By Avijit Biswas
Bhagalpur: It is not always easy for a village woman from Munger to deviate from her conventional household role and do something different for the larger interest of people. However, driven by an indomitable urge and courage to work for the welfare of mankind, many women have been successfully treading a different path while also performing their household roles.
Suman Saha, a native of Bhagalpur district, is a perfect example of such a woman who believes in fulfilling her social commitment to nature conservation alongside her household responsibilities.
Like any other housewife, Suman prioritizes creating awareness among people about the need for nature conservation, particularly preventing the degradation of the river Ganga.
Living close to the banks of the Ganga in Kalyanpur village of Munger district, she is regularly seen interacting with people on the banks about measures to prevent the river’s degradation.
Her efforts in community engagement for preventing river degradation and overall nature conservation have earned her the title of “Ganga Putri” (Daughter of River Ganga) in Kalyanpur and nearby villages.
A well-educated lady, Suman studied Management in Business and Hospitality in Australia after graduating from Calcutta University. Despite lucrative career opportunities, she chose to stay in Kalyanpur village and work for nature conservation where her in-laws’ family has been residing for a long time.
Married to Kishore Jaiswal, a watershed activist, Suman is also actively involved with NABARD-sponsored watershed projects. Her husband has been associated with implementing several major watershed projects in Banka and Munger districts.
Suman says she has inherited the habit of contributing to the larger interest of people from both her own family and her in-laws. Her husband has been a great support in her nature conservation efforts, she added.
Suman finds immense satisfaction in implementing her ideas, particularly those concerning the prevention of Ganga’s degradation through community engagement. Besides efforts in community mobilization for saving Ganga, she is also involved in water conservation and creating mass awareness about the need for sustainable agriculture.
Her activities also include educating farmers about the responsible use of pesticides to maintain ecological balance. As a social mobilizer since 2018, Suman has been associated with NABARD-sponsored Ulhi Nala and Sugibaran watershed projects in the Belhar and Chandan areas of Banka district.
She plans to intensify her nature conservation efforts in the future. During the month of Sawan, beginning from July 22, when the number of people visiting the Ganga’s banks to fetch holy water increases manifold, she intends to accelerate her awareness drive about the need to prevent the river’s degradation.
The author is a Bhagalpur based journalist
