Bio-reclamation tech turns rocky belt of Koraon into green areas

Prayagraj: Bio-reclamation technology seems to have worked in the rocky and barren lands of the trans-Yamuna pocket of the Prayagraj district, as farmers are now able to plant trees and grasses of special species. Microbes have also been released into the soil, which are changing its structure.

With both union and state govt's taking several steps to make barren and wasteland fertile, the state govt is a step ahead in offering assistance to small and marginal farmers through the Deendayal Upadhyay Kisan Samridhi Yojana. This initiative aims to improve their infertile or less fertile land. On the other hand, it is making the soil fertile and productive through various agro-forestry projects.

Experts claimed that the bio-reclamation technology is proving to be effective in the rocky and barren region of the Koraon belt of Sangam City. Bio-reclamation techniques refer to measures that use living organisms, primarily microorganisms, to restore or rehabilitate degraded land or remove pollutants from contaminated environments. This technique involves processes like microbial leaching, where microbes break down substances or extract metals from materials, or using plants to degrade pollutants from soil and water.

The Forest Research Centre for Eco-Rehabilitation Department is making barren and wasteland cultivable by using bio-reclamation techniques. Dr Kumud Dubey, a scientist at the Ecological Restoration Centeer in Prayagraj, says, "A project was launched in the Koraon area of the Prayagraj district at a cost of Rs 38 lakhs, which has now started showing positive results. For this, trees and grasses of special species wereplanted here. Similarly, microbes have also been released into the soil, which are changing its structure."

A large area of Koraon is completely rocky and barren. It neither has microbes that create fertility nor trees that can absorb moisture and provide a solution to the problem of falling water levels in the area. The bio-reclamation technology has been used in three selected clusters in the area.

Dr Dubey said, "In each cluster, 500 to 600 species of trees have been planted, which retain moisture and are effective in maintaining the water level." This quality is found in the species of Milia, Acacia Senegal, and Mahua, which have been planted. Apart from this, Dinanath grass and lemon grass, which grow in very little water, have also been planted here to prevent soil erosion. Similarly, many types of microbes have also been sprayed here to make the soil fertile. This includes nitrogen-fixing microbes, phosphorus, and zinc-storing microbes. With these efforts, the rocky land of the area has become green and the quality of the soil has changed.