From gunpowder to green fields: Naxal-affected latehar villagers thrive on vegetable farming

• Latehar's Naxal-affected Saryu area, once marked by violence, now thrives with the aroma of green vegetables
• Farmer Ramlal Oraon, trained in Balumath, transforms previously barren land into a productive two-acre vegetable farm
• MNREGA-sponsored well solves irrigation challenges, enabling increased cultivation and annual earnings of fifty to sixty thousand rupees

In a remarkable transformation, an area in Latehar, Jharkhand, once tainted by the smell of gunpowder due to Naxalite activities, is now witnessing a flourishing landscape of green vegetables. Farmer Ramlal Oraon, a resident of Murpatola village in the Saryu block, has played a pivotal role in this change.

After receiving training in Balumath, Oraon, along with his wife, has successfully cultivated two acres of land with crops such as potatoes, garlic, peas, tomatoes, and more. This shift signifies a positive turn for the tribals who previously faced violence and employment challenges, now finding prosperity in agriculture.