Centre asks NE states to formulate bio-diesel policy

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Aizawl, Dec 7 (UNI) Impressed with the growing popularity of jatropha among Northeast farmers, Ministry of Agriculture has asked Northeast states to adopt bio-diesel policy to tap the potential of the fuel.

State agriculture minister H Ramawi here said that so far, about 500 hectares of land, mostly degraded forest, has been covered with Jatropha cultivation in Mizoram and the interest of Jatropha is growing gradually.

Mizoram would be the first state in the Northeast region to implement a mega project in cultivating Jatropha plantations, across the state, for extracting huge quantity of bio-diesel under the guidance of National Oil Seeds and Vegetable Development (NOVOD) Board, Ministry of Agriculture.

We have already signed a 250-crore contract with Godrej company to promote cultivation and processing facilities of Jatropha Curcas under Mizoram Intodelhna Programme (MIP) (self-sufficiency) in the districts of Aizawl, Kolasib, Mamit and Lunglei in the first phase, he pointed out.

''Besides, government also chalked out a plan to extend Jatropha cultivation in 2,60,000 hectares barren land and the potential of jatropha cultivation in 1.30 lakh hactres land, which would reduce about 10 per cent of disel annually'', he estimated.

Mr Ramawi added that it would save about Rs 325 crore annually as well as generate employment opportunity.

He pointed out that though Jatropah is a common plant and considered wild and unusable till recently, scientific findings of its ability to produce an alternative fuel to diesel has made it, all of a sudden, a much sought after plant in the region.

UNI BB BA SP RK1326

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