PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Pantnagar
The vice-chancellor of GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Shivendra Kumar Kashyap said that the university is going to take a major initiative for the protection of cattle, for which preparations have been started. He informed this on Monday while speaking to reporters about the cow dung conservation centre being built on 65 acres.
Emphasising on cattle-based self-employment under Nanaji Deshmukh Cattle Conservation and Research Project launched in the institution, he said
that it would not just boost conservation of cattle but also help utilisation of livestock products and generate new employment opportunities. “The project has two major components: cattle conservation and research. Its objective is to develop the benefits of cattle by experimentally implementing them into sustainable models and disseminating successful experiments to farmers and society,” he added.
He further said that experiments would be conducted on various uses of cow dung under the project. “These include organic fertiliser, biogas, vermicompost, fuel, natural paint, incense and havan materials and handicrafts,” he added.
According to GBPUAT officials involved in the project, the project will be developed in phases. “As infrastructure expands and new research projects are added, its results and achievements will be presented to farmers, students and society,” an officer said.
They further said that research would be conducted to make cattle-based systems economically sustainable through the scientific and commercial use of dung, urine and other products.
“The problem of stray cattle is widespread, but efforts are underway to develop a practical model to address it,” the VC added.
