Ranchi, 14 March 2021(HS)The new initiative towards providing employment that was started by Chief Minister Hemant Soren has started getting positive results. With the innovative thinking and action plan of Soren, the option of coal and wood briquettes has been prepared in Jharkhand. It has been included in the list of the aspirational district of the state and the smallest district in Lohardaga. Here, not only the briquettes have been prepared, but production has also been started by setting up a briquetting plant in Tisiya village of Pakhar Panchayat under Kisko block. A backward district like Lohardaga might be able to produce briquettes and supply them as fuel to power plants, industries, dhabas, brick kilns, hotels and domestic works. Briquettes are more eco-friendly as well as have higher quality than coal at points like temperature and expenditure.
Notably, through briquette production, at least 15-20 other people dependent on forest and forest of Tisiya village of Pakhar Panchayat under Kisco block of Lohardaga are getting a new means of income. It has full potential to grow in the future. Presently local men and women are working to bring dried leaves that have fallen in the forest and sell them at the briquetting plant, for which they are being paid hands-on at the rate of two rupees per kg. With this work, the daily income of the people is increasing from Rs 100 to 300 and their economic empowerment is being done.
On the other hand, the use of this fuel will reduce the pollution level in the fire caused by dry leaves in the forest, prohibit the illegal cutting of wood for firewood. The use of briquettes will also be economically more economical for industries than coal and wood. As a result of this initiative there is sure to be a decrease in migration from this region.
Briquettes are produced from dried leaves, fruits, stems, agricultural products and waste products of the forest. The heat of briquettes is almost similar to that of coal. A briquetting plant has been installed at Tisia village, surrounded by 5000 hectares of forest area, at a cost of Rs 35 lakh. The plant is producing 15 tonnes of fuel as a trial, which has been planned to be supplied to some identified brick kilns in the district. After the trial, it will be made available to other businesses and people. Briquettes can be used in dhabas, brick kilns, hotels, power plants, other industries, and domestic works.
Forest Divisional Officer, Lohardaga Arvind Kumar explained that to motivate the local people to do this, the Deputy Commissioner, District Cooperative Officer, Aspirational District Fellow, Lohardaga and District Planning Officer have been running awareness campaign in the inaccessible villages of Pakhar Panchayat, As a result, 15 tonnes of raw materials were collected within four days of commencement of work.
The initiative to make the project a success has been taken up by the Cooperative Society formed in coordination with the Forest Safety Committee and Lamps-Packs. In this committee, groups have been formed for editing daily operations, production of goods, and marketing, which have started successfully after proper training. Everyday 90 to 100 people have started working.
