Assam Science Technology & Environment Council (ASTEC) and Green Environment Task Force (GETF) inaugurated a one month long certificate course on Wild Bee keeping at Nikashi in the district of Baksa on Thursday July 12 at Gyanpeeth Degree College, Nikashi.
The certificate course is under Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change MOEF&Cc), Govt. of India. ENVIS-Hub at ASTEC is the only host agency to be chosen by the Ministry for a course on wild bee-keeping.
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It is a certified course aimed at creating green jobs or self employment opportunities, a humble contribution towards green economy of the nation.
The objective is to create awareness and promote scientific methods of bee keeping with wild honey bees as a viable diversification enterprise, to demonstrate how bee keeping can be an important business for individuals, small-scale farmers, unemployed youths and women to uplift their economic condition that can support their livelihood.
On the occasion, Dr. Joydeep Baruah, Head, ENVIS-Hub Assam at ASTEC, welcomed all the participants of the certificate course and shared his knowledge on importance of beekeeping in environment and its role in sustainable livelihood.
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Earlier inaugurating the programme, Director, ASTEC Dr AK Mishra urged the participants to become self-dependent and create livelihood for their own besides giving employment to many. “Beekeeping is more of science that paved the way for being economically healthy, environmental lively and socially sound, that has the power to integrate several component of a healthy society,’ said the Director Dr. AK Mishra.
Debajit Borah of GETF delivered a speech on the importance of scientific beekeeping. “Bees are more than honey as they help in pollinating numbers of cultivated crops besides wild flowers and being a beekeeper, one gets dual benefits of increased crop production which is many times more profitable than honey,” he explained. He also made demonstration on scientific bee box and how to handle honeybees and also to increase honey production.
The month long programme which will include demonstration on bee colony capturing from wild, field visit to forest areas, interaction with experienced beekeepers, etc. A course material was also unveiled ‘Wild Beekeeping-a Beginner’s Guide’ published by ENVIS-Hub Assam at ASTEC in collaboration with GETF.
On the occasion, several prominent persons of Nikashi including Dayanand Bhandari, President, Governing body, Gyanpeeth Degree College Nikashi, Badrinath Guragain, Principal Nikashi High School, M. Barman, member of press club, Nikashi and Bijoy Choudhury, Secretary, Manas Sousi Khonkhor. Members of Baksa Beekeepers Agro Producer Company (BAPC), Beekeepers of Nikashi, Members of Modern English School Eco-Club, Nikashi High School Eco-Club and Indralal Pathak High School Eco-Club and Nikashi Women’s body also attended.