Eat less rice, save more water

Hyderabad: Want to conserve water while sitting at home? Just cut down on that rice and wheat. Shift to millets — simple. It is healthier, and can save lakhs of gallons of precious water, both in the dams and under the ground.

Need further convincing? Here is a statistic: It takes 3,000 litres of water to grow just a kilo of paddy. All the water needs of an entire village can be met with the water needed to irrigate one hectare (2.5 acres) of paddy.

Everyone, government officials included, agree that it is more expensive to grow paddy and wheat than millets. Millets require far less water than paddy or wheat and millets are also pest free, are more resilient and require absolutely no pesticide. Additionally, millet plants provide better fodder than paddy.

They also know that millets are best suited for Telangana, Rayalaseema and coastal AP, which are entirely rain fed or depend on groundwater. They also agree that millets, which are free of glutens, have a far greater amount of nutrients and are healthier. And yet, they cannot see beyond rice and wheat even while 24 varieties of millets lie in complete neglect.

How rice was given importance during Kharif season (2014-15)

Consider this fact. Governments have spent lakhs of crores of rupees on building and maintaining huge dams. Now, year after year, they struggle to supply water to these crops, besides providing heavy subsidy or free power to agriculturists.

In contrast, millet crops do not qualify for even minimum support price, which means there are no incentives for farmers who grow what can only be described as the smart crop.

We as consumers share the blame for demanding rice. Consumers readily pay Rs 40 to Rs 50 for a kilo of unhealthy rice. A kilo of Jonnalu (sorghum, jowar), Taidalu (finger millet) or Sajja Pindi (Pearl Millet flour) costs the same but have few takers. Even Sajjalu (pearl millet) at '40 is not in favour. Not to mention Korra Biyyam (foxtail millet) which costs '80 a kg, as it is not cultivated in large areas, Ragi Pindi (finger millet flour) and Jonna Pindi (Sorghum flour) which cost '60. But then, government are not far behind.

The Telangana state government has replaced coarse rice with superfine variety of rice in all its welfare hostels. Millets, which can be a boon to the students’ health, is not on the menu. The public distribution systems sells only rice and wheat. No millets. The new National Food Security Act  does not even mention millets, the recent National Convention on Millets bemoaned.

In the early 80s, then CM N.T. Rama Rao gave a further push to rice consumption by introducing the Rs 2 a kilo rice scheme. Successor governments have brought the price down to Rs 1 now. With rice available at dirt cheap rates and given its ease of cooking, people completely ignored millets. And government felt obliged to grow more and more paddy.

The 16th century Telugu poet Srinatha Maha Kavi used to describe the people of Palnadu as those who always ate Jonna Ambali and Jonna Sankati (jowar varieties) and wouldn’t touch rice. Now, jowar is not available in Palnadu, and rice has overrun everything. Universities meanwhile, have been primed to innovate more varieties of paddy and wheat.

After Sir Arthur Cotton constructed the Godavari and Krishna barrages around 1850, the delta farmers in East and West Godavari, Krishna, parts of Guntur districts switched to paddy and there was no looking back. Nearly 175 years of growing paddy has sapped the soil. Before the Nagarjunasagar dam was built, the Palnadu in Guntur district, Prakasam, Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar and other districts used to grow only millets. The moment water from the Nagarjunasagar was out, governments pushed paddy.

Governments have also not earmarked areas on which paddy can be grown. so farmers from Srikakulam to Anantapur in AP, Alampur to Adilabad in Telangana cannot see beyond paddy.

Deccan Development Society director P.V. Satheesh, who is also national convenor, Millet Network, in a letter to the Chief Minister said, “Climate change, water scarcity and malnutrition are going hit us has badly. Millets can be a god-sent solution. We should really declare Telangana a millet state and millets as Telangana state crop.”

Korra Bajji
Ingredients:
Bengal gram flour: ¼ kg
Foxtail millet flour: ½ kg
Cumin seeds: 10 gm
Chilli powder: 25 gm
Baking powder: A pinch
Salt to taste, Oil: ½ kg

Method:
Sieve both the flours together and add cumin seed, salt, chilli and baking powders. Mix well and make a batter by adding sufficient water. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Gently put little scoops of batter into the heated oil and fry till the lumps of batter turn brown. Serve hot with chutney.

Taida roti
Ingredients:
Finger millet flour: 500 gm. Water to make dough for the rotis.

Method:
Take a handful of finger millet flour and add water to it to make a soft dough. Knead the dough into lemon sized balls. Place the dough ball on board and make round roti. Heat an iron pan and gently place the roti. Sprinkle a little water on the roti to cover it evenly. Roast it on an even flame on both sides till cooked.

Who is saying what
We would like to provide 50 per cent subsidy to the seed varieties of millets. We should take this up like the Green Revolution.— Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy, TS Agriculture Minister

After the bifurcation, we have now realised the importance of millets. We will try to encourage it in a phased manner.— Prattipati Pulla Rao AP, Agriculture Minister

A change in farming patterns is a must for Telangana State. I have been consuming millets for the past few decades and I have never been healthier.— K. Jana Reddy, Senior politician and Leader of Opposition from Nalgonda

Rayalaseema region in AP was known for millets. Now it isn’t so. If the government backs millets while banning paddy there , I’ll back the move.— Dr N. Tulasi Reddy, Former MP and Congress leader from Kadapa district

We must avoid the same grain for all three meals in a day. Millets have more micro-nutrients than rice. Millets also have low glycemic values — it will be good for daibetics. — Dr Janaki Srinath, Nutritionist

We supply free power to 21 lakh agriculture borewells at 12,300 million units annually. That’s a burden of Rs 4,600cr in subsidies which is eventually transferred to the citizens of the country.  Millets will save power and money, if we encourage it.— Telangana Genco official

Rice requires about 1200-1500 MM water whereas millets require just about 600-800 MM water per acre. Rice cultivation also leads to depletion of micro-nutrients in soil.Generally, millets are considered the poor man's crop and this stigma must be erased from our minds.— Dr G Malsur, Commissioner, Command Area, Development Authority Telangana