Farmers’ training on fisheries technologies and opportunities in Uttarakhand has begun at Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (ICAR-IISWC), Dehradun on 14th Feb. 2024. This second batch of the training is scheduled during 14th to 18th Feb. 2024 and sponsored by the Directorate of Uttarakhand State Fisheries Department, Dehradun. Dr M Madhu, Director, ICAR-IISWC in his inaugural address, today, requested the farmer trainees to be proactive and often interact with field officials of local State and Central Governments’ line departments to understand various schemes and provisions available with them that would benefit farmers and farming communities.

Dr M Muruganandam, Principal Scientist and Head (PME & KM) Unit, ICAR-IISWC, the coordinator the course welcoming the participants presented the details of the course content and training engagements planned during the five-day training schedule. He informed that this program as a drive is one of the series of training batches that are being planned and organised to expose farmers of Uttarakhand to various fisheries, fish farming, integrated farming systems and technologies and the association of natural resources and other farming sectors with fisheries resources.

Dr RK Singh, Head (Hydrology and Engineering Division), IISWC spoke on the importance of soil and water conservation in sustenance of farming and livelihoods. Dr Charan Singh, Head, HRD& SS Division, Dr PR Ojasvi, Principal Scientist (SWC Engg), Er SS Shrimali, Sr Scientist, Dr M Sankar, Dr Trisha Roy, Sr Scientist (Soil Science), Dr Rama Pal, Sr Scientist (Environmental Science), Dr Devideen Yadav, Sr Scientist (Agronomy), Dr Sadikul Islam, Scientist, Sh Rakesh Kumar, CTO, Sh Suresh Kumar, CTO, Er Amit Chauhan, ACTO, Sh HS Bhatia and Dr Pramod Lawate, STO, IISWC participating as resource persons and facilitators besides officials from State Fisheries Department including Sh Anil Kumar, Deputy Director, and Sh Rajkumar Sharma, Sr Fisheries Inspector State Fisheries Department.

During the program the farmers will be exposed to different technologies, field models and systems of farming especially of fish farming, soil health management and resource conservation besides advanced technologies and unique opportunities existing in Uttarakhand.

A total 50 farmer trainees from different Pithoragarh and Udam Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand are participating in the training program sponsored by Uttarakhand State Fisheries Department, Dehradun. This program is being organised under the provision of the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) scheme of the Department.