Shillong: The Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) on Thursday urged scientists in the north-east to
put abundant water available in the region to judicious and
effective use for development.
"While the rest of the country has been harvesting 29 per
cent of the available water, the corresponding figure in the
North-East was only 20 per cent. With high precipitation,
water in the region should be put to multiple uses so that it
does not become a menace, but an instrument for development,"
ICAR director general Mangala Rai said while addressing
scientists at ICAR complex at Umium on city outskirts.
Rai, also the secretary to the department of agricultural
research and education, pointed out that India uses only 4.2
per cent of the total water in the world, while it accounts
for 17 per cent of the global population.
He said an agricultural university would soon be set up
contiguous to the ICAR complex at Umiam for which the state
government has already agreed to provide 110-acre land.
Emphasising on the development of horticulture,
floriculture, pisciculture and other such sectors, Rai said
produces from the north-east should be given some value
addition and linked to the international market for the
benefit of farmers.
PTI
