As the summer sun blazes across Punjab’s countryside, rural women are busy making cool drinks in their kitchens. In villages like Halwara, Akalgarh, Boparai Kalan, Purain and Kullewal, women recently got a chance to learn the art of preparing simple, refreshing and healthy summer beverages.
Organised by the All-India Coordinated Research Project — Women in Agriculture (AICRP-WIA), College of Community Science, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), the hands-on trainings introduced recipes such as watermelon mint cooler, mulberry juice, bael juice, chana sattu and lemonade, all made from locally available ingredients.
The sessions were lively, with women experimenting and tasting the drinks together. “My children love the watermelon cooler, and my husband enjoys the sattu drink after working in the fields. These trainings have brought new flavours to our home, and my family enjoys them a lot,” shared one participant with a smile.
Ritu Mittal Gupta, unit coordinator of AICRP-WIA, explained that the initiative was designed to help families stay hydrated and nourished during peak summer heat. Renuka Aggarwal and Shivani Rana emphasized that such drinks not only prevent heat stress, but also improve nutritional intake.
Beyond beverages, the programme also encouraged kitchen gardening. Prachi Bisht and Prerna Kapila highlighted that distributing seasonal vegetable seeds has been a continuous effort for five years, ensuring household-level nutritional security.
Young professionals Shikha Sharma and Archana Tewari led practical demonstrations, guiding women through easy, low-cost methods of preparation. The enthusiasm was evident as participants eagerly tried their hands at mixing,