Padharo Mhare Desh: Of Sand and Sorcery of RPW management
- Sudip Sinha
- Jun 11, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 12, 2025
After the misadventures of the first few months of the year, the desert offered a stark, silent promise of renewal. We emerged into the barren landscape of Bikaner, unforgiving in its heat and vastness, with a renewed, if cautious, resolve.
Faiz’s words summoned hope as we pressed ahead.
गुलों में रंग भरे, बाद-ए-नौबहार चले
चले भी आओ कि गुलशन का कारोबार चले
لتعم ألوان الأزهار، ولتهب نسائم الربيع الجديد
تعالوا هلموا فحديقة الزهور تنبض بالحياة
Let the flowers be laden with colors, and the breeze of a new spring blow;
Do come forth so that the garden’s splendor may continue to grow.
And we needed it.
We rolled into Bikaner towards the end of the day, only to encounter a sandstorm. A thick curtain of dust swept through the region, reducing visibility to a haze and throwing our optimism into question. Perhaps building a solar-powered device wasn’t quite the brilliant idea we had imagined. Fortunately, we had other, perhaps better, ideas to work with.
We reached our destination late in the evening, only to discover that the sandstorm had delivered another blow. The Agriculture University guest house had been plunged into darkness, its transformer crippled by the storm. No power, no air conditioning, just thick, suffocating heat. And my playlist had run out of songs. At this point, suffering had officially become part of the itinerary.
Yet, amidst the discomfort, the sprawling university campus offered a strange solace – wide boulevards, experimental gardens, and a pervasive serenity we hadn’t realized we missed.
Bikaner, with its harsh welcome, would soon reveal itself as both trial and promise: a crucible where we’d prove our mettle.
The Tempest of Trials: The Red Palm Weevil, Up Close and Personal
Morning arrived with an unlikely contrast – first, discussions with a China electronics supply chain expert lamenting the Trump-era tariff wars, then a drive deep into the unknown for our long-awaited sensor trials.
We stepped off the road, literally, as it disappeared nearly two kilometers before our destination, forcing an unconventional trek across the scorched desert terrain. The sight that greeted us was staggering; a 5,000-tree date palm orchard, among Rajasthan’s oldest.
The heat was merciless, but our work was urgent. We selected a tree for inspection, only for nature to intervene in the most theatrical fashion. The tree collapsed before we even touched it, revealing a hidden colony of weevil infestation. RPW larvae, small and large, spilled from its hollowed trunk, undeniable proof of destruction. Between excitement and horror, we realized we had all the evidence we needed.
As Arpit got to work drilling, installing sensors, checking batteries, and setting up storage, Dr. Godara and I surveyed the orchard. It was a paradox of progress and decay, evidence of a grand vision in an era past, years of labor and neglect all in one unsettling panorama.
As we walked through the plantation, we reached a grim realization. The orchard had perhaps 12 to 18 months before the Red We’Evil completed its slow but inevitable conquest. Given the level of infestation we had witnessed, there was little left to do but to acknowledge that time would soon take what the farmers could not save.
Meanwhile, Arpit installed the sensor, ran demo recordings, spoke to the staff, and prepared for an afternoon of data collection. It took a solid hour to conduct the initial tests, review the recordings, and hear the much awaited "all okay." At last, we were ready to retreat into the shade, away from the blazing heat, with the AC on full blast.
A Meal, A Conversation, and Unlikely Research Plans
No journey is complete without its culinary interludes. After encountering RPW in the field, our hunger shifted from scientific fervor to scour genuine Rajasthani sustenance. We found refuge in the Bishnoi Dhaba; a crumbling, yet charming eatery where the food was simple, honest, and unapologetically satisfying.
Over communal tables filled with hearty fare, our discussions briefly drifted from pest infestations to the nuances of everyday life, bridging agritech with the unscripted wisdom of local diners. The dhaba, with its unpretentious flavors and old-world atmosphere, was a reminder that even the humblest meals can restore one’s spirit.
Later, at the Central Institute of Arid Horticulture, conversation eventually returned to pests. We joined senior researchers and scientists to understand their research programs and share our approach to tackling one of Rajasthan’s emerging orchard challenges.
Over shared cups of tea, gur, and endless cold water, we discussed the Red Palm Weevil crisis. We learned about CPCRI’s (Central Plantation Crops Research Institute) rhinoceros beetle research – a menace laying waste to coconut plantations across India. We encountered rhinocerous beetles during our first field trials in Goa [The Enigma of Palm and Plate: An AgriSciense Odyssey], and their devastation in coconut palms presented a clear challenge to large-scale plantations.
Our AI-driven early pest detection proposal received enthusiasm, leading to discussions of a research collaboration. A promising new avenue had opened, and we were eager to explore it further. Literature, resources, and case studies on past successes and failures were exchanged as we departed.
The Tempest of Trials: Victory and a Drink
We returned to the farm for our first round of data collection, hoping the equipment had functioned as expected. The evening arrived with splendid news. Our sensors had successfully recorded the elusive movements of the Red Palm Weevil!
It had worked. Against all odds, progress had been made. There, under a sky so vast it mocked our impatience, every painstaking adjustment culminated in a quiet triumph. This was no bombastic victory, but a slow, persistent affirmation that our toil had not been in vain.
We were finally approaching the moment when Ranger devices could be deployed in date palm orchards with full confidence.
Under a canopy of glittering desert stars, as the cool evening replaced the day’s relentless heat, we gathered for sherbet at Chunnilal. Between sips and quiet reflection, we absorbed the weight of our journey. The sensor’s successful trial was more than a technical milestone. It was proof that failure was merely a necessary step toward redemption.
It was a moment deserving celebration. Kingfisher Ultra served its purpose well.
Leaving Rajasthan: Cloudy with a Chance for Meatballs
Departure was meant to be straightforward. An early morning train to Jodhpur followed by an onward flight to Pune. What should have been uneventful turned into a farcical odyssey. Dr. Godara, ever confident, assured me that the train was never late. Naturally, it was delayed by three hours.
A desperate autorickshaw ride to the state bus station proved useless. The earliest available bus would arrive well past my check-in time at Jodhpur airport. With options dwindling, the only choice left was an expensive taxi ride.
Still, the drive had one redeeming factor, the newly built Bharatmala expressway. A rare stretch of perfect roads that momentarily made me believe driving in India could be relaxing. Sometimes.
Epilogue: A Vow Amidst the Return Mayhem
Back in Delhi, Arpit confirmed the final results: the sensor had worked flawlessly. We were moving forward. Slowly, painfully, but forward, nonetheless. We move now to the critical phase in our development plans with both the device and deep learning algorithm coming together in unison.
The next step for AgriSciense would take us back to the date palm plantations, armed with a working commercial solution. Delayed but not denied. And if there’s one lesson this odyssey taught us, it is that every setback is but a precursor to the promise of tomorrow. A fitting end to an impossible journey.
Faiz’s lines guide us in carrying forward the quiet determination forged in Rajasthan’s sands:
हम देखेंगे, लाज़िम है कि हम भी देखेंगे
वो दिन कि जिसका वादा है
سنرى، لا شك أننا سنرى
ذلك اليوم الذي وُعدنا به
We shall witness; it is inevitable that we too shall witness
That day which has been promised to us.
Padhaaro Mhare Desh – welcome, our homeland of challenges and quiet triumphs.
Notes:
All photos are property of AgriSciense
The poetry is attributed to Faiz Ahmed Faiz
We are immensely grateful to senior scientist and researchers at the Central Institute of Arid Horticulture for their hospitality and selfless sharing of insight and resources.
great report its amazinggg :)
omg I love it good job 😍