Guwahati journalists win Green Frames short film award for Nagaland agriculture marvel

GUWAHATI, March 5: Guwahati journalists Barasha Das and Surajit Sharma won the Best Film award at the ‘Green Frames: VATAVARAN Short Film Competition and Festival 2023’ for their documentary ‘Mountain Agriculture Marvel’ showcasing a unique agriculture practice in Nagaland.

Barasha Das and Surajit Sharma won in the ‘Professional Filmmakers & Film Studios’ category for their work for Mongabay-India. The award was presented by Centre for Media Studies (CMS), with support from the US Consulate General, Mumbai. The duo received the award at the festival held at Bhopal on March 5.

The ‘Green Frames: VATAVARAN Short Film Competition and Festival 2023’ recognizes the best work in “environmental preservation and climate advocacy”. It underscores the urgency of environmental/biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation/mitigation, demonstrating the impact of lifestyle decisions on the environment. The competition promotes best practices and positive stories showcasing how individuals, companies, and communities address environmental and climate challenges and work towards improvement.

The film by Barasha Das and Surajit Sharma for Mongabay India, showcases the ‘Ruza’ – a traditional water harvesting system at Kikruma village in Nagaland’s Phek district. The Ruza method involves impounding runoff water in ponds, utilizing gravity-based irrigation. Positioned at a higher elevation, the water harvesting ponds are linked to fields at lower elevations through narrow drains. Developed to combat water scarcity and ensure successful harvests for nearly a century, this indigenous knowledge system facilitates integrated farming, including forestry, horticulture, agriculture, fishery, and animal husbandry.

Speaking about their win, Barasha Das said: “We are truly honoured to receive the best film award at the ‘Green Frames: VATAVARAN Short Film Competition and Festival 2023’. Our film ‘Mountain Agriculture Marvel’ aimed to shed light on the remarkable agricultural practices in Nagaland, specifically the ‘Ruza’ water harvesting system in Kikruma village. This recognition reinforces the importance of showcasing sustainable solutions for environmental challenges and encourages us to continue contributing to the discourse on environmental preservation and climate advocacy.”

“Our journey in creating this film has been incredibly rewarding. The film not only captures the beauty of Nagaland’s traditional water harvesting but also emphasizes the need for sustainable agricultural practices. We are grateful to Mongabay-India for providing a platform to share these stories, and we hope our work inspires others to explore and adopt eco-friendly solutions for a more sustainable future,” added Surajit Sharma.

Surajit and Barasha dedicated the award to the Chakhesang farmers of Kikruma.