From Our Correspondent
TURA: The Niwattoa Rubber Nursery at Hatisil created under Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) scheme funded by DRDA, West Garo Hills was inaugurated by Deputy commissioner Sanjay Goyal. The total project cost is Rs.15.00 Lakh.
The project was designed to ensure sustainability through involvement of Self Help Groups. The main objective of establishing rubber nursery is to ease the growing demand of planting materials in the district. The project will also ensure that the growers get the planting materials at a much cheaper rate.
In the initial year, the project is targeted to supply 30,000 nos. of polybag rubber saplings which will be subsequently increased. Niwattoa SHG from Hatisil village was selected as the participating group in the project. This women SHG has 10 members and shall manage the nursery jointly with the Department of Soil & Water Conservation (T) Division, Tura for the initial 2-3 years. The department shall hand-over the nursery to the SHG after providing necessary training in nursery techniques and management aspect.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sanjay Goel stated that the project, first of its kind, was planned on a commercial basis and the planting materials shall be sold at existing market rate. He emphasized that most of the nurseries created through Govt. fund could not sustain as planting materials were distributed free of cost. He urges the SHG members to take up this project on a business mode and make it sustainable.
The Jt.Director, Soil Conservation Department, Tura, S K Sangma, mentioned that the nursery shall be expanded in coming years with creation of seedling & bud-wood nursery.