A four-month certificate course on soil and water conservation and watershed management was inaugurated at ICAR- Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation on Monday. According to the institute, a total of 26 officers representing nine States — Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Kerala, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhnad, Kranataka and Gujarat — are attending this course. The Vice Chancellor of Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry, Bharsar, professor Mathew Prasad was the chief guest on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Prasad urged the officer trainees to best utilise the four month time effectively in learning about the different aspects of soil and water conservation and watershed management. He also asked the officer trainees to share the experiences of their respective states on soil and water conservation.
Earlier, delivering the inaugural address, the ICAR- IISWC director PK Mishra emphasised the importance of conservation of natural resources and how this training programme helps to percolate knowledge to different stake holders through the officer trainees in all parts of the country. He asked the trainees to interact as much as possible with the faculty and extract knowledge necessary to implement various practical work at field level.
The institute’s human resource development and social sciences division head in charge Bankey Bihari briefed the gathering about five course modules comprising of soil and water conservation engineering, soil management for controlling land degradation, conservation agronomy and forestry and integrated watershed management. He also emphasised that the training programme focuses equally on theory and practical modules of learning along with preparation of detailed project report, study tour and other aspects. Various divisional heads, scientists and others were also among those present in the inaugural session of the four-month certificate course.