RONO HILLS, 5 Dec: The soil & water conservation directorate, along with the social work department of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) observed the World Soil Day, themed ‘Soils: Where food begins’, here on Monday.
Over 150 participants, including HoDs, research scholars and students of RGU, and about 50 officers and staffers from the soil & water conservation directorate participated in the programme.
Addressing the participants, RGU Vice Chancellor Prof Saket Kushwaha said that “nature returns us everything; we only get what we give, and soil is no exception in this regard.”
He added that “all the pollution and waste that we dump to the soil directly gets reflected in our grains which we consume and hence we are becoming more susceptible to many diseases and related vulnerabilities,” and called upon the academia and the youths to “adopt a healthy lifestyle which is based on natural activities.”
Soil & Water Conservation Officer ND Pubiyang described soil as “a living entity,” and advised that the state emulate Sikkim in becoming fully organic.
Soil & Water Conservation Director Joram Puppa spoke about “the importance of maintaining an organic crop pattern and soil preservation techniques in order to ensure a sustainable living,” while RGU Registrar Dr NT Rikam highlighted the need for an agriculture-based economy in the state, and exhorted the academia to “conduct research on more such topics which relate to soil and environment.”
A documentary on soil conservation was also screened.
Earlier, over 100 saplings were planted in the RGU campus.
Meanwhile, the agriculture department of Jullang-based Himalayan University (HU) organised a national symposium on the day’s theme.
During the symposium, HU vice chancellor Prof Kuldeep K Sharma spoke about “awareness and importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems,” and said that “soil nutrient loss is a major soil degradation process threatening nutrition.”
HU agriculture HoD Dr Raja spoke about soil health management practices for reclaiming soil, “so that soil must be healthy, which enhances the crop production, so that farmers could get the maximum income, which would lead to development of the rural areas.”
RGU Agriculture Faculty Dean Prof Sumpam Tangjang spoke about the status of agroforestry in Arunachal, and about the scope and importance of agroforestry in relation to soil management. He suggested to the HU students to choose a career in agroforestry.
BSc and MSc (agriculture) students presented posters on different topics. In the group poster event, the first prize was secured by the Tapi Meenu group, the second prize was secured by the Mibom Teng and Nima Drema group, an the third prize was won by the Phassang Tadu, Kuma Techi and Soma Bori group.
Officers and HoDs of different departments of the university attended the programme.
