Dr. R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, met Governor N.N. Vohra, at the Raj Bhavan here today.During the meeting, the Governor and Dr. Chidambaram discussed the present status of the various projects which were taken up by the Universities in Jammu and Kashmir and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board under the aegis of the Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) Chapter which has been set up in the University of Jammu and functions with the support of IIT Delhi, under the overall watch of Dr Chidambaram. Both emphasised the high importance of launching innovative projects to increasingly promote the application of relevant science and technology for the resolution of practical problems faced in the day to day living and working lives of the rural communities residing in the various parts of J&K.
The Governor, who is the Chairman Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board discussed various initiatives taken by the Board towards harnessing latest technologies for improvement of the Yatra including the 4-ton per day capacity mule-dung based Bio-Gas Plant established by the Shrine Board at Banganga, Katra. The Governor had requested Dr. Chidambaram during his earlier visit to look into the efforts made by the Shrine Board towards preserving the environment, including the initiative taken to undertake large scale plantation of trees, setting up solar water heating systems and solar power plants, setting up of automated nurseries and vermin-compost units, use of bio-digester technology developed by DRDO for sewage treatment, implementation of rain water harvesting systems, among others. They stressed the need for carrying forward these initiatives, apart from bringing into play new scientific interventions for further improving the functional efficiencies in various methods of non-biodegradable waste disposal, including poly-crack technology, use of Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) for improving scientific innovative solutions of varied problems.The Governor and Dr. Chidambaram also discussed pace of projects including the improvement of the Palki used for carrying pilgrims to the Mata Vaishno Devi ji, Shri Amarnathji Shrines; collection and disposal of mule dung along the tracks of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine; recharge of springs in the hilly areas of the State and development of a hybrid Bukhari for use in the colder regions of J&K.
The project for the improvement of Palki design is joint venture of IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and National Institute for Industrial Engineering Mumbai. The project for improved disposal and biogas production from mule dung on the Yatra track of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji Shrine has been jointly taken up by the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR), National Research Centre on Equines (NCRE)-Bikaner, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. Dr. Chidambaram informed the Governor that the Palki redesign project is likely to be completed in the next few months whereas the mule dung project is likely to be completed by end 2017.It may be recalled that in December 2014, consequent to discussions between Governor N.N. Vohra and Dr. R. Chidambaram, the Governor had addressed all the Vice Chancellors in the State to moot suitable proposals which could be taken up for implementation with the support of the Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) which is guided and advised by the collegium of all the IITs in India and the Institute of Science, Bangalore, functioning under the overall care of Dr. Chidambaram.