‘Water becoming scarce due to climatic changes’

3rd AGEGAN biennial general conference 2022 held 

Our Correspondent
Kohima | February 22

The Nagaland state economy is highly dependent on agricultural production, “but today, water is becoming scarce due to climatic changes globally and unpredictable drought conditions,” Er Hotovi Ayemi, Chief Engineer, Water Resources Department said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the 3rd biennial general conference 2022 cum felicitation programme of Agriculture Engineering Graduates Association of Nagaland (AGEGAN) at LCS building on February 22, Er Ayemi said, adding that in this scenario, the department is implementing reliable water sources infrastructures for assured irrigations and other agricultural developmental works.

Another thrust area the department is focusing is-on the protection of valuable land and other assets of the state from soil erosion caused by major rivers through adoption of suitable anti erosion control works. 

He encouraged the agriculture engineering graduates fraternity “that are striving hard for a job, be in government or private sector, that hard work and perseverance is the key.” He called upon them to render their best and put their heads together into new approaches, new mechanism and innovative ideas in tackling the problems of the society today.

Earlier, Er Ayimi said, “Agriculture engineers have been improving and innovating new technology in respect of Post-Harvest Technology and also in the promotion of uplifting of farmers and rural livelihood.” 

He said that the agricultural engineers which integrates the engineering knowledge of other branches and improves the ease in operation of farmers through new improved innovation and technology. “Today, in the world of food shortage and water crisis, the agriculture engineer has vital role to play in the management, conservation and equitable distribution of the scarce commodity namely- Water and come out with a concrete plan,” he said while appealing the agriculture engineers to play a pro-active role in maintaining equilibrium for human sustainability.

He said that the Department of Water Resources earlier known as Irrigation & Flood Control was curated out of Agriculture Department on April 1, 1988 as an engineering department to take up various works in irrigation sector, flood mitigation and erosion control in the state. “Today known as the Water Resources Department, it has a lot of agriculture engineers currently serving and many retired officers who served for more than a decade with great personalities as Er R Kevichusa, IAS, who is also the first Agriculture engineering graduate,” he said.

He informed that, today, the department has grown into a full-fledged Department implementing almost all the water related works in the state.

 AGEGAN air grievances to State Govt
AGEGAN, President, Nentilo Woch said that the Association was formed in 2015 with a motive to fight against corruption and injustice towards agricultural engineers unemployed youths. “The need for this association arose because many of the department concerned were not able to publish the vacant post through NPSC in the right time thereby aspirant losing their years,” he said.

“Another thing is that not many departments were recruiting engineering graduates. The only department where engineering posts are reserved is the Water Resources Department. Another department is the Soil and Water Resources Department where all agri and allied sectors can apply. But the problem here is that ours is a technical branch whereas the others are from science. Because of this we are not able to compete with others from science background,” he highlighted.  

“Till date there are only two with agri engineering background in the whole of SWC department,” he said adding, “We are trying to approach the government on this issue so that we can find some sort of reservation.”

Agricultural department is another department which the association is concerned, Woch said and added, “There is an agricultural engineer wing in the department but those employees are taken through deputation from WRD and so on. If this deputation system can be stopped and instead, if we can have direct recruitment through NPSC then that would be more opportunity for us.”