Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh government is planning to promote natural farming along the Narmada river emulating a similar project along the Ganga by the Government of India.
Official sources said that the Department of Agriculture has submitted the required DPR in this regard adding the government may provide funds for this in the forthcoming budget.
The project has been taken up given the rapidly growing settlements on the banks of the Narmada and the subsequent deforestation which is slowly becoming a major environmental crisis.
Due to this, the problem of soil erosion in rivers has increased. On the other hand, increasing pollution in the river has also had a bad effect on the water ecosystem. The Centre has made plans for natural farming on both sides of the River Ganga. On the same lines, the Madhya Pradesh Department of Agriculture is also moving in the same direction of innovation along the Narmada.
The department is planning to promote natural and non-traditional farming within a radius of 5 km on both the banks of the River Narmada, plant fruit trees for horticulture and for animal husbandry. Farmers will also be advised to set up the spice industry along the banks. At the same time, farmers can plant vegetables along Narmada if they wish. It is proposed in the DPR that bamboo cultivation along Narmada will promote industries.
Besides, cattle rearing will also be taken up on the banks of River Narmada, which will also increase the nutrients in the soil from dung and cow urine and also help in preparing organic manure.
It has been surveyed by the agriculture department that 106 villages are located on both the banks of Narmada from Patan and Shahpura districts of Jabalpur with the Department of Agriculture planning to motivate the farmers in these villages for non-traditional farming.
The total length of the River Narmada is 1312 kilometers. Out of this, 1077 kilometers flow through Madhya Pradesh. Many other districts of Madhya Pradesh including Anuppur, Dindori, Mandla, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Narmadapuram, Harda, Dewas, Khandwa, Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Alirajpur, Jhabua will be included in this scheme.
