As winter sets in, heaps of fresh water chestnuts, known famously as singhara, quietly arrive in local markets with their glossy shells signalling the season. They are eaten as a vegetable, boiled for
snacks, or relished for their crunch. What rarely reaches the consumer, however, is the story of the people who grow them, a story marked by months spent waist-deep in water, constant danger, and a livelihood earned at personal risk.
In Chhatarpur, water chestnut farming is not just labour-intensive; it is physically punishing. For Jayswaroop, a farmer who has been cultivating the crop for the past three years, the work begins long before the produce reaches the market. Each day, for months at a stretch, he enters stagnant ponds to tend to the crop, a task that exposes him to poisonous crabs, snakes and severe skin infections.
Before stepping into the water, Jayswaroop coats his body with burnt lubricant oil. It is not a one-day precaution but a daily ritual that lasts the entire farming season. The oil, sourced free from nearby areas, acts as his only protection against rashes, itching and skin rot. Medicines are expensive, he says, and beyond his reach. Without the oil, even his fingers begin to decay from constant exposure to water.
The crop itself takes about three months to mature. Once the vines begin to fruit, they continue producing for nearly two months. Each vine yields 6-8 water chestnuts at a time, and after harvesting, the same vine bears fruit again. Over the season, a single vine can produce up to 14 or 15 chestnuts. The returns, Jayswaroop says, are decent when conditions are favourable and the market responds well.
This year, however, nature dealt a blow. Jayswaroop planted water chestnuts on two bighas of land, but heavy rainfall washed away nearly half the crop. The losses will cut deeply into his earnings, leaving little reward for months of hazardous work.
Despite the risks, Jayswaroop believes water chestnut farming is open to anyone willing to learn. But he is quick to add that it demands stamina, patience and the courage to face uncertainty every day.
