Rural students to be educated in soil study

Rural students to be educated in soil study
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NASHIK, JAN 4: In a novel gesture, which is the first of its kind at least in Maharashtra, the Nashik Zilla Parishad (ZP) has decided to educate students from the rural areas of the district, in soil study and cropping patterns. According to the Agriculture Officer of the ZP Mohan Wagh, who has taken the initiative for the novel project, the Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd has agreed to provide its mobile soil testing vans for the purpose.

He said that the project would be implemented initially in 15 schools (one school in each of the 15 tehsils of the district) and from the next academic year, it would be made applicable to all ZP run schools after appropriate budgetary provisions.

As per the pilot project, students from class VIII to class XII would be imparted practical knowledge in soil testing. The project would be carried out during weekends without affecting their regular studies. On Saturdays the students would be imparted theoretical knowledge and on Sundays, practical knowledge in soil testing. Students would be asked to collect samples from their own fields for the purpose. The pilot project would cost around Rs 15,000 and it would be borne by the ZP.

The project will enable the ZP to conduct soil testing all over the district, apart from imparting crucial knowledge to rural students, most of whom are farmers' children. Every school would be provided with 1,000 plastic bags to collect samples of soil and experts would train the children in conducting tests with the help of the apparatus in the RCF's mobile vans.

Even farmers would be invited during the demonstrations. The students would be educated in collecting and testing soil, its composition, the use of fertilizers, proportion of organic and chemical fertilizers to be used , cropping patterns and their timing, etc.

In two months, the ZP hopes to provide enough knowledge to the students in the 15 villages. The villages selected for the purpose are Taked (in Igatpuri tehsil), Harsul (Peth tehsil), Borgaon (Surgana), Khedgaon (Dindori), Abhona (Kalwan), Khalap (Deola), Vinchur (Niphad), Patoda (Yeola), Girnare (Nashik), Trimbakeshwar (Trimbakeshwar), Sakore (Nandgaon), Wadali Bhoi (Chandwad), Baragaon Pimpri (Sinnar), Dabhadi (Malegaon), and Karanjad (Baglan tehsil).