With its unique history of both subsistence farming and modern farming practices, India seemed like a natural choice. In 2016, I traveled to Jaipur and Varanasi to learn Hindi and take classes in agriculture at an Indian university. While working at an organization bringing organic produce to the city of Jaipur, I learned first-hand the complex issues surrounding Indian agriculture, including impacts of local pollution.
After graduating college in 2018, I decided to return to India as a Fulbright Researcher. Since August, I have been based in Jaipur, India, an area famous for colorfully printed fabric and clothing. A nearby town called Sanganer is where most of the production is done, but Sanganer is also home to farming communities. Unfortunately, the wastewater from the textile production is directly discharged into local streams, staining the water shades of blue, purple, and red. In an area with little rain, the polluted stream water is reused by farmers to irrigate their crops. From there, pollutants like toxic heavy metals enter the soil and can be taken up by the crops. When the pollutants enter the food supply in high concentrations, it can be dangerous to human health.
Currently, a lot of my research involves taking soil and water samples and analyzing them to determine what quantities of various pollutants are present. In addition, I also spend my time interviewing farmers and trying to find solutions to prevent and remediate the soil pollution.
When I return to the U.S. this fall, I plan to begin a PhD program studying soils and biogeochemistry at the University of California Davis. I hope that I will get the chance to return to India once again!
