatly reduced the loss of food grains.

i] The agricultural inputs were very cheap with the traditional methods but the modern methods are out of reach of the very small and poor farmers as these are very costly.

j] Traditionally the farmers were cheated by middlemen but now the Food Corporation of India has eliminated all the major problems by buying the food grains from the farmers to maintain the Buffer Stock.

23. Disadvantages of the Green Revolution / Chemical Fertilizers: -

a] Modern farming methods have overused the natural resource base.

b] Soil fertility has been reduced due to the continuous use of chemical fertilizers.

c] The continuous use of ground water for tube well irrigation has reduced the water – table below the ground.

d] Soil fertility and ground water are natural resources that take a long time to build, and once destroyed they take a long time to be built.

e] Chemical fertilizers provide minerals which dissolve in water and are immediately available to the plants. But these may not be retained in the soil for long They may escape from the soil and pollute ground water, rivers and lakes.

f] Chemical fertilizers also kill bacteria and other farmer friendly bacteria and micro – organisms in the soil. This will lead to a lesser fertile soil in the future.

g] The cost of cultivation through the modern farming methods has also increased the cost of production.

h] It has also increased the gap between the small, marginal and rich farmers.

i] It has also increased the gap between the irrigated and rainfed crops and some crops have benefitted more than the others, sometimes even at the cost of other crops.

j] The coarse grains have not benefitted to a large extent hence many farmers have given up the production of coarse grains in favour of wheat and rice, which has in fact reduced the production of coarse grains.

k] Cash crops have not been at all affected by the green Revolution.

l] Mechanisation under the Green Revolution has not only increased production and reduced wastage but has also led to unemployment as landless labourers have been replaced by farm machinery.

m] Deforestation has occurred on a large scale as he idea to of Green Revolution was to increase food grains production which in turn needed more land, so to increase the area under agriculture and to meet the needs of the over growing population forest were cut down.

n] Availability of chemicals in all forms and water due to irrigation has combined to further aggravate the problem of water logging which in turn has led to depletion of soil nutrients.

o] Due to the excessive use of insecticides and pesticides, the insects and pests have become immune to the chemicals and are now attacking the crops even more strongly.

p] The green Revolution has also led to outbreak of many diseases such as malaria due to increased supply of water by the betterment in irrigation facilities. Many other diseases in humans have been seen due to the spray of chemicals.

24. Distribution of land among the farmers of Palampur: -

a] All people engaged in farming do not have sufficient land for cultivation. One third of the backward caste families do not have land for cultivation. The families that have about 2 hectares of land are not able to earn adequate income for their families. Only a few farmer s have land extending over 10 hectares or more.

25. Labour availability in Palampur: -

a] Small farmers along with their families cultivate their own fields. Thus, they provide the labour required for farming themselves. Farm labourers either come from landless families or families cultivating small plots of land. Medium and large farmers hire farm labourers to work on their fields.

b] Farm labourers do not have right over the crops grown on the land. Instead they are paid wages in cash or in kind for example – food grains, meals, etc.

c] Wages vary widely from region to region, from crop to crop and one farm activity to another because those states which grow crops on a large scale and for commercial purposes pay higher wages to the farm labourers than the states that produce crops for self consumption or in lesser quantities; some crops like rice, cotton, etc require more labour and hence are paid more but crops like wheat where mechanised farming can be easily done, the wages for labourers is less; on the other hand the farming activities such  as sowing and harvesting require a lot of hard labour whereas when the crops are in the stages of growing  not much labour is required, except watering which is most of the time done by tube wells, canals, sprinklers and drip systems and de - weeding which can also be done by the family of the farmer itself, hence the wages vary.

d] There is also a wide variation in the duration of employment for a farm labourer who might be employed for either one farm activity or the other or for the whole year.

e] Farm labourers agree to work for lower wages because there is heavy competition for work among them as they are poor and in order to earn even a small amount of wage they accept lower wages; the people in the villages are illiterate or less literate and hence they are not able to get technical jobs or highly paid jobs; there is absence of alternative occupations in villages other than farming and even other occupations  are available they are very limited in amount; being illiterate and less skilled their productivity is less; there is no job security for them as they can be removed and absorbed as per the requirement of the land owner; many of the workers are migrants and to make a living they accept low wages; farm labourers are constantly at the mercy of weather conditions like natural disasters and bad weather and there is also lack of proper implementation of labour laws for such labourers.

26. The Capital needed for Farming: -

a] Most small farmers have to borrow money to arrange for capital. They borrow from large farmers or the village money lenders or traders who supply various inputs for cultivation. The rate of interest on such loans is very high and they are put to great distress to repay the loan.

b] The medium and large farmers have their own savings from farming. They are thus able to arrange for the capital needed.