No skilled hands, sugar factories in South Gujarat go hi-tech

Faced with the perennial shortage of cane cutters, sugar mills in south Gujarat have started adopting hi-tech techniques for better harvesting.
In the last one-and-a-half-year, about 33 hi-tech cane harvester machines have been purchased by various sugar factories in the region to tide over the shortage of skilled hands. The cane cutters, mostly migrant labourers from the Dang and bordering Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, have stopped coming to far-flung areas as they are getting work easily in their native villages.
Sugar co-operatives claim that the dearth has been fuelled by central government's National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme ( NAREGA) coupled with unwillingness of the young generation of cane cutters to follow the footsteps of their elders. Against the average 100 tonnes sugarcane required for crushing in a day, the sugar factories are getting less than 60 tonnes. Factories claim to be suffering losses of Rs 4 lakh - Rs 5 lakh per hour for keeping the crushing equipment switched off.
If all the 17 sugar factories have to shut their crushing equipment for an average of two hours per day, the total losses would be around Rs 1.70 crore per day.
"There is no other option left with the sugar co-operatives and cane farmers but to go for hi-tech cane harvesting instead of depending on cane cutters," president, Federation of Gujarat State Co-operative Sugar Factories (FGSCSF), Mansinh Patel said.
Patel said Gujarat contributes about 6 to 7 per cent in total sugar production in the country. Gujarat has about 17 sugar factories - 15 sugar factories in south Gujarat region and two in Saurashtra, where about 126 lakh tonnes of sugarcane is crushed in the entire season yielding sugar production of 12.6 lakh tonnes.
Each of the sugar factories in the region employ about 3,500 to 15,000 cane cutting workers for cutting lakhs of tonnes of sugarcane.
"If the annual sugar production of a sugar factory is 10,000 tones, about 17-20 lakh tonnes of sugarcane is required for crushing. An automatic harvesting machine costs Rs 1 crore and the output is about 40 to 50 tonnes per hour, which we cannot get manually," an office-bearer of Madhi Sugar Co-operative, which is facing shortage of about 4,000 workers out of the total requirement of 10,000 cane cutting workers, said.
Chandan Mishra, assistant manager at New Holland Fiat (India) Private Limited, supplier of mechanized sugarcane harvesting machine in south Gujarat, said, "The demand for mechanized harvesting machines is increasing from the sugarcane belt of south Gujarat. We have signed a memorandum of understanding with Navsari Agriculture University (NAU) for imparting technical knowledge to students wanting to operate the machine."

Source: TOI

It seems there are just clouds in store for south Gujarat. Despite heavy build up of clouds on Sunday, the districts like Surat, Valsad, Navsari and Dang received an average of 2mm rainfall with most of the talukas remaining dry.

Flood control department in the city said that only Kamrej taluka received 3mm rainfall on Sunday with rest of the talukas including Surat city remaining dry. The situation is same in Navsari and Valsad districts with the talukas like Valsad, Pardi, Umbergaon, Dharampur, Kaprada in Valsad district receiving rainfall between 3mm and 15mm and the talukas like Navsari, Jalalpore, Gandevi and Vansda receiving between 1 mm and 2mm rainfall on Sunday.

Kaprada taluka of Valsad district and Saputara and Waghai in Dang district considered to be the Cherrapunji of Gujarat, are the worst-hit due to delayed monsoon. These talukas have seen 40 per cent less rains this year compared to the same period last year.

However, rain gods did smile on tribal-dominated talukas in Tapi district since Saturday night following heavy rains. The talukas such as Vyara received 342mm rainfall followed by 295mm in Valod, 318mm in Songadh, 188mm in Uchhal and 177mm in Nizar.

Surat district has remained 15 per cent rain deficient till date when compared to the same period last year. Four of the five talukas in Navsari district, too, are deficient by 15 per cent to 20 per cent, whereas Valsad district remained 10 per cent deficient till date.

Meanwhile, Ukai reservoir has started getting water from the upstream of Tapi river basin in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh following the heavy rains in the past 72 hours. The water level in the reservoir which was below 310 feet three days ago has increased at 313 feet on Sunday.

Official sources said that the dam is receiving good amount of water from the upstream with the release of 1 lakh cusecs water from the Hathnoor dam since Saturday. Ukai dam authorities recorded inflow of 17,000 cusecs of water at 10 am and the dam levels were recorded at 313.16 feet.

With the monsoon still weak, there is a fear of water shortage if the dam doesn't get filled up to its rule level of 331 feet by August-end. During the last few years it is observed that by the end of July, dam levels reach 325 feet and by August end they reach the rule level of 331 feet.

However, this year due to lack of good rain in the upstream basin of Tapi river, water was not received in sufficient quantity till date.

Lepto claims one more in south Gujarat

A 40-year-old woman from Zakhari village of Tapi district has become the latest casualty to leptospirosis in south Gujarat, taking the toll to four in the region in this monsoon season. Lata Gamit had been admitted in New Civil Hospital on July 21. One each patient from Surat and Navsari districts have been reported as infected by the disease in the past 24 hours. This has taken the number of leptospirosis patients to 28 in south Gujarat.
Sukha Rathod,42, from Mohini village of Choryasi taluka of Surat district has been admitted in New Civil Hospital's special ward for leptospirosis patients. His condition is stable. Raju Halpati, 30, of Tavdi village of Jalalpore taluka of Navsari district has been admitted in Navsari Civil Hospital for treatment of leptospirosis.
Of the 28 patients, eight are from Surat district, 14 from Tapi district and six from Navsari district. Two of the persons who lost their lives belonged to Tapi district where as the other victims were from Surat and Navsari districts.
Every year over 100 people lose their lives to the disease which is primarily caused by the rats mostly to sugarcane workers who work in waterlogged fields in bare feet.

Source: TOI

Ukai dam levels rise by 8 feet in 48 hours

SURAT: With the fears of draught looming large for the first time in last decade over South Gujarat due to scanty rains till now, there is good news for the farmer community of Surat, Navsari and Tapi District.

Following good amount of rains in upstream of Tapi river basin in Maharastra and MP during last 72 hours, Hathnoor dam authorities released large amount of water paving the way for filling up process of Ukai dam. Sk Mishra, Officer in-charge of Central Water commission( CWC) in the area said, " Ukai received 145MCm or nearly 14.20 lakh cusecs of water in 12 hours ending 10 am in the morning and will receive another 75 MCM or 7 lakh Cusecs of water by 10 pm on the night of Thursday."

This will swell the levels of Ukai reservoir to nearly 312 feet , a rise of nearly 8 feet in 48 hours. Ukai dam authorities recorded inflow of 1,10,315 cusecs of water at 10 am and the dam levels were recorded at 310.91 feet. An officer said, " By 10 pm tonight we will cross 312 feet."

With the monsoon not bringing the rains as it should, there is a fear of water shortage if the dam doesn't get filled up to its rule level of 331 feet by August end.

During the last few years it is observed that by the end of July, dam levels reach to 325 feet and by August end they reach the rule level of 331 feet. However this year due to lack of good rain in the upstream basin of Tapi river; water was not received in sufficient quantity till date. This is the first big influx of water in the reservoir this season and has kindled the hope of revival for the region as irrigation of Surat, Tapi and major parts of Navsari district depend on Ukai water. It is also the only potable water source of water for the population of nearly 60 lakh people living in Surat city and nearby areas of the district.

The region is nearly 25 per cent deficient till date in terms of rain fall.