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Kohima, Feb. 22 (EMN): Chief Engineer of Water Resources department Hotovi Ayemi on Tuesday urged the agricultural engineers to play a proactive role in maintaining equilibrium for human sustainability.
He was addressing the 3rd Biennial General Conference 2022 cum felicitation of the Agriculture Engineering Graduates Association of Nagaland (AEGAN) held at LCS building in Kohima.
The official stated that the agricultural engineers have been improving and innovating new technology with respect to post-harvest technology and also in the promotion of uplifting farmers and rural livelihood. He added that the agricultural engineers integrate the engineering knowledge of other branches and improve the ease of operation for farmers through new and improved technology.
‘Today, in the world of food shortage and water crisis, agricultural engineers have a vital role to play in the management, conservation and equitable distribution of the scarce commodity – water,’ Ayemi said.
The chief engineer pointed out that the department of Water Resources, earlier known as Irrigation and Flood Control, was curated out of the Agriculture department on April 1, 1988 as an engineering department to take up various works in irrigation sector, flood mitigation and erosion control in the state.
He maintained that the department has now grown into a full-fledged department implementing almost all the water-related works in the state.
“We are all aware that the state economy is highly dependent on agricultural production. But today; water is becoming scarce due to climatic changes globally and unpredictable drought conditions. In this scenario, the department is implementing reliable water source infrastructures for assured irrigation and other agricultural developmental works”.
He reiterated that the department is focusing on another thrust area -- on the protection of valuable land and other assets of the state from soil erosion, caused by major rivers through adoption of suitable anti erosion control works.
Further, he motivated the participants to render their best and put their heads together into new approaches, mechanisms and innovative ideas to tackle the problems of society today.
Meanwhile, Nentilo Woch in his presidential address stated that the association was formed in 2015 with a motive to fight corruption and injustice towards agricultural engineers and unemployed youths.
He added that the need for this association arose because many of the departments concerned were not able to publish the vacant posts through NPSC in the right time.
He pointed out that Nagaland is predominantly an agricultural economy with 70% of its population dependent on agriculture. He added that the state cannot rely only on the traditional form of farming with the increasing population and demand for more food.
Woch stated that the food produced by the state is either not sufficient or that there are no adequate storage or post-harvest facilities to store it .
He opined that among the states, Nagaland has a very low farm power availability ie 0.447 Kw/ha to that of the national availability, which is 1.73 Kw/ha according to 2016-17 data.
He assessed that there is a vast scope for farm mechanisation, adding that the level of mechanisation in Nagaland is ‘very low’.
This has led to low productivity, he said and stressed on the need to increase production.
On the occasion, meritorious agricultural engineers were felicitated while reports were also presented by General Secretary AEGAN Jasmine Pielie; Finance Secretary AEGAN Hitokali H Jimo and Finance Secretary AEGAN Visakunu Testeo.