December 11th 2007 Chandigarh
Times of India, Neem Based
pesticide to be made popular
The Punjab State Council for Science and Technology (PSCST)
and Forest Department (FD) are going to work jointly on a project
for promoting neem-based bio-pesticide in the state.
The PSCST is already paying farmers for neem seed kernel and
Forest Department has also started promoting the growing of neem
trees. The department has also started a neem tree census in
Bathinda, Patiala and Sangrur districts. In the first Stage of the
project, the PSCST plans to establish two neem pesticides
production units, one at Kot Shamir village in Bathinda and
another at Thapar Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Park at
Patiala. The Forest department has already procured a huge stock
of neem seed kernel in Rampura Phul area of Bathinda.
Additional Director of PSCST, Jatinder Kaur said, "With the
adverse effects of synthetic pesticides becoming apparent in
Punjab, there is an urgent need to shift to some safer variants
and neem is one of the best sources of non-synthetic pesticides".
She said the PSCST had an agreement with Punjab Agricultural
University and Forest Department for producing and promotion of
neem based pesticides. After seeing the successful results shown
by neem based pesticides in West Bengal and Maharasthra the Punjab
government decided to promote these here too, Said Dr. Arora. She
said neem is one of the safest pesticides as it does not leave a
residue on the crop like synthetic pesticides do.
"Bathinda district has a large number of neem trees. so the
potential for production of bio-pesticide here is enormous," said
Dr. Arora
She added, " Some villages in Rampura Phul area have 3,000 to
4,000 neem trees." The Forest department will also promote
the
growing of neem among farmers, said Dr. Arora.
November
2, 2007 The Tribune,
Neem- based pesticide plant set up
Farmers of the
state now can give up use of chemical fertilizers. The Punjab
State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST) has set up the
first neem- based bio-pesticide plant at Thapar deemed
university. The unit was inaugurated by Abhijit Mukurjee, at the
Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park of the Institute.
Dr. N.S. Tiwana,
Executive Director, PSCST, present on the occasion, said Neem (Azadirachtin
indica) is a wonder plant, known for medicinal properties. It will
set new definition in the days to come as herbal bio-pesticide
fro eco-friendly farming in Punjab.
In an bid to
switch over from synthetic pesticides to non-synthetic ones in
Punjab, the council is promoting eco-friendly and biodegradable
neem-based pesticide. Under the programme, the first –ever neem
bio-processing unit in Punjab has been set up by Council at
Science & Technology Entrepreneur’s Park (STEP) of Thapar
university, Patiala.
The memorandum of
understanding for a collaborative programme was also signed
between the Thapar institute and the PSCST on the occasion.
Dr. Jatinder Kaur
Arora, Additional director, PSCST, said neem bio-processing unit
was set up by the council at Thapar under the national level
multi- institutional project supported by the union ministery of
chemical and fertilizers and coordinated by the Regional Network
on pesticides for Asia and Pacific ( Renpap). It also involves
nine other participating insitituonal and organizations from all
over India apart from the Council. The Council plans to set up two
more such units in other parts of Punjab, he said.
Dr. Dinesh Goyal,
Executive Director, Thapar, said ‘intensive farming in Punjab had
led to indiscriminate usage of fertilizers and pesticides over a
few decades leading to ground water pollution and accumulation of
their residues in final produce making it unacceptable in
international and domestic markets.
Later, Dr.
Dapinder K. Bakshi, Senior scientific officer from the council,
apprised farmers about the simple and cost –effective technology
by which they could prepare pesticide from neem fruit.
May 12th 2007 Chandigarh Tribune,
National award for woman scientist
A national award has been conferred upon Dr Jatinder Kaur Arora,
an outstanding scientist from Punjab. She has been given the award
for her work on women’s development through science and
technology. The award was presented to her today, on the occasion
of Technology Day, by the President at Delhi.
Dr Arora is, perhaps, the first scientist to get such an award.
She is a doctorate in microbiology and has a brilliant academic
record. She has been awarded merit fellowship during graduation
and post graduation and ICAR fellowship during her doctorate
programme. After serving as an assistant professor in Punjab
Agricultural University, she joined the Punjab State Council for
Science and Technology in 1990 and is serving as a joint director
in the council at present.
She has executed various prestigious projects, including
mission mode project on biofertiliser, solid waste management
through vermicomposting and promotion of cultivation and value
addition through processing of medicinal and aromatic plants. She
has also launched awareness campaigns on causes and prevention of
genetic disorders which led to significant positive shift in
prevailing perceptions of rural women. She is coordinating
promotion of neem-based environment friendly pesticide in Punjab
under Government of India supported multi-institutional project.
April 30, 2007 The
Tribune, Genetically modified crops
‘becoming popular’
Opposition from various non-government organizations
notwithstanding, the area under genetically modified (GM) crops is
increasing rapidly in the country. Farmers' preference for Bt
cotton can be gauged from the fact that 70 per cent of the total
area under this crop was covered by Bt seeds. " In the next two or
three years, Bt cotton will be spread over 90 per cent of the
total area under this crop", said Dr P.Ananda Kumar, principal
scientist, national research centre on plant biotechnology, and
chairman, monitoring-cum -evaluation committee.
Dr Kumar told The Tribune that in 2002, only 0.5 million
hectares was under Bt cotton and last year the area went up to 3.8
million hectares. The use of pesticides to save the cotton crop
from pests, mainly the American bollworm, had gone down by 75 per
cent, he claimed.
Asked about reports that genetically modified crops created
health problems like skin diseases, he said there was no such
report from any part of the cotton belt so far. " I believe it is
just propaganda against such crops and there is no authentic
report in this regard", he added.
G. Balachandharan, joint secretary, union ministry of
environment and forests, said here today that after the
introduction of Bt cotton in various parts of the country, now the
focus was not on water-guzzling crops like rice.
Balachandharan was here to preside over a training workshop on
bio-safety issues hosted by the Punjab state council for science
and technology. Asked about the high price of Bt seeds,
Balachandharan said it was true that in first years of Bt cotton,
companies charged a high price. " But now we are recommending the
Bt seeds of various companies to introduce competition in sales."
Last year, we recommended the cotton seed of various companies and
it brought down the price from Rs 1,400 per bag to Rs 700-800. We
expect that the price will come down further in two or three three
years", he added.
Punjab chief secretary Ramesh Inder Singh, who inaugurated the
workshop, listed the steps taken to promote bio-technology in the
state.
Others who spoke at the workshop were Dr N.S. Tiwana, Dr
Manoranjan Hota, M.P. Singh, Jatinder Kaur Arora and P. Ananda
Kumar.
April 11th 2007 The
Political & Daily Business,
Punjab Wetlands Peril: Majithia
Punjab Science Technology and Environment Minister Bikram Singh
Majithia today called upon all the states to chalk out a
coordinated plan to preserve existing water bodies including
wetlands and save them from human as well as commercial
encroachments.
Expressing these views while inaugurating workshop on Ramsar
sites here today, Majithia said that the Punjab state which was
once water surplus was now facing acute shortage of water
resulting in lowering of ground water table and the need of the
hour was the preservation of available water resources which were
grossly degraded due to over exploitation drainage and siltation.
He said that Punjab Government was committed to provide possible
help for the conservation of three-wetlands Harike, Kanjli and
Ropar.
Majithia said wetlands play a great role in flood control,
recharge of aquifers, regulating water quality treatment of waste
waters, reducing sediment load, production of organic material at
rates equalled by few other eco-systems.
Wetlands have been an integral part of natural ecology and our
rural socio-cultural heritage. Majithia further said that
deliberations in the workshop on Ramsar sites would pave the way
for developing an integrated and multi-dimensional approach to
safeguard the precious water resources which was a big challenge
for all the states. Workshop would also provide an opportunity for
the participating states to jointly discuss the critical issues
concerning wetlands. He assured that the state governments would
consider suggestions and recommendations of experts.
MP Singh, Secretary Science & Technology and Environment
Punjab, while speaking on the occasion said that people should be
educated regarding the benefits of wetlands and their involvement
in the project was a must.
B.S. Parsheera, Additional Secretary Science Technology and
Environment at the centre said that water and wetlands play vital
role for the rural poor to survive. He said till date 25 sites
from India had been declared as Ramsar sites of international
importance. Six more sites had also been processed and sent for
approval.
NS Tiwana, Executive Director, Punjab State Council for
Science and Technology said that wetland programmes would take
great fill up under the able guidance of Majithia and discussions
and exchange of information during the workshop would give desired
impetus to such conservation efforts.
January 16th 2007 Chandigarh Tribune,
Punjab Students watching Clouds at NASA
For the past one year, at least hundred students of 10 schools of
the state have been working on an assignment to watch clouds. As
part of a global project promoted by National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA), these students note down the shape of
the clouds overhead and report to the project centre at Colorado
University, USA. Though these students are the only ones in India
to participate in the Cloud Sat programme of GLOBE (Global
Learning and Observation for a Better Environment), they are not
alone. Students in 109 countries across the world have volunteered
for this cloud-watching assignment in assisting weather satellites
to study climatic and seasonal changes over the Earth. Dr Nandini
Mcclurg, research scientist at Colorado University, said,
“Students have been given a schedule which tells them when NASA’s
satellite would be over the region. At that point, students here
note the shape and size of the clouds overhead. The data is sent
to the university, which is then forwarded to NASA. NASA uses this
data to corroborate the information that it receives from the
satellite.” Cloud Sat is a multi-satellite, multi-sensor
experiment designed to measure the properties of clouds that are
critical for understanding the effects on both weather and
climate. Dr Mcclurg was here today to interact with students of
Shastri Model School who are a part of the project. “Our students
have been involved with the project for the past one year and a
team of over 10 students have been sending the Cloud Sat report
daily without fail,” said School Manager Ram Lal Sewak. The data
collected from Punjab is forwarded to Colorado University through
the Punjab State Council of Science and Technology. “It is a
matter of pride that Punjab is the only state in the country where
students are a part of this unique project. We are encouraging
students involved in the project to participate in international
science learning competitions being planned by GLOBE,” said Dr
Neelima Jerath, Joint Director with the council.
April 29th,
2007,
Neem
to be used for making bio-pesticides in Punjab
This is an attempt to shift the onus from synthetic pesticides to
the non-synthetic ones for farming in Punjab. Basically known for
medicinal purposes, the wonder plant Neem (Azadirachta Indica)
would have a new definition in the days to come as the
Biotechnology Department in Punjab State Council for Science &
Technology (PSCST) is all set to use the plant for the
manufacturing of organic-pesticides.
The Council is working out the modalities for setting up a
bio-processing unit for the production of such pesticides at
Patiala, which is likely to become functional in Thapar’s Science
& Technology Entrepreneurs Park (STEP) by the end of May.
Regional Network on Pesticides for Asia Pacific (RENPAP), an
offshoot of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO),
is providing the technical assistance while the Union Ministry of
Chemical and Fertilizers would found the project.
Focusing on the promotion and production of neem based
bio-pesticides, the project would be completed in three years’
time in a phased manner at a cost of Rs.66 lakh. After setting up
the plant at Patiala, two more plants would be set up in other
parts of Punjab and all the districts of the state would be
covered under the project.
PSCST is one of the ten agencies across India RENPAP is
coordinating with for the promotion and production of neem based
bio-pesticides.
According to an estimate there are 12 lakh neem trees in Punjab
and Bathinda alone has more than 1.20 lakh of them in the
district. Constituting 10 percent of the total neem trees in the
state, Bathinda has a crucial role in the production of the
bio-pesticide as far as raw material is concerned.
PSCST officials have even started holding meetings with the rural
folks of the district to collect Neem fruits. “We are having
meetings with people in the villages of Bathinda. We are ready to
pay them on per kilogram basis for the Neem fruit they collect and
give us,” Senior Scientific Officer of PSCST told The Indian
Express.
According to PSCST Entomologist Yuvraj Singh Pandha, the onset of
Neem fruits begins during May-June and a matured fruit lasts for
nearly 25 days. “Time is right there to begin the Project,” said
Pandha.
“This part of Punjab bore the maximum brunt of excessive
pesticides that also manifested itself in the deadly diseases like
cancer. Therefore, we will put this region on top priority to
sensitize farmers about the use of biopesticide," said Joint
Director Biotechnology, PSCST Dr. Jatinder Kaur Arora.
Besides being eco-friendly, neem based pesticides affect the life
cycle of pests instead of killing them. Neem based pesticides
have anti feedant and pest repellent properties, where pests do
not like to feed on the plant and even if does, its life cycle
gets affected seriously. Accordingly to Pandha, Neem has 11
different types of active ingredients and makes it very tough for
a pest to develop resistance against it. Due to its fast
breakdown in nature, it leaves no residue on the plant. It is
non-toxic in nature and nourishes and conditions the soil.
Even a marginal farmer can manufacture Neem based pesticides as
only a simple procedure is involved in which definite quantities
of Neem fruit and water are mixed and kept for around 12 hours
till an aqueous solution is formed, which is used as a spray.