World Water Day Celebrated at ICAR Research Complex, Umiam

UMIAM: To strengthen long-term efforts under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) - 6 to provide water and sanitation to everyone by 2030, ICAR Research Complex for the NEH Region celebrated and raised awareness about 'World Water Day - 2022' on the theme of this year - 'Groundwater, making the invisible visible'. A total of 90 participants comprising mostly farmers from Meghalaya, researchers from six universities in north-eastern India, and the Institute's staff attended the awareness programme.

Hill farmers shared their struggle to meet daily water needs, especially during the dry season (November through April). They explained how ICAR's technological interventions combining their traditional methods of water conservation are more effective in alleviating the difficulties in times of water shortage. Dr S Hazarika, Head, DSRE, illuminated the house with an in-depth analysis of groundwater and its importance in supporting surface water availability and contribution to human survival and development activities, whether related to drinking water requirements, irrigation or industrial use, stated a press release.

Dr VK Mishra, the Director of ICAR-RC for NEH, stressed the need to raise awareness of the value of groundwater conservation through a bottom-up approach, including individual and national efforts. Half a day of interaction between scientists and farmers, including Head, KVK Ri-Bhoi, was carried out to further refine the water conservation technologies developed by ICAR which are in practice in the field of farmers.

The event was jointly supported by AICRP on irrigation water management and AICRP on plastic engineering and technologies.

The Institute also organized a seven-day training programme on 'Enhancing Resilience to Climate Stress in Hill Agriculture under Climate Change' organized under NICRA (HRD component) from march 14 to March 21. A total of 33 participants, comprising mostly research staff from Nagaland University, Tezpur University, Gauhati University, Madras University, NEHU Shillong and research staff and technical officers from ICAR RC NEH, Umiam participated in the training programme.

Participants were sensitized to the severity of the occurrence of various emergent biotic and abiotic stresses and their appropriate management strategies for mountain agriculture by various experts. Field exposure visit followed by a series of talks and hand-on exercise in the Institute research facilities including FATE and CTGCs, Plant growth chamber, GC for GHGs emission, TOC for carbon studies, photosynthetic system and other physiological tools were imparted.

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