The foundation began running the informal school in July 2021, in therooms of the Sido-Kanhu Murmu Stadium in Bhognadih…reports Asian Lite News
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unparalleled upheaval in education across the globe, and the ripples effects are being observed in other social factors. Closer to home, the state of Jharkhand has also seen an alarming increase in young girls being married off at tender ages or being forced to engage in manual labour during the lockdowns since March 2020.
According to the latest data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 36.1 per cent of rural girls and 32.2 per cent of total girls in Jharkhand are married before the age of 18. At the same time, only 60.2 per cent of girls in rural areas under the age of six are able to attend school. It is in this bleak scenario that there has been a ray of hope in the lives of Talamani Soren (7) and Sona Murmu (6) of Bhognadih village in the Barhait block of Sahibganj, a remote district of Jharkhand. The girls have been regularly attending an informal school for the past few months, learning to read, write and speak in Hindi and English.
Thanks to the efforts of the Sido-Kanhu Murmu Hul Foundation, these tribal girls are among the 350 children receiving free education amid the pandemic-induced lockdown. Before the revolt of 1857, the tribals in Bhognadih revolted against the British under the leadership of Sido Murmu and his brother Kanu Murmu. This struggle, which locals believe to be the country’s first rebellion against the British, took place in 1855 and has gone down in history as the Santal Hul (‘Hul’ means revolution or rebellion).
Sido and Kanu Murmu have a special place in the socio-political scene of Jharkhand, and the Sido-Kanhu Murmu Hul Foundation has been created by their successors and other youth to honour the duo. The foundation inculcates awareness and appreciation for tribal culture, lifestyle and music while sponsoring the education of children from economically-weak families.
The foundation began running the informal school in July 2021, in the rooms of the Sido-Kanhu Murmu Stadium in Bhognadih. What started with just 10 to 12 children being taught by volunteer teachers from the village, has now reached an impressive 350 students, most of them between five and 12 years. According to Mandal Murmu 25-year-old president of the Sido-Kanhu Murmu Foundation, an equal number of girls and boys belonging to the tribal community attend the school.
Manoj Hansda (28), secretary of the youth-run foundation, and a volunteer teacher himself, explained the circumstances that led to the launch of the school. “The condition of our area is dismal, with the education level being poor among the tribal community. During the lockdown, we didn’t wish the children of the village to go without learning so we decided to run a free school for them.” Hansda adds that all the teachers, who are volunteers from the village working pro bono, have received both their vaccine doses.
Initially, young students Anapa Soren, Anil Soren, Talamani Soren, and Sona Murmu, who only spoke in their mother tongue of Santali, were not comfortable with Hindi.
However, they have been learning Hindi and are now getting used to the language. Mandal Murmu explains, “We have been teaching them to read, write and speak in Hindi so that they are comfortable assimilating into the mainstream later.”
Since the children speak Santali at home, they are encouraged to converse only in Hindi at school. The children are also being introduced to the English language.
Primary class students have been divided into different groups and are also being taught by youth from the village. Apart from Manoj Hansda, Rinki Hansda and BA graduate, Meeru Kisku, also teach the children for free. During summer, classes are held from 3 pm to 5 pm, and in winter, between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Government yet to give green signal
Primary schools in Jharkhand have been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government reopened schools during August-September 2021 for children from classes 6 to 12, while primary classes remain shut.
Recently, economist and social activist Jean Dreze and his team protested in favour of the opening of primary classes in Jharkhand and sent a memorandum to Chief Minister Hemant Soren. On Human Rights Day December 10, 2021, children and their parents demonstrated at the block office demanding the opening of the school in Manika of Latehar district. Village Swaraj Mazdoor Sangh Manika wrote a letter to the Governor demanding the reopening of the school.
A survey by the Gram Swaraj Mazdoor Sangh found that most children at the primary level could not even read simple sentences at the start of 2021.
Earlier on 19 November 2021, social activists led by Dreze demonstrated outside the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi during the India-New Zealand T20 cricket match, demanding the opening of primary schools. In a letter to the Chief Minister, they pointed out that while 40,000 people had been allowed to enter the stadium to watch the match, primary schools remained shut despite public health experts advising the reopening of schools across the country.
Bhuneshwar Kewat, secretary of the Jharkhand Nirman Mazdoor Union and a close associate of Dreze, said, “If the schools remain closed for a third year, an entire generation will fail. These children will lose interest in reading and writing and they won’t be able to cope up in the higher classes.”
Upendra Nath Dubey, child rights activist and president of Latehar District Child Welfare Committee, points out, “How can children study online when they do not have the resources? The children’s mid-day meal was also halted. The children of migrant labourers, who returned to their villages due to the Covid-19 lockdown, could not be enrolled anywhere.”
Elaborating on the rise in the number of child marriages during the pandemic, Reshma Singh, co-ordinator of the AALI (Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiative) Trust, explains, “In June 2021 itself, we stopped eight child marriages from taking place. Cases also increased because parents feel weddings during the lockdown will require fewer resources with less people attending.”
On 31 January 2022, after Jean Dreze’s correspondence and pressure from various groups, the Jharkhand government decided to open the schools. As per the decision of the government, schools have been opened in 17 districts from the first grade in 24 districts. Classes ninth and above have been opened in seven districts Ranchi, Deoghar, East Singhbhum, Bokaro, Chatra, Seraikela and Simdega where the rate of corona infection is high.
After interacting with the students, the Deputy Commissioner said that necessary steps would be taken to resolve their problems and action would be taken against those who were responsible…reports Asian Lite News
Students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Jharkhand’s Simdega on Wednesday locked themselves up in a hall for hours in protest against poor food quality and other problems in the school.
A total of 176 students shut themselves in a hall of the school saying they would not come out until the Deputy Commissioner listens to them and take steps to resolve their problems. After about six hours, the students withdrew their agitation only when Deputy Commissioner Sushant Gaurav reached the school and assured of taking action.
On Wednesday morning after breakfast, all the students of class 9 to 12 gathered in a hall and accused the school management of giving them poor quality food. They said, there are several other problems, but despite repeated complaints, no one has listened to them.
After they shut themselves in a hall, the school management tried to persuade the children but they remained adamant on their demand to call the Deputy Commissioner. It was only after about six hours when the Deputy Commissioner arrived and convinced the children that their problems will be heard, the students opened the door.
The children complained that the food provided to them in the mess was of very poor quality. There are several other problems related to their education and hostel, but they said the school management does not pay any heed to them.
After interacting with the students, the Deputy Commissioner said that necessary steps would be taken to resolve their problems and action would be taken against those who were responsible.
Later the Deputy Commissioner said that the students may have some problems, but the manner in which they were instigated is highly objectionable. Those who misled the students will be identified and action will be taken against them. He said that the entire issue would be discussed with the students as well as their parents and all the stakeholders.
Laxman Rajwar, Ravana Rajwar, Bharat Singh and Anadi Singh, all residents of Tilatand village of Chandankiyari, are those who came out alive after fighting a battle with death for 90 hours…reports Asian Lite News.
Four people who were trapped for nearly 90 hours in an illegal coal mine in Bokaro district of Jharkhand, came out alive miraculously on Monday morning.
Narrating the ordeal, they said they kept digging for hours to find a way out of the coal mine. They were carrying torches which came handy as there was complete darkness inside the coal mine, not even a shade of sunlight. They lit one torch at a time to keep the battery going for a longer period of time. After digging for several hours, they finally managed to find a way out.
All four of them said they drank dirty water in the mine to keep themselves alive.
They had entered the coal mine under Chandankiyari block of Bokaro district at around 9 a.m. on November 26 to extract coal illegally but got trapped inside after the mine shaft collapsed suddenly.
Laxman Rajwar, Ravana Rajwar, Bharat Singh and Anadi Singh, all residents of Tilatand village of Chandankiyari, are those who came out alive after fighting a battle with death for 90 hours.
Hundreds from several villages in the area illegally extract coal from the coal block in Parvatpur which has been closed for years. This coal block belongs to BCCL, but due to various reasons, the company has stopped mining here for the past several years.
After these four people got trapped, villagers raised an alarm, and the local police and BCCL officials reached the spot. The next day i.e. on November 27, Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Chaudhary and SP Chandan Jha ordered an inquiry into the matter.
The rescue team of BCCL was also called, but they refused to do anything in view of the dangerous condition of the mine. On the third day on Sunday, 28 November, a team from NDRF reached and started the rescue operation, but it failed.
On Monday, the NDRF decided to excavate and before they could do so, all the four came out of the mine on their own, sending a wave of happiness in the entire village. On receiving this news, Chandankiyari MLA and former minister Amar Kumar Bauri also reached the spot. A medical team was called for the health check-ups of all four, but the locals opposed and the team had to return.
Their families feared that police action may be taken against the four for illegal mining.
They said they gave up all hopes of coming out alive, but when they really came out, the news spread like a wildfire on Monday morning, and a wave of happiness swirled in the area.
The Chief Minister said that all preparations have been made by the state government to deal with the possible challenge arising out of the Covid-19 infection…reports Asian Lite News.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren claimed on Tuesday that more than 1.70 crore people in the state have been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine till now.
Flagging off the Covid-19 Vaccine Express from the Dhurwa Grounds here, Soren said that till date, more than 1 crore 70 lakh people across the state have been vaccinated against Covid-19 while about 40 lakh people have received the second dose.
Speaking on the occasion, Soren said that 60 mobile vaccination vans have been dispatched to different districts of the state with the aim of speeding up the Covid-19 vaccination campaign in the state. All these vans will serve as “Tika Express” to take the vaccination campaign to the masses.
The Chief Minister said that all preparations have been made by the state government to deal with the possible challenge arising out of the Covid-19 infection.
With the help of these ‘Vaccine Expresses’, it will be easier for people to get the jab. This facility will be available to the people at their homes only, he said.
The chief minister briefed about the effective action being taken against the Left Wing Extremist organisations and joint efforts of central and state police forces…reports Asian Lite News
At a high level meeting attended by Home Secretary Amit Shah and several chief ministers, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren explained the effective action taken by the central and state police forces to contain Left Wing Extremist organisations and stem violence in the state.
Jharkhand Vows To Stem Naxal Violence
Chief Minister Hemant Soren seeks the centre’s contribution towards building necessary infrastructure facilities in tribal areas across the State, which includes the construction of roads, assistance for Kasturba Balika Vidyalaya, developing comprehensive internet facilities across the state and improving the mobile-telecom facility in distant parts of the state
Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren took part in the review meeting on ‘Left Wing Extremism and related issues on both security and development’ chaired by Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah in New Delhi on Sunday.
The meeting with Union Ministers, Chief Ministers of the Maoist-affected States and senior officials of central & state governments was centred on the activities related to Left Wing extremism and other tied issues.
During the meeting, Chief Minister Shri Soren raised issues such as the Centre’s contribution to the development of tribal areas in the State as well as he requested the extension of the Special Central Assistance fund for Left Wing Extremism affected districts in the state.
Apart from this, he also presented the records related to action being taken against Left Wing Extremist Organisations and crucial steps being taken by the state government to curb Naxal activities in the state.
Requests to seek the centre’s contribution towards building necessary infrastructure facilities in tribal areas across the State, which includes the construction of roads, assistance for Kasturba Balika Vidyalaya, developing comprehensive internet facilities across the state and improving the mobile-telecom facility in distant parts of the state.
Also, Issues related to increasing the minimum daily wage of MGNREGA workers and bring it to par with other states was part of his address. In addition, he raised his concern on the required revision in pension schemes run by the Government of India under the ambit of social security, which is very critical for the people living in LWE affected districts.
Also, the chief minister requested the chair to revise the requisite conditions for the allotment of Eklavya Vidyalaya in tribal areas, which can open doors to the establishment of more Eklavya Vidyalaya in the state, which in turn will leverage more tribal students to get quality education.
In his address, the chief minister briefed about the effective action being taken against the Left Wing Extremist organisations and joint efforts of central and state police forces.
Jharkhand Vows To Stem Naxal Violence
“In Jharkhand, effective action is being taken against the Left Wing Extremist organizations by establishing better coordination mechanisms between the Central and State Police Forces.” The chief minister said. “Specific intelligence input based operations are being conducted in the extremely Naxal affected areas, due to which there has been a steady reduction in Naxal violence.”
“As a result of these operations, the presence of hardcore extremists in the state has been limited to mainly four regions, namely Parasnath Pahar, Budha Pahar, Tri-junction of Seraikela-Khunti-Chaibasa district, Kolhan area and some areas along the Bihar border. I hope that if these operations are continued with the same intensity, then that day is not far when Left Wing Extremism can be wiped out from these places as well.”
Regarding the action against extremist organizations, the chief minister said: “Due to the joint efforts of both the Central and State Government, on the one hand, there has been a reduction in the number of extremist incidents, and on the other, we have been successful in the action against extremist organizations.”
“196 extremist incidents were reported in the year 2016 which has come down to 126 in the year 2020. Similarly, 61 civilians were killed by extremists in the year 2016, whereas this number was 28 in the year 2020.”
“A total of 85 police weapons, 13,432 rounds of bullets, 515 IEDs and 1,052 kg of explosives have been recovered from the beginning of 2020 till August 2021. Additionally, a total of 715 militants have been arrested, which includes 01 Special Area Committee member, 01 Regional Committee member, 12 Zonal Commanders, 13 Sub-Zonal Commanders and 32 Area Commanders. Among those arrested, a reward of Rs 25 lakh was announced on Praduman Sharma, a special area committee member of the CPI(Maoist) and Rs 15 lakh on the regional committee member, Ramesh Ganjhu alias Azad.”
The chief minister said there is an attractive surrender policy in the state to bring misguided youth into mainstream.
Mentioning the surrender policy of Jharkhand, CM Shri Soren said: “In the year 2020 and up to August 2021, 27 dreaded extremists have also surrendered. This includes 01 Regional Committee Member, 02 Zonal Commanders, 10 Sub-Zonal Commanders and 04 Area Commanders. This was all possible because of an attractive surrender policy of the state. The surrender policy is also being advertised throughout the state. Efforts are being made through community policing to bring these misguided youth back into the mainstream.”
Seeking cooperation from the Chhattisgarh government in the Budha Pahar region, the chief minister said: “In our state, Naxals have made an inaccessible place called Budha Pahar their sanctuary. A large portion of this area falls under the state of Chhattisgarh. So far, no major operation has been conducted against the Naxalites in this region. This is possible only with the help and support of Chhattisgarh.”
“I would request my colleague, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh that he instructs his officers to coordinate with Jharkhand Police for conducting a joint operation against the Naxalites in this region”, he added.
Chief Minister Soren also said a joint effort from central & state government is need of the hour to uphold the principle of cooperative federalism.
“The problem of Left Wing Extremism is a big challenge for both the Central and the State Government,” Mr Soren said. “As much as the responsibility of ending it is on the state government, the responsibility lies with the central government as well. The central and state governments have to deal with this problem together on the principle of cooperative federalism.”
“Whereas, in this scenario, it does not seem pragmatic on the part of the Government of India to demand money from the State Governments for the deployment of the Central Security Forces. I have been informed that till now a bill of Rs 10,000 crore has been raised by the Ministry of Home Affairs against the state of Jharkhand in this regard. It is my humble request that these bills be written off. Also, the GoI should take a decision not to send such bills to the state governments in the future.”
Talking about the discontinuation of centrally sponsored schemes, especially for LWE affected districts, Mr Soren said, “In past, several schemes were rolled out by the Ministry of Home Affairs, GoI for the eradication of extremism. Special benefits were entitled through these schemes. But, it has been observed that for some districts these schemes were suddenly rolled back, thereby hurting the efforts being made towards the eradication of extremism.”
“I do not know the criteria upon which the decision was taken to discontinue these schemes. But, I would like to say that absence of incidents of extremism cannot be the basis for concluding that extremism has been eradicated in those districts. Sudden discontinuation of these schemes may allow the Left-wing to take shape again in the respective region”, he added.
Mentioning the SAHAY scheme(Sports Action Toward Harnessing Aspiration of Youth) the chief minister drew the attention of the chair towards the requirement of dedicated schemes for LWE affected districts. He said, “Sudden discontinuation of schemes and reduction in central assistance in Naxal affected areas is unfortunate. Our focus should be on devising strategies that connect people living in LWE affected areas with development-oriented activities. An example of the same is the SAHAY (Sports Action Toward Harnessing Aspiration of Youth) scheme which will be launched by our government shortly. Under this scheme, youth and other people residing in these areas will be connected through various sports activities and ensure their holistic development.”
Expressing his concern over the discontinuation of SCA funds for 8 LWE affected districts. CM, Shri Soren said: “Special Central Assistance, under which an amount of Rs 33 crore per district was provided by the Government of India. This scheme has played a commendable role in filling the critical infrastructure gap. Initially, this scheme was sanctioned for 16 districts, but this year only 8 districts have been continued under this scheme. Similarly, Koderma, Ramgarh and Simdega have been excluded from the SRE scheme, which is also a centrally sponsored scheme. Therefore, it will be my request to continue both these schemes in all the Naxal affected districts for the next five years.”
Jharkhand Vows To Stem Naxal Violence
The chief minister also requested the centre to improve the connectivity of roads in nasal affected areas RRP and RCPLWEA schemes.
Chief Minister said: “Under the aforementioned schemes, a proposal of 775 km of road construction under RCPLWEA scheme with a focus on rural roads in LWE districts is pending approval by the Ministry of Rural Development and 1068 km of roads for approval by the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is my humble request that approval to both the schemes be given to us at the earliest.”
“The problem of Naxalism in the affected areas can be tackled at two different levels – One is through security measures and the other is via ideological measures. It will be dishonesty on our part if we do not deliberate upon improving the socio-economic condition of LWE affected areas.”
“MGNREGA is an effective measure, which can be leveraged to improve the standards of living in the LWE affected areas. We are rigorously pushing MGNREGA in Jharkhand; however, the wage that the labourers are getting in Jharkhand is amongst the lowest in the country. In other states, the daily wage is over Rs.300/day, but in Jharkhand, it is capped at Rs.200/day.”
Elaborating the issue further, the chief minister said: “There are states in the country where there is a separate wage bracket being followed in the scheduled area and a separate wage for non-scheduled areas. We at our own cost have decided to increase the wages from the state fund but this injustice should be addressed at the earliest. Hardworking Jharkhandis should be rightly compensated for their work under MGNREGA, like in other states.”
Raising issues related to pensions given to old/widow/disabled people, Mr Soren Said: “There is also a need to revise the various pension schemes being run by the Government of India under the ambit of social security. Presently, the Government of India provides mere Rs. 250 per month to an old/widow/disabled person in the form of living assistance. For the Naxal affected areas, where earning a livelihood is more difficult as compared to other areas, this amount needs to be revised. By giving just Rs. 8/day, I don’t think we can secure their rights or help them in living a dignified life.”
The chief minister also highlighted the need of awareness and access to correct and timely information to stem violence.
“To improve connectivity, 782 mobile towers were constructed in the state by the Government of India. The proposal to upgrade these towers from 2G to 4G and to install mobile towers at 1052 new places is still pending approval. I would request that these proposals be approved at the earliest so that the efforts to eradicate extremism can progress further. The biggest drawback that is seen in the Naxal-affected area is the lack of timely access to correct information and lack of awareness regarding government schemes.”
Mentioning the state’s effort to create a digital infrastructure across different panchayats, he said, “Efforts are being made towards ensuring mass awareness. We are building a ‘Digital Pitara’ centre across every Panchayat. These centres will be equipped with an internet connection, large LED screens etc, a small cinema house located at the village level, which will also be used for training people, giving information about schemes, etc. These ambitious schemes would take shape only when the central government does not make any further cuts in financial assistance.”
Chief Minister Soren said: “Over time, governments have established Eklavya Vidyalayas and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, which are successfully running in the state. But, I want to draw your attention to the amount being received by Kasturba Schools. On one hand, Eklavya Vidyalaya bears Rs. 1,04,000/- per child, whereas for girls studying in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, this amount is only 28,000/- per child.”
“There are 261 blocks in Jharkhand, but in only 203 blocks, a Kasturba Vidyalaya has been constructed with the help of the central government. 57 schools have been started by the state government with its funds. Due to good results, a large number of daughters are eager to enrol themselves in these schools.”
“Districts of Jharkhand are most affected by Naxalism, we expect better cooperation for the 100 Kasturba schools and in helping us establish schools in the most affected areas. I expect and believe that these girls’ residential schools should also get adequate financial attention like Eklavya Vidyalaya. There should be no difference in the way we think and plan the futures of our sons and daughters.”
In the concluding remarks, the chief minister said: “I like to assure Hon’ble Minister that there will always be better coordination between our Government and the Central Government in the anti-Naxal operations and I am certain that all of us together will win this battle.”
In the series of Sanskruti’s Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations in the UK, an interesting webinar providing insights into the art and economic contributions of Jharkhand has been organised recently. Conceived and hosted by Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence, the 2-hour virtual session started with Sangeet Natak Academy Awardee Padma Shri Pandit Gopal Prasad Dubey’s presentation on Seraikala Chhau.
During his presentation, Pandit Dubey has highlighted the types of Chhau dance and explained Angikabhinaya (gestures and body movements) and Ahaaryabhinaya (costume and masks) used in Seraikala Chhau in particular. He also presented peacock dance, pre-recorded for the occasion.
Explanation of Ahaarya in Seraikala Chhau
DGM (Utilities) of Tata Motors Somashankar Bhattacharya made an interesting presentation with short video clippings on the journey of Tata Motors from the inception and the nomenclature of Jamshedpur city. Various models of Trucks, Cars, and JLR were spoken about.
Divisional Forest Officer Rajnish Kumar IFS outlined the medicinal utility of the plants available in Jharkhand forest area of Pakur and the traditional knowledge that the tribal people possess. Properties explained included that of Ramphal, Kumud, Ashoka, Arhul, Kat-Karanj, Sankhapushpi, Swarnalata, to name a few. He has also explained how Kadha is made, which boosts immunity and is believed to guard against Covid symptoms too.
Abhinaya explained by Pandit GP Dubey
Santhali tribal dance was showcased through video, which was specifically recorded in Jharkhand for the program. AJ Asok Kumar, former Divisional Manager (Projects) of Tata Steel and author of “Down Memory Lane- Nuggets of Tata Steel and Jamshedpur”, presented memories and employer ethos of the organisation.
Cllr. Sharad Kumar Jha, Conservative Diversity Champion and Councillor for Buckinghamshire in the UK spoke on the linguistic diversity of Jharkhand. Vote of Thanks was rendered by Ragasudha Vinjamuri, Founder of Sanskruti Centre.
Pandit GP Dubey expalining the origin of Chhau
This is the first time that an exclusive program on Jharkhand is organised in the UK, which specifically highlighted the classical and tribal artforms of Jharkhand, besides its economic role.
Som Bhattacharya speaking on Tata Motors at Jhalak of Jharkhand event
Rajnish Kumar IFS presenting on Medicinal Unitility of Plants
AJ Asok Kumar speaking about Tata
Tribal dance of Jharkhand
Cllr Sharad Jha presenting linguistic diversity of Jharkhand
Seraikala Chhau by Padma Shri Pt Gopal Prasad Dubey
Dubey said that the new technology is being implemented by Sadanand Verma and Subodh Prakash, both residents of Jharkhand’s Giridih…reports Asian Lite News.
Even as the government is focusing on increasing the farmers’ income, a farmer in India’s mineral rich eastern state of Jharkhand is all set to become the first in the country to adopt the “floating raceway technology” of the United States for fishing in existing open ponds.
The new technology for the existing pond fishing has been brought to India by a journalist turned entrepreneur Arvind Dubey, based in Mumbai through his company Superior Aquaculture India Pvt Ltd.
Dubey said that the new technology is being implemented by Sadanand Verma and Subodh Prakash, both residents of Jharkhand’s Giridih.
He said by the month of the August this year, this new system will be installed in the ponds in Giridih.
Explaining the new fishing system, which is called floating raceways (IPRS), Dubey said that for using the new technology a farmer does not need to dig a new pond, as it can be done in the existing pond.
Dubey said that the prime source of the system’s aeration is the pond-water interface coupled with the oxygen production by the pond’s flora, primarily algae.
Explaining the technology, Dubey said that Superior Aquaculture uniquely offers a Superior Floating Raceway System (patented) that can perform all of the standard RAS or Biofloc functions (except perfect temperature control) but in a pond or other waterway.
“The huge volume of water in our systems provides a very forgiving and non-volatile water reserve that continuously flows through the raceway. The system is simple, of low cost, and both financially and environmentally sustainable,” he said.
He explained that it is listed as a best management practice in North America, and Returns on Investments (ROI’s) can often be achieved in less than two years.
Dubey also said that powered by the sun and wind, the system’s pond water is naturally aerated and automatically treated for ammonia.
“Soluble nutrients and carbon dioxide are absorbed by the algae and used to produce omega-3, oxygen and nutritious food. The phytoplankton are then consumed by the zooplankton, and the nutrient laden zooplankton are like a super healthy candy for the fish,” he said.
Dr Jay Warecki, who had developed this technology said, “As there is lot of wastage in fishing today, so we have been able to put up the components together for aquaculture which is very simple.
He said simplicity and being bio friendly is important as we all live together in tighter places with less water that we had 50 years ago. “And it is important that we use that in fishing of saving water. So that is the essence of the programme to be able to present inexpensive solution for the water quality issues that are faced by the aqua culture farmers in places like India, US, Vietnam and Africa,” he said.
He said that solids collected in the raceway’s settling zone have their own well-established value, but can sometimes be “pressed” for enough algae oil to provide 100 per cent of the farm’s energy needs –all from the sun.
“In cases where the host water body might contain higher levels of algae than desired, additional auxiliary equipment such as rotating drum filters, can easily be added,” he said.
Explaining how the technology works, Warecki, who is based in the US said, “Prime purpose of the airlift is to move high quality pond water through the raceway. If the dissolved oxygen (DO) level of the pond regularly becomes lower than desired, the diffuser membrane of the airlift may be easily changed to a smaller bubble diffuser (Large bubbles move water while small bubbles aerate). The diffuser customarily used is of medium size and results in both good aeration and water flow.”
When asked, how much training is required for the farmers, he said, “Not much training is required. A couple of hours will be adequate to get started. The biggest thing is the instruments, to measure the dissolved oxygen and to keep the water flowing through the raceways. And if the oxygen level in the raceway goes low, they need to clean the raceway. There is about three or four problem areas that farmers need to learn.”
Wgen asked about the cost involved in setting up the technology, Dubey said, “It will cost about $25,000 to $30,000 for one model of the raceway system. And it will be installed on the site. We are coming up with the demo model at four cities in India in east, west, south and North India.”
Dubey said that it is not costly like RAS system which is around Rs 1.5 crore and requires new infrastructure. Whereas in the raceway we don’t need any new infrastructure as this will be installed in the existing pond.
He said that in the one hectare pond, 2 system of the model can be installed.
“What we need is good quality water and a depth of eight feet all the time. And if the farmer is an experienced farmer he can get a return of around 20 tonne annually. And if the farmer is an expert then he can get a production of 40 to 50 tonne annually. And this is production per model,” Dubey said.
But we recommend to take 20 tonne initially then depending on his experience he can increase the production, he said.
He also said that second model will be installed in Maharashtra, which will be based on salt water.
Dubey also said that the first model being istalled in Jharkhand will be a fresh water model whereas the second model in Maharashtra will be salt water model.
