Context: Date palm jaggery-making, a centuries-old tradition in West Bengal’s Sundarbans, Jaynagar, and Belpahari, is under threat due to urbanization, deforestation, and climate change. Families like Maniruddin Banshi’s rely on gathering date palm sap during winter to produce jaggery (nolen gur) for growing market demand.
Relevance : GS 3(Agriculture)
Challenges:
- Changing Work Conditions:
- Labor-intensive process requiring early mornings and precarious conditions.
- Workers face hazards like wildlife encounters, sharp tools, and extreme weather.
- Declining Interest in Youth:
- Harsh work and low financial returns deter younger generations.
- Experienced harvesters lament the lack of successors to preserve the craft.
- Environmental Pressures:
- Urbanization and deforestation reduce date palm tree populations.
- Rising temperatures lower sap quality, while over-tapping damages trees.
- Quality and Adulteration:
- Increased demand leads to compromised quality with added sugar and adulteration.
- Moa makers observe a decline in authentic nolen gur production.
- Failed Initiatives:
- A 2021 initiative to plant 2,000 date palm trees failed due to poor techniques.
- Efforts to promote sustainable practices lack systemic implementation.
Cultural and Economic Implications:
- Nolen gur production is vital to West Bengal’s heritage, with Jaynagar’s moa as a symbol of cultural pride.
- Scholars emphasize collectivizing sap collectors and researching climate impacts to conserve the tradition.
