Agartala, October 31, 2022: Emphasizing on the significance of “Vocal for Local”, Tripura government has set up two women technology parks or centres and four mushroom hamlets to empower rural women by creating opportunities to earn different technology-based livelihoods.

While speaking to media personnel at Civil Secretariat here in Agartala city on Monday afternoon, Director of the Science, Technology and Environment department Animesh Das said that the government opened up women technology parks at Checharimai area in Sepahijala district and at Killa area in Gomati district.

“In these centres, various technology equipment developed by IIT in Kharagpur and CFTRI in Mysore have been installed and rural women are being trained on them. The technologies are sheet pan making machines, low cost bakery ovens, puffed rice and other grain roasting machines, mechanized rolling mills etc. So far more than 280 women have been trained on these technologies. The financial support for this project has been given by the Central Department of Science and Technology”, he added.

Das said “Initiatives have been taken to install more such technology equipment in these centers. In this regard, IIT, Kharagpur has signed an agreement about three months back. The technologies are: spinning machine, foot-operated and mechanically operated pottery wheel, mechanically operated jute/banana fiber twine making machine and mosquito coil making machine. The machines will arrive within the next week.”

Highlighting the progress in the Mushroom cultivation sector, the higher official said that the government has initiated the “Mushroom Hamlet” project to encourage the rural people especially the women of the rural areas to grow mushrooms and also to provide them with alternative employment. So far, 4 such pilot mushroom hamlets- Harishnagar GP in Bishalgarh, South Narayanpur in Mohanpur, Barabaiya in Bagma and Brajalal colony in Suryamaninagar have been set up and training given to 220 women in these neighbourhoods. In this project, the beneficiaries are given mushroom spawn and necessary training.

Citing installation of scientific standardization of conventional water filters in Tripura, STE Director said “There is no scientific standard method for making water filter candles in Tripura. As a result, the quality of these candles varies in different cases and the ability of filters made with these candles to purify water is not measured in any scientific way. In order to improve the water purifying capacity of the filter by adopting scientific methods for making these candles, a project has been undertaken with the help of the Central Department of Science and Technology for the scientific improvement of conventional water filters in Tripura and distribution of such improved quality filters among 5000 families primarily in areas prone to water borne diseases.”

“Necessary equipment for this has been installed in the Chhecharimai area of Charilam. In the first phase, 2500 filters are being made by training local women. Out of this, this filter has been given to a total of 110 families in Krishnasangha and Barkurbari villages of Charilam block on September 21 last”, he also added.

In the Biotechnology sector, the Director said “So far 6 colleges have formed college biotech clubs while 4 new college biotech clubs will be formed in the financial year 2022-23. Moreover, about 52 schools have such a DNA Club and in the 2022-23 financial year, 30 more schools will have such a DNA club. Necessary funds have been allocated to schools for this.”