Experts express satisfaction over Nadia vetiver plantation

Technical Director of The Vetiver Network International, Dr. Paul Truong recently visited Nadia District to see the vetiver plantation works in the District and attended the vetiver workshop held at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya recently.

Kalyan Rudra, renowned river expert, P. Vincent, ‘Vetiverman in South India’, Mr. Pradeep Kumar, vetiver expert and many , research scholars , engineers related with the vetiver project in Nadia also took part in the workshop.

Mamata Banerjee had named the project as Sabujayan and launched the project on November 23, 2015. Vetiver will be planted along the banks of six rivers flowing through Nadia district to check soil erosion.

The district administration has taken up plantation of vetiver along the banks of the rivers covering 555 km in length. Vetiver saplings will be planted in the both sides of the river banks covering 743.97 km plantation in the district.

The wonder grass vetiver has the capability to grow up to 20 feet root growth and fibrous root system. It binds the soil particles and protect from erosion. Paul Truong has the experience worldwide and personally implemented river bank stabilisation in Mekong river in Cambodia. He worked in

Thailand, Phillipines, Australia, South African counties have controlled soil erosion and water purification through vetiver plantation. He assured that this project is the world’s biggest project and river water pollution will also be reduced once the project is completed. He suggested some modifications considering the characters of the river banks and soil characters in Nadia. Presently, the project is being implemented under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Scheme with involvement of 15 lakh person. Once the project is completed, the incidents like the 2000 or 2015 flood will not occur in the district.

The district magistrate also announced that the project of vetiver plantation will be completed by September, 2016 and after that livelihood generation for the SHG members will be made through making handicrafts from vetiver stem and leaves.