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REKINDLED: NURTURING NEW LIFE IN KATHIWADA

In Conversation with Digvijay Sinh Kathiwada

East of Champaner, on the western border of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, lies an oasis in the making. A lush green belt, which integrates forestry, permaculture, and organic farming across a hundred-acre campus in the erstwhile principality of Kathiwada.

When Digvijay Sinh Kathiwada inherited the land, a stark reality stared him in the face.  It was arid, barren and sorely under-utilized. Poorly irrigated and eroded. With no meadow and no pasture. Just a large swathe of parched land that stretched endlessly before him.

Instead of being deterred, Digvijay saw an opportunity. Here was a blank canvas, on which he could rebirth a thriving, viable ecosystem. One where nature and culture, humans and animals, the past and the future could co-exist seamlessly.

He knew that he couldn’t do it all alone. So, he reached out to a vast network of experts, tribals, NGOs and foundations to explore the possibilities. What could be done to revive a hundred-acre campus in the most sustainable manner possible?

From contour surveyors to soil analysts and forestation gurus, several people shared their insights. As he absorbed and accumulated their expertise, the possibilities began to develop. Under the guidance of an organization called Afforest, he decided to create tracts of man-made woodlands across the campus, that would soon become self-sustaining forests with their own ecosystems.

Several consultations with a water expert helped him to understand the state of the water-table and how the macro-shed water system could be better utilized. Then he turned to tribal farmers who had been practicing agriculture in the vicinity for generations to understand what the traditional methods of cultivation were, and how these could be leveraged to create sustainable livelihoods in the food production system. An urban planner by qualification, Digvijay had a big picture in mind.

He wanted to offset the entire carbon footprint of man-made development, and a green belt seemed to be the best way to do it. With a ratio of 90% greenbelt to 10% man-made development across a hundred acres of land, he strategically harnessed the power of nature to further this goal.

It was through these conversations and while consulting with a foundation known as Pukaar, that Digvijay realized that permaculture was the key.

Permaculture is “permanent agriculture” which draws on the principles of how a forest survives without human intervention, and replicates some of these practices for sustainable agriculture. The cornerstone of permaculture lies in creating environmental biodiversity so that the cultivated land can sustain itself. From natural pollinators like birds, bees and butterflies, to native species of plants including fruiting trees like custard-apple and mango, flowering plants, and lots of types of bamboo, the reforested patches have taken on a life of their own, creating a positive ripple effect on the land that surrounds them.

Offsetting the carbon footprint of man-made structures with a vibrant ecosystem was a feat in itself. But it was only the beginning. He decided to take it a step further to create the macro-impact and build a footprint of sustainable development across Central India.

Rekindled: Nurturing New Life In Kathiwada

Rekindled: Nurturing

Although was his ancestral home, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t share it with others. So, he took a ground-breaking decision to set up an ambitious educational campus within the estate which incorporates a laboratory as well as a state-of-the-art centre for research and learning.

People could come from all over the country and the world, to educate themselves on sustainable farming initiatives. The educational campus will welcome researchers who want to work on the land and learn more.

Helmed by a team of professors and educators, Kathiwada can take its model out into the greater world. Professors and teachers will be able to impart their knowledge to students. The centre has a dedicated classroom, lab and conference hall, creating a collaborative space where likeminded individuals can ideate and brainstorm together.

The beauty of Kathiwada is that it is a contained and privately owned environment, which allows one to analyze and monitor its evolution with a fair degree of precision. There are over 120 native species that have already taken root, a whole array giving birth to an array of small animals, insects, fungi, and other life-forms to create a vibrant ecosystem. The result is already there for anyone to see.

In the future, he envisions crops like organic turmeric and black pepper that can be cultivated in the shade of the forest itself. The micro-forests have created a rainwater catchment area which feeds into the river that flows through the property and increases the groundwater supply. As a result, the borewells on the property are self-sustaining as they get naturally recharged by the rainfall.

Of course, there will constantly be challenges that get thrown up in the course of its evolution. From bears who come for the termite mounds, to leopards who sneak a midnight snack from domesticated animals that the local farmers keep, there’s a certain amount of trial and error that comes with co-existing in a verdant natural habitat. But he’s up for the task.

From his perspective, this is a life-long project, one that will probably spill over into future generations. But he would like to see Kathiwada become a knowledge centre for sustainable livelihood development and socio-economic betterment across the region, one which frees it from the strangle-hold of sustenance farming. A tangible model of sustainable development.

One which walks the talk.

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