Business Opportunities in Agriculture: 150 Field Interviews (Book)

Serene Eco Village, Pune, Maharashtra

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Shuts down 22 years of flourishing medicine career, develops forest and creates awareness on healthy lifestyle

“I got inclined towards healthy living from 1993, it implies living life as naturally as possible. It was engrossing and I started disconnecting from my medicine field. I bought 110 acres of land in Velhe Taluka, Dhanep, in the Sahyadri range in the year 2000 and started planting all varieties of saplings,” says Doctor Pravin Chordia, Founder, Serene Eco Village. He is resident of Pune, Maharashtra and his forest is located in the Sahyadri range, 45 km southwest Pune, Maharashta.
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As Dr. Chordia believes in diversity he ensured to have all different varieties of tress such as bamboo, teak, fruit, flowers, herbal and other forest trees. There are more than 1000 species of trees in 45 acres. “I planted close to 3 lakh trees. Some survived while others were lost. Never mind it is a natural process. I shall continue to plant the saplings because we still have 65 acre area to be turned into green belt,” he shares. All the plantation work is done manually without using any technology as, “We are not doing any commercial activity presently in the area. At the moment all we want is to have more and more trees.”

Contour farming practices are followed for planting the saplings. “It has been done in most scientific way,” he asserts. Manure was made from the green waste compost. The waste was collected from the neighboring farmers and also carried from Pune to forest location. “The waste was segregated and then compost was prepared. However we have good number of glyricidia trees now. Its’ green leaf manure is quite effective in fixing the nitrogen content in the soil. It is one of the fastest growing trees. So we have become manure rich in the forest due to this tree.”
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Irrigation is done through the water sourced from the nearby dam as no success has been received from rainwater harvesting. “We have 10 ponds at our place. We must have tried 20 different models of rainwater harvesting but none of it is successful as of date. So we had to source the water from the dam just adjacent to our forest,” informs Dr. Chordia.

When asked about fruiting of trees he says, “Sahyadri range receives highest rainfall but entire mountain ranges are barren for more than 10-12 years. The soil health is in pathetic condition. Amla trees in my forest have started fruiting only last year that is after 15 years. So one can imagine the alarming situation of this planet as green belt is diminishing rapidly. It is a serious threat!”
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To create a forest was an extremely daunting task as it was done all by Chordia family. “Government is not at all paying any attention towards forestry or improving green belt. There is absolutely no awareness or access to quality rich saplings. It was very challenging to source the plants. For example to get 200 teak saplings I went all the way to Kolhapur taking the recommendation letter from the forest officer who is my friend else it would have been still more hard,” he shares.

All the expenses for developing the forest had been incurred by Dr. Chordia. He didn’t take any subsidy as he finds the entire process as time intensive and tedious. “In that period I was running the hospital too hence I choose to rather spend the resources in other activities instead of wasting it behind taking the subsidy. Besides irrespective of the subsidy or any support received I was sure to grow trees and develop the forest,” he says.
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Villagers residing around Serene Eco Village are encouraged to take up chemical free farming. Their organic produce is now sold in Pune city with the help of Dr. Chordia and his family members. In addition to provide the village residents with consistent source of income small manufacturing units are also set up such as oil pressing unit, incense manufacturing unit and medicinal herbs unit. “These ventures employ the local people and local produce. It is all managed by my daughter and son in-law,” he adds.

Dr. Chordia has shut down his hospital and is helping people to lead a medicine free life. “There is severe misery in present lifestyle. In time to come we have to go back to our ancestral way of living life. And most important each and every human being must consciously plant saplings otherwise it is a dark future for all of us!” he signs off.

Contact details:
Serene Eco Village
Serene, At Post Dhanep,
Opposite Gunjawani Dam,
Welhe Taluka, Dhanep, Pune,
Maharashtra 412212
Phone: 09850778898, 020 24268771
Email: medicinefreelife@gmail.com
 

Business Opportunities in Agriculture: 150 Field Interviews (Book)

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