Jatropha plantation begins on community wastelands

ALLAHABAD: Jatropha (bio-diesel) plantation has started on community lands under the Jeevan Jyoti project. The project envisages the use of wastelands in rural areas under the ownership of local panchayats. Bharat Renewal Energy Limited (BREL), joint venture company, is acting as facilitator for Jatropha plantation and marketing of its seeds. In the district, plantation has started in three blocks includingKoraon, Meja and Maanda. The pit digging has been completed on 59 acres ofcommunity waste lands in different gram panchayats of these three blocks. AlsoJatropha plantation has been completed on 4.5 acres in gram panchayat Baserahaand 2.5 acres in gram panchayat Siyari, totalling to seven acres of saplingplantation in Koraon block, said Vijay Kumar Singh, project manager, BREL.The plantation work is being carried out under National RuralEmployment Guarantee Act Programme (NREGA). Till now total man days generatedunder Jeevan Jyoti Project (for pit digging and plantation) has been 1555mandays, he added. With the extended rainfall this year, the plantations wouldbe carried out till November end under this project. The stategovernment had directed that wastelands under gram sabhas should be used forplantation of Jatropha or Pongamia Pinnata under NREGA in 30 districts. A JVunit set up by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited is to facilitate the entireprocess working in coordination with district administration and villagepanchayats. Rajiv Aggarwal, DM Allahabad recently inaugurated theplantation drive in block Koraon. He feels that the Jeevan Jyoti Project hasbeen taken up for the implementation in the district in right earnest. Thisproject involves Jatropha plantation on Gram Sabha wastelands, utilising fundsand labour under NREGA. Last year, nurseries were established by the forest andhorticulture departments to grow Jatropha saplings. The project is beneficial tothe villagers as it provides them employment in their own village, uses theirwastelands productively and the Jatropha produce gives additional earning to thevillage through marketing of Jatropha seeds for bio-diesel production, hedeclares. The most important issue is the buy-back of the seedsproduced, which is underwritten by BREL at a price decided by the government.Oil companies stand to gain as they get the raw material to extract diesel atcheaper rates, he adds. The land remains in the possession of thegram sabha. An agreement valid for 15 years is being signed between the twoparties - the BREL officials and the gram sabhas through the pradhans. Theagreement can be extended for two tenures of 15 years each, if so desired byboth the parties. The project envisages bio-diesel crop productionon gram sabha wastelands with Jatropha and Pongamia Pinnata (locally known askaranj). Jatropha is the preferred crop, as it requires only protectiveirrigation and pruning from time to time. It is a shrub with lesser gestationperiod, gives synchronous flowering (flowering at the same time) and hence theseeds are easier to harvest and market, says Shesh Narayan Mishra, DFOAllahabad. The price of seeds of these bio-fuel crops would bedecided on the basis of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of the year, to bedecided by a team headed by the Agricultural The Economic Times Commissioner(APC) of the state government. At present, it is priced at Rs 6.00per kilograms. However, once retail of bio-diesel fuels starts in the market,the seeds will be bought back at 20% of the retail price or MSP, whichever ishigher. This income can be used by the Gram Panchayat for the desireddevelopmental work in their village. Alongside the commercial gainsfrom the seed yield that begins from the third year of plantation, Jatrophaoffers numerous other uses. Being bitter in taste, animals do not graze on itleading to better survival. Thus it can be used as a bio-fence, even against thedreaded menace of Neelgais. Also, the branches of Jatropha plant can be prunedand used as firewood! * Joint venture by BREL and village panchayatsusing the gram sabha wastelands for production of bio-fuel crop. *Plantation under NREGA on land that remains in possession of gram panchayat.* Buy-back of Jatropha seeds by BREL with earning to be used for villagedevelopment works.