Braja Kishore Pradhan completed EPDM from XLRI. He is a serial entrepreneur, business consultant, philanthropist and a social worker who is working rigorously for the upliftment of the underprivileged in the remotest parts of the country. He believes development in real sense will only manifest when it has reached the grassroots and made a difference to all the lives it has touched upon. His work has been recognized through some awards he has received like National Excellence Award for Social Entrepreneur (2019), Best NGO award for Environment, Bangalore (2019), and Best Social worker in Bangalore to name a few.
Issue of climate change has been a worrisome affair worldwide, as human aspirations have gone awry mindlessly and steadfastly which has cost the ecology and environment dear. Many international organisations are regularly working on setting policies and involving world community to come together and make a change to the existing scenario which is becoming worrisome world over. But there has hardly been a major success in bringing about a breakthrough as these issues cannot be resolved in conference rooms, it require commitment, knowledge and a strong resolve to bring about a change on behalf of each and every person on the planet.
World over countries, whether developed or underdeveloped need to work consistently to bring about the change if they want a better future for themselves and their generations to come. The world is in a state of misery with depleting resources, loss of cultivable land leading to decreased food output, excessive pollution, increasing industrial waste being dumped on land and in water, affecting water bodies and sea life which is crucial also for human life, deforestation and many other practices which are costing the planet dear. The climate change scenario is not something that will return to normalcy anytime soon, it is going to take years and consistent good practice to put it in place and bring about a slow and steady change to see the results.
Futuristic practices like organic farming, integrative agriculture, community living and farming, redeveloping the wastelands, cleaning abandoned water bodies and restoring them are going to be the lifelines for the future survival and
these tasks need to be taken seriously and worked on with immediate effect. Adopting small, remote villages where there is hardly even a trace of development can set a classic example to emulate if such changes are brought into effect rigorously to bring far-reaching changes. There has been some impeccable work being done in the remotest corners of the country where a source of local income was generated for people and the model of community living and self-sustenance is in effect and is bearing fruits where a source of employment, income and clean surroundings have been provided for. The wasteland was taken on lease for a couple of years, after being cleaned and developed, it was cultivated with crops and plants that would fetch better returns like horticulture, medicinal plants and herbs. The community especially women of the village were taught how to further grow and how to sale these products directly to get better returns. Apart from this the community was encouraged to start dairy farming to get better return and also the newly developed land could provide for the cattle also. The close by water body was cleaned and restored to its fullest by working on retaining the pH balance of the water where fishery could be a good source of income for the people while the water body could also be maintained.
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The real solution will only come from the grassroots where the change of mindset can be set in form by implementing it, and new technological implementation can be put to trial on the ground itself to bring about a sea change in conserving our planet
Braja Kishore Pradhan, Founder, Aahwahan Foundation
While on the other hand, to improve agricultural practices like popularizing organic farming and increasing crop yield without doing much damage to the soil have been regularly taught to the farmers across India and some organisations are also providing for the organic seeds and fertilizers to bring about a change by popularizing the organic farming concept to the farmers. Team of scientists and researchers are spearheading this reform in bringing about a new leap and interest in farming is making it more profitable for the farmers while making agriculture sustainable. The idea is to make farming and village communities self-sustained by arming them with the knowledge and support they would require to become so. If development reaching every part is a challenge, we can teach them how to become independent and self-sufficient in their own way to script their own development which is sustainable and practical option for the long term. Zero use of plastics to protect water bodies and land will also go a long way in creating zero plastic zones, spearheading organic village concepts. Initiating drives like plantation, botanical garden in urban areas can go a long way in helping urban dweller understand the importance of going green and how it can impact their life in a positive way.
The real solution will only come from the grassroots where the change of mindset can be set in form by implementing it, and new technological implementation can be put to trial on the ground itself to bring about a sea change in conserving our planet and watching our carbon footprints has to be a conscious exercise by all providing for proper knowledge in the same to all and arming them with it. This way a step towards positive conservation will take shape steadily and using it as a people’s movement will ensure their confidence and support to the same to protect and will go a long way in helping conserve the same.
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