TURA, May 19: The Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, MESSO P-4 Unit Mendipathar, North Garo Hills, has urged the locals, who have been rendered unemployed due to the pandemic, to take up muga silkworm rearing.
Amid the pandemic, muga culture could create employment and thereby provide a new source of income to the people, especially the migrants, who have been rendered jobless. With this hope, the Central Silk Board has come forward to minimise the severe economic condition of the migrants, a communiqué in this regard said.
Mahasankar Majumdar, Scientist B & OIC, CSB, MESSO P-4 Unit Mendipathar, informed that sericulture and weaving in Meghalaya are the two most important cottage-based, eco-friendly industries in the rural areas and these two industries portray the cultural ethos and rich heritage of the people of the state.
He, however, added that with the absence of a textile industry, sericulture and weaving can play an important role for the production of silk fabrics and hand-woven fabrics of ethnic designs.
It was also revealed by Majumdar that till date, as per state government’s database, around 15,900 families are involved in handloom activities and 16,000 families in sericulture farming.
He also highlighted the activities undertaken by MESSO during the pandemic with a particular emphasis on scientific muga cultivation.
The communiqué also said that due to the eco-climatic condition of the region, muga cultivation can provide an opportunity to earn a sustainable amount in 30-35 days from one acre of land, which is otherwise not possible from any other agricultural sectors.
DC orders closure of meat, fish markets at Nakam Bazaar
After closure of fruit and vegetable markets at the Tura Super market was ordered by West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner on Tuesday, meat and fish market at Nakam Bazar including non-essential shops in Tura market area were also ordered to close down on Wednesday with immediate effect.
Just as in the earlier order, no hawkers will be allowed to sell their wares in the entire market area. The closure has been ordered to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 in the district after it was observed that people including shopkeepers and hawkers were violating the social distancing norms and COVID-19 protocols.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tura Municipal Board (TMB) has been directed to regulate the matter and facilitate shops to be shifted to other locations of Tura town.
Declaration of containment
Meanwhile, the entire area of Extreme Western Zone, Modynagar locality bordering Survey School under Matchakolgre Urban Health Centre in Tura was, on the same day, declared a micro-containment zone after 18 positive cases were detected from the area.
During the containment period, barring health and essential workers, movement into and out of the area by people has been restricted. The order issued in this regard by West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh also warned of action against violators under the penal provision of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and IPC.
Micro containment zone in Tura
With the detection of nine Covid-19 cases at Brahminpara locality under Dobasipara Urban Health Centre of Tura, West Garo Hills District Magistrate, Ram Singh, declared the houses of Dev Raj Newar and Chandra Ghatani as micro containment zone in order to restrict unregulated entry into and exit from the site.
Accordingly, the Executive Magistrate of Zone-I, Tura, had been directed to supervise and monitor strict compliance of the order.
