Rural Development

I thank the Association of Engineers, organiser of the Eighth All India Conference to give me the opportunity of sharing some of my findings with you. As an Engineer I have been disciplined to analyse the situation as it exists in practice, to locate the nature of difficulties so that an economical solution can be attempted, I have had the opportunity of cultivating and experimenting with four acres of low lying land at B. E. College, at my own expense, for the last fifteen years. I have tried most of the suggestion, freely given by the Agricultural Department regarding cropping practice. Poultry and other cultivation are tried in 1.5 acre farms of my own. I was connected with Agro-Mechanical Corporation and Agricultural Department in various capacities. I have discussed agricultural practice with a large number of cultivators of Hooghly, Burdwan and Birbhum. In all these areas double cropping is very common and with reasonable planning one can easily get three crops a year. The critical factor as I found in these areas is assured water supply. Wherever water is available, cultivators are going for three crops.