International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec., 2011

Role of mass media in promotion of environmental awareness along with skill development among the rural people of Shringverpur, district,

Nimish Kapoor

on farm technologies, methods and practices need to be Abstract—Rural development and poverty alleviation are closely imparted to the farmers at the right time. The potential of mass linked. Mass media are playing significant role in creating media for influencing knowledge gain, public attitude and environmental awareness and information about new agricultural behaviour has been well recognized through several research technologies among the rural people. In Shringverpur village of studies (5). Mass media (electronic and print media) are Soraon tehsil of , 66% of the rural people were uneducated and ratio of illiteracy was higher for female. Present playing very important role in creating environmental study was designed especially to assess the role of different awareness and dissemination of new agricultural technologies information channels in generation of environmental awareness and among the rural people (2). Different information tools like skill development among the rural people of Shringverpur village. radio, television and news paper are spreading awareness During study, approximately 40% of the respondents preferred related to climate change and environment protection among television programmes whereas 26% of the rural people showed their the rural people at the faster rate than personal contact. The interest in radio programmes. Hence, information channels can play a important role to bridge the gap between science and society. production and distribution of printed materials such as book, magazines, newspaper and brochure may help in transfer of Keywords— Environmental awareness, mass media, rural new informations and technologies whereas radio and development. television are the important tools for dissemination of quick information. It has been observed that the modern mass media I. INTRODUCTION are flourishing now-a-days in our country but these are not GRICULTURE is the mainstay of the Indian economy performing the expected role among the rural people due to Aand approximately half of the Indian population still gets several reasons like higher illiteracy percentage, gender their livelihood directly from agriculture. Most of India's poor inequity, lack of electricity and new electronic media devices live in rural areas and are engaged in agriculture. Climate in rural and remote areas. Unfortunately, it has been observed change and food security have become burning issues in the that technologies are available at technology producing world. Continued deforestation is a major challenge for forests centers but not effectively transferred to the ultimate users. and livelihood and one of the major causes of environmental The present paper highlights the need and significance of the degradation in India can be attributed to rapid growth of mass media in creating environmental awareness and population, which is adversely affecting the natural resources dissemination of new technologies among the rural people. and environment (7). The projected population indicates that Therefore, emphasis should be laid upon the proper utilization India will be the first most populous country in the world and of information channels for dissemination of knowledge and China will be second in 2050 (4). If the world population information related to the environment and agricultural continues to multiply, the impact on environment will be technologies among the rural people for the development of devastating. The growing trends of population and consequent rural areas. demand for food, energy and housing have considerably altered land - use practices and severely degraded forest area II. MATERIALS AND METHODS as well as environment. These include pressure on land and The systematic survey was conducted in Shringverpur forests, loss of biodiversity, rising demand for energy, global village of Soraon tehsil, Allahabad district of , warming, climate change, water scarcity and pollution. India during November 2010 - June 2011 to assess the role of For agricultural development, knowledge and information mass media in dissemination of knowledge and awareness among the rural people about the environment related issues Nimish Kapoor is Scientist C Gender and Technology Communication and reach of modern agriculture technologies in the Division Vigyan Prasar Department of Science and Technology, Government Shringverpur village. of India Noida - 201 309, Uttar Pradesh, India E. mail : [email protected].

264 International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec., 2011

A. Interview with the local people 2 % of the respondents had University level education (Table - Shringverpur is located in Soraon tehsil of Allahabad II). district, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is 40 kms far from Allahabad Awareness of the rural people about environment district and situated in Allahabad - highway. The protection through mass media entire study was based on the interview and group discussion During survey, it was found that television and radio were with the local people of Shringverpur, Allahabad district, the most preferred information tools in the Shringverpur Uttar Pradesh about their knowledge on environment, climate village of Soraon tehsil and utilized by 39.5% and 26 % of the change, conservation of natural resources and new farming respondents respectively whereas 10 % rural people preferred technologies. Interview and group discussion were made to meeting with the scientists and 17% people showed their test the effectiveness of the information channels (radio, interest in practical demonstration/ campaign by the scientists television, news paper and meetings) in knowledge and experts. Approximately 40 % of the rural people preferred dissemination among the rural people of the area. During the television programmes as it can be used by both literate and survey, two hundred rural people were selected as respondents illiterate persons. Superiority of television over the other from the Shringverpur village for study. Respondents communication channels might be due to the ease of learing comprising of 120 male and 80 female were randomly through the visual mass medium (3). It was also found that selected between the age - group of 28 - 55 years for the study rural people were interested in practical demonstrations, (Table - I). A brief group discussion and interview were made meetings and group discussions with scientists in comparison with the respondents in their local language prior to data to utilizing other modern tools of media. The data reveal that collection to get their consent and to explain them that their majority of the respondents of the study area had low level of cooperation is a valuable contribution. Role of information knowledge about the environment protection and conservation channels in generation of environmental awareness and skill of natural resources but they were aware about the adverse development among the rural people was also studied during effects of climate change on their agriculture and domestic the study. Questionnaire was used during the study for animals although knowledge level of women was higher in collection of the information from the respondents and results comparison to the men. Further, training and extension of the responses were summarized in form of percentage programmes need to be improved among the rural people of (Table - III). the study area to enhance their awareness and knowledge level regarding the conservation of natural resources and utilization III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION of safe and eco - friendly farming technologies. Training programmes should be supplemented with video, posters, The systematic survey of Shringverpur village of Soraon seminars and practical demonstrations by the experts. Literacy tehsil was conducted to assess the knowledge of the rural level of the study area should be increased as 66 % of the people about the climate change and conservation of natural respondents were uneducated and illiteracy ratio was higher resources and role of different information channels (radio, for female. Governmental and non - governmental television and news paper) in dissemination of environmental organizations can play a significant role for improvement in awareness and agricultural technologies among the rural the environmental awareness and knowledge level of the people of the area. During survey, two hundred rural people villagers. were selected as respondents from the Shringverpur village of Role of Vigyan Prasar in dissemination of environmental Soraon tehsil for the study. Respondents comprising of 120 awareness and technology communication male and 80 female were randomly selected between the age - Vigyan Prasar, a National Institute of Science and group of 28 - 55 years for study. A brief group discussion and Technology Communication under the Department of Science interview were made with the respondents in their local and Technology, Government of India has initiated several language for data collection. During the study, it was observed programmes on Gender and Technology Communication to that agriculture was the main occupation of the rural people of promote environmental and technology awareness among the Shringverpur village and most of the respondents 62 % had masses and to develop and disseminate quality resource small - land holdings while 9 % of the rural people had large material and eco - friendly technologies for the stakeholders land - holdings (Table - I). It was also observed that weeding, especially rural people. The vision behind the communication winnowing, cleaning and leveling of the field, transplanting, programmes is to create a nation free of ignorance and manure application, cleaning and storage of the grains in irrationality and by proper utilization of the available which the participation of women was more than 85%. The technology, rural people can enhance their income generation information about their knowledge and understanding on opportunities. Vigyan Prasar is developing resource material climate change and conservation of natural resources was like radio programmes, films and training modules to make collected by conducting interview and group discussion with stakeholders (farmers, rural women, tribal people and youth) the local people. The majority of the respondents independent so that they can accept the challenges of climate approximately 66% had no formal education and they were th change. The aim of dissemination of low cost and eco - illiterate. 24.5% had primary school level education up to 5 friendly technologies among the stakeholders is to build the standard, 7.5% had secondary school level education and only capabilities among them and improve their technical

265 International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec., 2011 knowledge, decision making capacity and promote them for [5] Prathap, D. P. and Ponnusamy, K. A. 2006. Effectiveness of four mass media channels on the knowledge gain of rural women. Journal of innovation and help in their overall development through International Agricultural and Extension Education. 13 (1) : 73 - 81. science and technology intervention. In India, there is low [6] Ray, H. 1978. The basic village education project: Guatemala. extension worker - farmer ratio is resulting in less direct Washington, D.C: Academy for Educational Development. contacts between the change agents and farmers (1). As [7] UNDP. 1998. Unequal Impacts of Environment Damage. Human Development Report 1998, Oxford University Press, New York. deficient information always impeded growth and development in the rural sector (6) so there is responsibility of mass media to discharge the duty of technology transfer more Nimish Kapoor is a Scientist and Science Communicator in Gender & intensively in future. The programmes on gender and Technology Communication Division of Vigyan Prasar (National Institute of technology communication may catalyze science and Science & Technology Communication) under Department of Science & technology communication in mass media and improve the Technology, Government of India. His work profile include conceptualization and execution of nation wide campaigns and training programmes on science conditions of rural masses (majority in India) to build their and technology communication and development of resource material (films, capabilities by improving their technical skills. It will only be radio programmes, manuals and books etc.) for capacity building and skill possible when appropriate literature and technologies will be development of stakeholders like farmers, women, youth, rural and urban produced and disseminated at grass root level with proper Indian masses on science, technology, agriculture and environment related issues. He has published more than 200 popular science articles in different utilization of mass media. science magazines and co - editor of a book on science writing. Mr. Kapoor is life - member of different national level academic societies. He is recipient of IV. CONCLUSION several awards for popular science writing and outreach activities (e. mail : [email protected]). In conclusion, it can be said that different sources of mass media were not fully utilized in the studied area which hindered not only the awareness level of the respondents but also adversely affected the adoption level of new farming technologies by the rural people. There is urgent need for effective mass communication strategies to create environmental awareness and extention of agriculture based technologies among the rural people in Shringverpur village, Allahabad district in order to improve their financial status.

Some functional action plans have to be chalked out and environmental awareness programmes at grass root level should be introduced in the area to educate the local - communities about the conservation of natural resources. In this condition, role of media in science communication and out - reach based agencies are very crucial to bridge the gap between science and society and efforts of these agencies may guide media industry to conceptualize and produce more television and radio programmes on success stories of eco - friendly technologies and environment related issues with their local threat and solution.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author is thankful to Er. Anuj Sinha, Director, Vigyan Prasar, Deapartment of Science and Technology, Noida for his continuous encouragement and desirable suggestions. The author is also grateful to the rural people of Shringverpur village for their active participation and co-operation during the survey study.

REFERENCES

[1] Chandrashekara, P. 2001. Mass media in agricultural extension: Best, yet to come. Manage Extension Research Review. 38 - 44. [2] Forno, D. A. 1999. Sustainable development starts with agriculture. In :Sustainable agriculture solutions: The action report of the sustainable agriculture initiative. London: Novello Press Ltd. pp. 8 - 11. [3] Kumari, A. 1999. Rural women’s perception about mass media effectiveness. Journal of Extension Education. 10 (1) : 2265 - 2268. [4] Population Reference Bureau. 2001. World population data sheet, Washington, D.C.

266 International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec., 2011

TABLE I SOCIO - PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESPONDENTS OF SHRINGVERPUR VILLAGE OF SORAON TEHSIL, ALLAHABAD DISTRICT. S. No. Variable Categories Number of respondents (N)

1. Age Young (<30) 65 ± 0.08

Middle ( 31 - 40) 92 ± 0.05

Old (>50) 53 ± 0.02

2. Type of family Joint family 172 ± 0.27

Nuclear family 28 ± 0.02

3. Annual family income Below 25,000 97 ± 0.14 (Rs.) 30,000 - 40,000 74 ± 0.03

50,000 - 60,000 29 ± 0.06

4. Land holding Small 124 ± 0.35

Medium 59 ± 0.07

Large 17 ± 0.01

Values are mean of three replicates ± sem. TABLE II DISTRIBUTION OF THE RESPONDENTS ACCORDING TO THEIR EDUCATIONAL STATUS. S. No. Educational status Number of respondents (N)

Male Female

1. Illiterate 59 ± 0.05 73 ± 0.08

2. Primary 35 ± 0.09 14 ± 0.04

3. Middle 12 ± 0.08 3 ± 0.02

4. Graduation 4 ± 0.93 0.00± 0.00

Values are mean of three replicates ± sem.

267 International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec., 2011

TABLE III DISTRIBUTION OF THE RESPONDENTS ACCORDING TO THE USE OF DIFFERENT TOOLS OF MASS MEDIA IN DISSEMINATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND AGRICULTURE BASED TECHNOLOGIES. S. No. Information channels Number of respondents (N)

1. Radio 52 ± 0.05

(26%)

2. Television 79 ± 0.09

(39.5%)

3. News paper 15 ± 0.01

(7.5%)

4. Seminars/ Meetings 20 ± 0.07

(10%)

5. Campaign/ Practical 34 ± 0.08 demonstration (17%)

Values are mean of three replicates ± sem Figures in parentheses indicate percent inhibition over control.

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