Guava pickers brave snakes, scorpions to earn livelihood

Gorakhpur: Residents of Barma Tola, Dahwayi, Pipri, Bariyatoli and Nausad are risking their lives for livelihood. Every morning, women, elderly people and even children pluck guava from submerged gardens on the bank of Rapti and sell. In turn, they get meagre money not enough to meet daily expenses. The administration had not provided boats to them.The water is full of snakes and scorpions.
Garden owners sell fruits to wholesalers but small garden owners and fruit pickers sell guavas themselves in the market. Achchelal (35) says: “I’m doing it since my childhood. Earlier, there were many guava gardens in the city. Now, gardens are left near Maheva Chungi on the banks of Rapti. We earn around Rs 100 per day by selling guava. Our garden is small. Those who have big gardens earn Rs 300 daily. Going through water is not new for us. Boat rents are too expensive for us and water level is also not above our shoulders.”
The gardens are full of dangerous creatures which at times bite fruit pluckers. Badlu, a ten years old plucker, said: “I’m happy that guava season is back. I could buy things for me. We don’t have garden but we get money for plucking. Every morning around 4 am, I reach with my sister and mother to the gardens and pick guava. A week ago, a poisonous creature bit me. I had fever and missed my earnings for three days.”
The area is also infamous for spurious liquor. Panmati (40) said: “When water level crosses danger mark, big garden owners take boats on rent. The rent varies between Rs 6,000 and Rs 3000 per month. We are poor people how we can spend so much money on boats. Last year, my daughter died of a snake bite but we don’t have any option. After guava season, many families get into illegal trade of making spurious liquor.”
Guava cultivation is on the verge of extinction as most of the gardens are acquired by builders to develop residential colonies. Social activist Jatashankar said: “Gorakhpur guava is different in taste and the land is good for cultivation of the fruit. Unfortunately due to lack of political will, government has made no provisions to save the tasty and nutritious fruit. Why not government take initiative to install food processing unit here and bring prosperity among poor gardeners and fruit pickers. The trade of spurious liquor is flourishing in the area due to poverty and unemployment. Most of the gardens were acquired and only two are left on at the banks of Rapti and other near industrial area as it is at Waqf land.”