The Delhi government has started training women for underprivileged communities and physically handicapped individuals in hydroponics, a soilless agriculture system, to grow exotic vegetables such as lettuce, bok choy, parsley, rocket leaves, and fruits, among others, which are in high demand in fine-dining institutions in the Capital.
Delhi Transport Department To Undertake Training Programme
The training is now being undertaken by the Delhi transport department at a Hydroponics Horticulture Training Facility at Kushak Nallah cluster bus depot near Lodhi Road, and the trainees will receive certificates from the Agriculture Skill Council of India. On February 4, transport minister Kailash Gahlot presented certificates to the first group of 20 trainees.
The training has given Daryaganj resident Kavita Kashyap (47), who lost her work as an office assistant during the pandemic, a light of hope. "Through a mutual friend, I learned about the hydroponics instruction. I finished the training and was selected to be a trainer. "In the future, I want to create my hydroponics setup and become an entrepreneur," Kavita said.
Kajal (20), an IGNOU first-year B.Sc (zoology) student, said she took the training because she wanted to establish her own business. "My father works at a private factory, and I come from a humble background." "Right now, there are very few persons in the market who can meet the increased demand for exotic veggies and organic products," Kajal, a Paharganj resident, said.
From March 5, 12 of the 20 trained women began instructing students in classes 9 and 11 from 136 Delhi government schools as part of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). Each batch will have 50 students (25 from each class 9 and 11), according to officials, and the department has set a goal of training roughly 6,800 students.
According to government authorities, the program will open doors for women. "It will assist in the development of more end-to-end employment solutions for women and people with disabilities, as well as the development of more women entrepreneurs." The facility contains a training, production, and harvesting center, as well as training for women and people with disabilities in the commercial use of these crops as a source of income. "Through corporate social responsibility, DIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System) has taken a commendable stride in empowering women," said Ashish Kundra, principal secretary, transport department.
Gahlot, who visited the facility last month, described it as a "unique initiative" by the Delhi government, emphasizing "the necessity to adapt to smart agricultural practices in the face of limited land cover and diminishing resources."
Sai Swayam Society: The agency for the hydroponics training project
"We have already begun harvesting all green crops such as iceberg lettuce, bok choy, parsley, and rocket leafs, and this is projected to provide a total harvest of 200kg," said Meera Chetan Bhatia, CEO of Sai Swayam Society, which is the executing agency for the hydroponics training project.
