Ampati, February 14: Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma on Monday afternoon launched the Treadle Pumps for farmers under Agriculture Department and distributed them to the selected beneficiaries of South West Garo Hills district. He also distributed cheques as incentives to the farmers who have successfully taken up Agar and Bamboo plantation in the past one year.
An impressive function in this connection was organized by the District Agriculture & Horticulture department at Malchapara Centre of Excellence near Betasing C&RD Block headquarters, which was also attended by Parliamentary Secretary Noverfield R. Marak, Government Chief Whip W.D. Sangma, Deputy Commissioner C.V.D. Diengdoh, Superintendent of Police Ramesh Singh, officials of Horti-Agri departments, other district officials, local leaders and farmers.
It may mentioned here that Xylem Water Solutions India Pvt.Ltd, Noida (UP) has chosen Meghalaya as first core area in the North East to provide its services to farmers through its Saaji Treadle Pump in rice growing areas of West and South West Garo Hills. The pump is specially designed for abstracting water from wells, ponds, streams and canals with effective suction and delivery head of 20 ft each with water output of 2000 litre per hour.
It may also be recalled that Agar and Bamboo plantation was launched in the district in 2015 by the Chief Minister with an objective of attaining sustainable livelihood and sustainable ecology and incentives in the form of cheques are being given to farmers for successful plantation of agar and bamboo plants.
Addressing the gathering after distributing the treadle pumps to the beneficiaries and cheques to farmers for agar and bamboo plantation, the Chief Minister said that the adverse effects of global warming have resulted in erratic climatic conditions due to which farmers, who invariably depended on monsoon rains for their crops, have to face a lot of difficulties for irrigation. He expressed hope that the difficulties of farmers would be greatly reduced as these pumps would help to provide them with alternative means of irrigation.
Dwelling at length on the Mission Organic programme of his Government, the Chief Minister called upon the farmers not only strive for achieving food security but also nutritional security for overall health of the people in the State. Highlighting on the immense value of agar and bamboo and their multiple uses, he said that the State government have taken the initiative to regulate and promote organic plantation of agar and bamboo in private farms and informed the gathering that it has been decided than an incentive would be provided to farmers by paying them Rs.20 for every live plant out of their plantations.
Parliamentary Secretary for PHE, etc N.R. Marak, Government Chief Whip, W.D.Sangma, Deputy Commissioner, C.V.D. Diengdoh and Assistant Director, Horticulture, were among others who also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, the District Horticulture Officer & i/c District Agriculture Officer, Ampati, B.R. Marak gave a brief highlight on the objectives of the programme.
A brief demonstration on the use of treadle pump was given by the service provider, North Bengal Floritech, on the occasion.
