To train farmers and office-bearers of pani panchayats about optimum use of water and land resources, the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) will open its second campus at Jeypore in Koraput district of Odisha.
At present, the WALMI has only one campus in Cuttack.
"Jeypore campus will work as a branch of the main campus. We are hopeful of starting the institute from April," said Akshay Kumar Banerjee, Chief Construction Engineer of Upper Kolab Project, Bariniput.
The authorities have started renovating old buildings belonging to the water resources department at Jeypore to be used as training hall and hostel for farmers at the time of their training.
Once the institute starts functioning it will be of great help to farmers as they will be imparted training on various issues related to water and land management.
At present, farmers are sent to Cuttack for training and they often express their unwillingness to travel such a long distance, Banerjee said.
Officials said the institute will provide consultancy services to farmers, publish literature, hold seminars and workshops related to water management and land development. The institute will go a long way in studying and experimenting with organizational and procedural changes for effective management of irrigated agriculture, he said.
Farmers of the region have hailed the government's decision. "By getting proper training on better management of water and land we can increase our yield," Krushna Behera, a farmer of Phampuni village, said.
