State to distribute solar-driven pump sets among farmers in North Bengal

Cooch BEhar: The state government will distribute solar-driven pump sets among the farmers in North Bengal, Rabindranath Ghosh, state minister for North Bengal development, announced on Thursday.

He was addressing a gathering in connection with a two-day workshop of the women run Self-Help groups on alternative means of livelihood at Lansdown auditorium.

The workshop was organised by the state Food processing and Horticulture department along with the Village Development Cell and Cooch Bihar district administration. Kaushik Saha, district magistrate, was also present at the function. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 12.80 crore. As the pump sets will be driven by solar power, the running cost will be less resulting in rationalisation of the electric bills. The pump sets will be used for fish cultivation, in addition to agriculture, Ghosh said.

After sowing the seeds, an embankment of around 12 inch will have to be set up and the land will have to be filled by water up to 4 inch after 20 days from the day of sowing the seeds.

The fingerlings of Niloptica will be released in the water. As the fingerlings will grow, the water level also has to be increased. Instead of chemical fertilizers, organic manure will be used. This will help both the paddy and the fingerlings to grow, Ghosh maintained.