Bangalore: A three-day Workshop-cum-Training on Agriculture and Watershed Management was organised for the Settlement Officers of major Tibetan Agricultural Settlements in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Arunachal, and Ladakh in India. This significant event, hosted by the Organic Research and Training Centre under the Agriculture Section, Department of Home, Central Tibetan Administration, from 24 to 26 June 2024, provided a valuable opportunity for professional growth and learning.
The training was attended by 11 Settlement officers and Jangthang Coordinator from Sonamling, Ladakh.
In his welcome address, Chief Representative Officer (CRO) of the South Zone, Jigme Tsultrim, underlines the relevance of the Agricultural methodology of science in sustaining contemporary living society and expresses gratitude to the Department of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka, for its unconditional support in organising and assigning Experts and Professionals from its concerned offices to provide and impart knowledge on the subject.
In addition to this, CRO highlighted the decades-old bondage of MYRADA and MYKAPS with the existent Tibetan communities, particularly in Karnataka. In this relation, CRO extended a warm welcome to Resource persons, including Raghavender Sudi, consultant MYRADA and Shivshankar, program officer of MYRADA, Kolar District and Ashraf ul Hassan, the Executive Director of MYRADA, Mysore.
The Workshop focused on Basic Agriculture and Watershed Management, equipping the settlement officers with practical knowledge of Agriculture and Soil & water conservation (SWC). The courses covered during the Workshop were as follows, providing the officers with a strong foundation of knowledge and skills:
- Signification of Agriculture
- Type of Farming system: (Natural farming, Organic farming and Improved farming )
- Dry land / Rain fed and irrigated agriculture
- Watershed based dry land agriculture: Efficient management of natural resources
- Natural resources (land/soil, water/rainfall and other climate components)
- Land use classification and Major soil types and classification
- Soil and water conservation: (Rain water conservation, harvesting system (in-situ moisture conservation and ex-situ rainwater harvesting system)
On the second day, apart from two resource people, Dr Yogesh, Deputy Director, District Agriculture Training Centre, Mysore, took SWC, especially SWC methods for arable land. MD Haris Sumair, Assistant Commissioner, Hunsur Sub-Division, while accepting and participating as a special guest during the training session, shared his experience of the relevant watershed management challenges and the existing water level condition dripping over the months and years in his respective regions.
On 3rd day, all the Participants visited three villages, namely Trimulapura, Ankanahalli, and Kokanahosalli, within the Periyapatna Taluk, to observe SWC projects, including Check Dam, Tank, recharge pit and trench bund implemented by MYKAPS, MYRADA and explain details on these projects by resource person and interaction with farmers.
This is the first official training being given to Tibetan Agricultural Settlements Officers hosted by ORTC after the transfer of Agriculture section of Department of Home, Dharamshala to ORTC in Bylakuppe. With the far-sighted vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the unconditional support from the respective State Governments and the Union Government of India, the agricultural learning of science and its practice has been the backbone of Tibetan Resettlement in India. The role of the settlement officers is integral to this process, ensuring the sustainability of livelihood resources and the preservation of Tibetan identity.
-Report Filed by Department of Home, CTA
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Dr. Yogesh Deputy Director, District Agriculture Training Centre, Mysore Resource person, Raghvendra Sudi, Consultant, MYRADA, Shivashankar, Program Officer, MYRADA Kolar, Karnataka, Jigme Tsultrim, CRO, South Zone, Bangalore and Tsering Dorjee, Director, ORTC, Bylakuppe with Settlement Officers.
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MD Haris Sumair, Assistant Commissioner, Hunsur Sub-Division, talk to the participants on his experience of the relevant of watershed management challenges
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Jigme Tsultrim CRO, South Zone, presenting souvenir to Special Guest MD Haris Sumair, Assistant Commissioner, Hunsur Sub-Division.
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Tenzin Thakpa la, Project Officer of Reimagining Doeguling, Mundgod with Jigme Tsultrim CRO, South Zone, Bangalore, Tsering Dorjeee, Directot, ORTC and resource persons.
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Resource person and the engineer and field officers of MYKAPS, MYRADA explaining on Check Dam constructed two years back for SWC program in local villages.