Ladakh introduced new technology to cultivate vegetables in harsh conditions: Nityanand Rai tells Rajya Sabha

Ladakh has built 1,875 units of greenhouses for Rs 43.78 crore till now, Under this initiative, farmers will grow vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, tomato and various types of green leafy vegetables during harsh winter months.

New Delhi:The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday said that the Union Territory of Ladakh has introduced a new technology namely “Ladakh Green House” to cultivate vegetables in limited quantities in controlled conditions throughout the year.

“Ladakh is a cold region, so it is challenging to grow crops and vegetables during the winter season as the temperature often drops below -20 degrees Celsius. However, with the introduction of this new technology, farmers in the region can grow vegetables even during the peak winter season when the temperature plummets below -30 degrees Celsius,” said Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

As of date, the UT of Ladakh has constructed 1,875 units of such greenhouses for Rs 43.78 crore where farmers can grow vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, tomato and various types of green leafy vegetables during harsh winter months. This has considerably brought down the need to bring vegetables from outside.

He said that Ladakh is an area characterized by extremely harsh winters and the cropping season in the Union Territory is limited to five months from May to September.

“The local production of vegetables and fruits during the limited cropping season is around 17,000 Metric Tons. On an average, around 35,000 Metric Tons of vegetables and fruits are brought from outside to meet the requirement of the people of the Ladakh region,” he said.

Meanwhile, in another reply related to the running of police stations in the national capital, Rai said that of the total 225 police stations, only 13 police stations are running in rented premises.

“Delhi Police carries out the responsibility of maintaining the Law and Order in the National Capital. To enable Delhi Police to carry out its responsibility effectively, the Government provides adequate funds every year as per the requirements projected,” he said. Rai said that a total amount of Rs 2,967,406 is being paid for all the police stations as rent.