Villagers say there is a change in livelihood pattern due to frequent climate changes. Ram Avtar, a villager in Campierganj in Gorakhpur said almost a decade back there used to be continuous low-intensity rains with Rohini river swelling twice or thrice. “But now rains are a regular feature and sometimes heavy rains bring in flash floods. This is then followed by dry spells,” he said.

“There is no regular pattern about rains anymore,” one Kaushalya said. “Earlier monsoon used to start in June and end in September with the result our village used to get flooded twice or thrice between June and August. Rains are now more frequent and heavier,” she said.

The villagers said that water used to recede within a few days but now our agricultural lands remain water-logged for 15-20 days at a stretch and thus destroying the kharif crop.

The Gorakhpur Environment Action Group, an NGO, that has studied the climate pattern in Gorakhpur and adjoining areas of eastern UP, have found that in earlier years 70 per cent of average annual precipitation (rains) fell over 80 days but now the same falls in just 50 days. “The climate change has increased the intensity and extreme weather changes make the lives of villagers very difficult,” Director GEAG Dr Shiraz Wajih said.

With climate becoming harsh villager Sarekhurd adopted a new strategy that would ensure food security against the effect of climate change. A study carried out under CSE Media fellowship shows farmers opted for alternative farming methods that revolved around compositing, vegetable production, cash crops and developing nurseries.

“Multi-cropping instead of mono-cropping has helped stabilise incomes so that farming households that found it difficult to get two square meals a day are now able to run their kitchens comfortably,” Dr Wajih said.

One Sukhai has a land in a low-lying area which gets water-logged during every rainfall. In his water-logged land he now grows bottle gourd and prepares nurseries at raised platforms. He replaces saplings when water recedes thus saving time. “I now grow early varieties of rice during kharif and vegetables and spices during rabi. I also grow mustard and lentils and if it is cold the potato crop gets damaged and thus I grow pulses,” he said.

He is not alone other farmers too have switched to multi-cropping pattern to fight the climate change. There are other farmers who grow radish as cash crop and follow it up with onions and peas.

The prosperity has returned as farmers are now getting returns from their agriculture produce. Dropouts of children from schools has declined and people have stopped going to cities for work. “When we have work in our village why should we go out,” said Sukhai, who used to work as labourer in a construction sites in Gorakhpur some years back.