Consistently and seriously working for the welfare of the farmers of the state, the Yogi Adityanath government is now preparing to give another big gift to the villages and farmers settled on both the sides of the Ganges. With the help of organic crops, the state government is working on a plan to increase the incomes of the farmers in this belt.
A plan for organic farming and horticulture has been prepared for the villages falling within a radius of 5 kilometres on both the sides of the river Ganga in the state.
The state government is working on a strategy to increase farmers’ income manifold through organic crops. The Agriculture and Horticulture department along with the Jal Shakti Ministry has rolled out the spadework on the ambitious plan.
According to the plan, fertiliser will not be used within 5 km radius of the river Ganga. The farmers in these areas will be trained in organic farming of grains, fruits and flowers. They will be provided with necessary equipment along with training and information for this.
The government plans to identify organic crops, products and provide special markets.
Considering the large market demand of organic products in the country as well as abroad, it is considered as a special benefit scheme for the farmers.
The Yogi government is working on three major goals simultaneously through this scheme. The first is the cleanliness of the river Ganga, the second is the income of the farmers and the third is the production of large quantities of organic crops in the state.
According to officials of the Jal Shakti Ministry, a large market will be made available for the crops produced on the banks of the Ganga in collaboration with the Agriculture and Horticulture department so that the farmers get better than normal prices for their produce. Significantly, to free the Ganga river from pollution, the Yogi government has decided to take strict steps to stop the use of chemical fertilisers. The state government is preparing to ban the use of chemical fertilisers in the districts through which the river Ganga passes.
By promoting organic farming, natural farming and horticulture in the Gangetic plain, the Yogi government is going to give a new income platform to the farmers.
Along with proper management of solid waste and disposal of garbage in the villages along the Ganga, polythene will be banned completely. According to a senior official of Namami Gange department, the use of chemical fertiliser is a major cause of pollution in the Ganga. The effort of the state government is now to stop it completely.
Cabinet minister and state government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said that the Yogi government was committed to the betterment and progress of the farmers of the state along with the success of the Nirmal and Aviral Ganga Mission.
Trees will be planted on both sides of the river to protect it from erosion. Along with prohibiting chemical fertiliser, plants like Peepal, Pakad, Mango, Jamun and Banyan will be planted along the river to protect the river from erosion.
Besides, Ganga nurseries will be developed in every district to have maximum plantations along the Ganga. Geo-tagging of all the plants along the Ganga will be done to prevent theft of the plants. For this, help from the Forest department will also be taken. A campaign will also be launched to free Ganga embankments from encroachments.
Reports said that by making the banks of the Ganga beautiful by removing encroachments, tourists can also be attracted. Not only this, Ganga stadium will also be built in the villages along the river Ganga so that the spirit of sports is developed in the youth of the villages. Renovation and beautification of the ponds along the Ganga will also be done.