He is four score years and four. Yet, age sits light on his shoulders. He rises with the lark and works in his laboratory till it is dark. A highly-acclaimed metallurgist, founder father of a national laboratory under the CSIR, presently known as the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar, former Director General of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, he is a kaleidoscopic personality who had hundred irons in the fire and all of them were hot indeed!
Padmashree Prof Dr Prafulla Kumar Jena is an internationally-known scientist and educationalist with specialisation in metallurgical engineering and environmental science. He has made significant contributions through planning and executing R&D projects and teaching programmes in areas of his specialisation as a scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai; Professor and Head of the Department of Metallurgy at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Director, Regional Research laboratory (RRl), Bhubaneswar, Director General of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, First Distinguished Professor of the Tata Chair in Metallurgical Engineering at IIT, Kharagpur, Senior Visiting Professor at Tohoku University, Japan and Catholic University of Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil and is presently as the Chairman of the Institute of Advance Technology & Environmental Studies (IATES), Bhubaneswar, He wishes that scientist should come out of the cocooned shells of their cloistered laboratories and put their findings into practical applications and that is why he had endorsed a plan to office of the Prime Minister regarding development of rural India on July 17, 2014. The PMO has possibly taken a leaf out of his plans in the Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan. In an interview to The Pioneer, he spoke to Sugyan Choudhury on his vision plan for transformation of rural India.
I understand you organised a national workshop on Integrated Development of Rural India, Can you elaborate the objective of this workshop for making India a developed nation by 2020IJ
In order to materialise our dream to make India a developed nation by 2020, we have to see that from all respects the socioeconomic standard of rural India is improved considerably to be at par with the rural areas of advanced nation.
Most of the rural mass which constitutes about 70 per cent of the Indian population does not have enough resources to lead a comfortable life. Because of meager benefits from agricultural and allied activities, a large number of them rush to nearby urban areas with a hope of getting better employment. In recent years, the socioeconomic plight of rural India is rather deteriorating. The workshop was held to create a sense of awareness among the present and future generations of the country.
What are your prescriptions to improve the living conditions in rural IndiaIJ
The following five super projects are suggested for an integrated development of rural India. Wetland development with rainwater harvesting and integrated management of water resource.
Development of post-harvest technology and agro industries with particular reference to agricultural produces.
Utilisation of agricultural and domestic organic wastes for producing organic manure and biogas along with harnessing solar energy.
Commercial plantation on wasteland and surroundings of wetlands to harness economic values. Implementation of programmes on health and sanitation and empowerment of women.
In the task of uplifting the socioeconomic condition of rural India, the State and Central Governments and the private and public sectors, mines and industries particularly the minerals-based industries can play a significant role. It may be mentioned that most of the mines and major industries are located in rural areas. The recent programmes on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by industries to improve the socioeconomic condition of the rural people in their areas by utilising a part of their profits earned are a very welcome effort in this direction.
Please elaborate on wetland development with rainwater harvesting and integrated management of water resources and how it can be materialised.
It is essential to develop the existing wetlands and create new ones with provision to harvest rainwater and with appropriate provision for recharging the aquifer. This way, rainwater harvesting in wetlands would increase the water resource required in rural India for agriculture, agro industries and domestic purposes as well as recharging the groundwater for providing drinking water through bore wells. The wetlands can be used for pisciculture and producing aquatic edible plants. Massive employment opportunities would also be created in rural areas.
How the post-harvest technology and agro industries can be toned up to strengthen the agro economy of rural IndiaIJ
The following steps are needed to promote saving of agricultural produce and developing agro industries.
It has been estimated that the post-production loss in food commodities in India is to the tune of Rs77-100 thousand crore per annum. These loses are caused during storage, handling and transportation. The loss can be brought down to less than 50 per cent by adopting agro processing technology and the rest 50 per cent can be saved by developing infrastructural facilities like proper grain storage structures, cold stores and better processing systems.
A favourable atmosphere for agro industries requires timely financial assistance, supply of proper raw materials, infrastructures, skilled manpower, prompt transportation and marketing of finished goods.
At the village or panchayat level, unemployed youths should be identified and given vocational training in the concerned areas.
In promoting these industries, the package programme comprising permission for land, infrastructural facilities, finance, water, electricity, provision for raw materials, appropriate technology and market should be made by the government. Science and technology organisations should be motivated to take up R&D work in agro processing keeping in view the global trend.
A lot of organic wastes are generated from agricultural and domestic sectors creating environmental hazards. How can these be utilised to their productive endsIJ
While making efforts to minimise the wastes through proper storage, timely transportation, distribution and selling of agro products, different programmes should be undertaken to produce value-added products from these wastes. The organic wastes from agricultural farms, agro industrial wastes, market wastes of vegetables and fruits and domestic wastes can be utilised through anaerobic digestion to produce high-grade manure and domestic fuel gas instead of using this in land filling as is practised in most parts of India. If the organic wastes are utilised by individual families or in a cooperative manner, the amount of organic manure and fuel gas to be generated through anaerobic digestion will be sufficient to meet the manure requirements in place of chemical fertilisers and fuel requirements for cooking and heating, etc. It may be mentioned that one tonne of organic waste (on dry basis) can produce about 800 m3 of fuel gas and 400 kg of manure.
The rural India can be free from depending on conventional source of energy including the electrical energy for domestic and community purposes by harnessing solar energy both individually and collectively.
To implement these programmes, what are your plans to develop manpowerIJ
To implement these four socioeconomic developmental programmes, it is necessary to have the required manpower trained in the concerned areas. Village youths, both males and females, should be trained. As most of them belong to farmers families, it would be convenient for them after suitable training to get into project implementation programmes. Vocational training centres should be established at central places in each district with infrastructure facilities and resource persons so that youths can be trained properly. The State Governments have a major role in creating the facilities and providing financial assistance to the young entrepreneurs.
Did you inform the State or Central Government about your magic formula for transformation of rural IndiaIJ
Yes, I did times without number in various forums. You may please note that I had endorsed a proposal to our present popular Prime Minister about these five super projects for ‘Integrated Development of Rural India’ on July 17, 2014.
I have also kept our State Government informed about my proposal, and in this regard I organised a national workshop in Bhubaneswar from October 29 to 31, 2014.
Now, it is left to them for implementation of the programmes on the above scientific basis if both State and Central Governments desire to see a vibrant rural India.