The jute industry is seeking to explore the potential uses of jute geotextile in soil erosion control and various other specialised construction jobs and application areas. This was discussed at length at a workshop yesterday, organised by the Indian Jute Mills Association (Ijma) and the Jute Manufacturers Development Council (JMDC).
The West Bengal government is extending its full support to the development and the promotion of these products. Inaugurated by Debabrata Bandopadhyay, minister-in-charge, irrigation and waterways department, government of West Bengal, the workshop was attended by West Bengal land and land revenue minister Surjyakanta Mishra and PWD minister Kshiti Mohan Goswami. While S D Ramaswamy, an international expert in the field of geotextiles came from Singapore, Ajay Prasad, the national programme manager of the UNDP assisted government of Indias Jute Development Programme chaired the session.
The ongoing project of the implementation of jute geotextiles has been assigned to the Ijma and premier R&D institutions like the Indian Jute Industries Research Association (Ijira) and the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).