Satat krishi kendra: an integrated Agriculture center for training in sustainable practices in Kutch Gujarat

Abstract

Agriculture and animal husbandry have historically been the major source of livelihood for the people of Kutch region of Gujarat. With 45,652 sq.km., it is the largest district in India replete with varied types of undeveloped landforms. As per NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) report, the average size of land holding of a small in the region is more than 2 hectares which is large when compared with other regions of India. The region experiences challenging climatic conditions, topography of infertile and sandy soil, and acute water shortage which has aggravated in recent years. The geographic conditions of the region like rainfall pattern, saline soil, non-availability of quality irrigation water for agricultural growth, pose obstacles for the development of these agricultural land. Also, the district is continuously affected either by drought, cyclone or earthquake. There is a persisting problem of wind and water erosion, moisture stress, salinity and alkalinity in the coastal area of Kutch, which has affected the productivity of land. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, as well as State agricultural department have proposed various policies to increase awareness about resource management and promote more efficient farming techniques through agricultural demonstration and training centers initiatives. In order to promote development of the rural agro based economy of Kutch region, the Kandla SEZ Port Trust has proposed an integrated agricultural training center in the outskirts of Gandhidham city that would be an interface for the integration of the new scientific technologies with traditional agricultural practices to promote sustainable agriculture in the region. A well-planned sequence of spaces with demonstration facilities integrated with sustainable means of resource management, designed specifically for the climate and cultural context of that region, would be required to bring these well thought government policies and programs into action on the grass root level. The proposed thesis project will be a design solution to the proposal put forward by the Kandla Port Trust of the KASEZ, which aims to create an integrated agriculture center that serves as a model as well as a learning ground for farmers to combine the traditional techniques with new scientific approaches and technologies to improve their agricultural produce and utilize the available resources in a sustainable manner.