ITANAGAR, 5 Dec: Soil & Water Conservation Directorate, in collaboration with Papum Pare district Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), celebrated the World Soil Day on Friday, highlighting the concept of soil health as the foundation for sustaining life, maintaining urban greenery, and supporting a healthy environment.
Sustainable soil management practices are crucial not just for food security and water filtration, but also in the fight against global warming and climate change, said an official release.
A number of scientists and experts shared their expertise and innovations on the scientific management of land (soil) and water resources.
Technical officers and subject specialists from the concerned departments spoke on the complexities involved in the planning, design, and implementation of numerous soil and water conservation projects.
A significant highlight of the programme was the remarkable participation of students from Bethlehem English Academy, Karsingsa-ll, in a poster-making competition held on 4 December on a universal theme, “Healthy Soil for Healthy Cities.”
The programme is followed by a plantation drive and model farm visit to provide firsthand knowledge about technological interventions in the field of soil and water conservation.
A host of senior officials including from Soil & Water Conservation Directorate and KVK scientists attended the celebration.
The Day was also celebrated by the Anjaw KVK by organizing training-cum- sapling distribution programme at Khupaliang and Tafraliang. A total of 25 farmers including farm women from different villages participated in the programme.
Soil & water conservation engineering subject matter specialist Ugarsain explained about this year’s theme “Healthy Soil for Healthy Cities.”
“Protecting the soil is key for clean water, climate resilience and making our cities greener for tomorrow,” he said while emphasizing the importance of utilizing kitchen degradable waste and household organic waste for making compost, which helps improve soil quality and maintain a clean environment.
Home science subject matter specialist Pooja Singnale highlighted the importance of growing nutritional kitchen gardens and emphasized the health benefits of consuming seasonal leafy and other vegetables.
She encouraged participants to include more home-grown vegetables in their diets for improved nutrition and also encouraged the women SHG’s participation in preparation of value-added products from locally available seeds.
Horticulture SMS Satveer Yadav also explained about the integrated nutrient management of soil for various crops, emphasizing on soil health and soil testing.
Agricultural economics SMS Dr. S. Peter Singh motivated the farmers to develop integrated farming models for sustainable agricultural development and enhance livelihood opportunities.
During the event, a total of 5000 saplings of vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Chinese cabbage and tomato along with seeds of carrot, radish, palak and coriander were distributed among the participants.
