Secretary Textiles GoI Upendra Prasad inaugurates project, aimed to boost silk industry

PAMPORE: To improve green cover along Srinagar jammu highway and feed the Kashmir sericulture sector with constant supply of mulberry leaves, GoI under a pilot project has started plantation of mulberry saplings on 54km highway stretch from Pampore to Qazigund.
The Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India Upendra Prasad Singh (IAS) Inaugurated Pilot Project entitled, “Development of Mulberry Plantation on National highways on the sides of carriageways in JK and Uttrakhand” in presence of Rajit Ranjan Okhandiar, IFS, Member Secretary, Central Silk Board, Bangalore, Dr. Mohit Gera, IFS, PCCF & HoFF, Forest Department, J&K, Manzoor Ahmad Qadri, KAS, Director, Sericulture Development Department, J&K, Dr. Sardar Singh, Director (I/C) & Nodal Officer, CSR&TI, CSB, Pampore (J&K), Zeeshan, Site Engineer, PIU, NHAI, Srinagar at Galander Pampore on Saturday.
Farmers from Kargil and other local farmers led by progressive farmer Irshad Ahmad Dar and other officials were present on the occasion.
This is a collaborative project between Central Silk Board and National Highway Authority which aims to provide green cover to National highway with mulberry trees in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
In Jammu and Kashmir, a distance of 54.2 Kilometres will be covered along the carriage ways of Srinagar- Banihal Section of NH-44 at a project cost of Rs. 161.105 Lakhs, where a total of 19,283 mulberry saplings will be planted in J&K in the selected sites of NH-44 connecting Galander to Qazigund.
On the other hand, a total of 34.43 km will be covered with 55490 mulberry saplings at selected sites of national highways at Uttarakhand, Sericulture officials told Kashmir Reader.
Implementation of the project aims to suffice the livelihood opportunity through sericulture practices by utilizing the avenue plantation for silkworm rearing by families/group of farmers preferably residing in the nearby locations of the avenue plantation.
He along with other officials started the project by planting a few saplings of mulberry on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway road side.
Later, Upendra Prasad along with other officials held a meeting with Sericulture officials and Scientists at Centre Sericulture Training and Research Centre Pampore.
“Mulberry leaves is a feeding material for silk worms, in India we have four kinds of silk but silk sopurced mulberry is predominant,” Prasad said talking to Kashmir Reader here at Galander Pampore.
He added that most of the mulberry silk is produced in Karnataka but Kashmir is also the dominant centre. “Due to various reasons the production of silk is not as much as it should be in Kashmir,” he said, adding that silk is produced in China and India.
He added that the production of silk is decreasing in China but increasing in India.
He added that the programme is held by the central silk board, directorate of sericulture , NHAI and Agriculture department.
” The mulberry plantation will provide greenery as well as feeding material to silk worm rearers,” he said, adding that in Galander they plan to bring around 55 kilometers under mulberry cultivation.
He added that the module will be repeated in other places like the UK.

BILAL HABIB