Scope of Biotechnology & Rural Odisha

This article is going to publish in OBS-2012
Dr. Padan Kumar Jena
Ravenshaw University, Cuttack

sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com

Odisha is located in the east coast of the country about 17° 49’ N to 22° 34’ N and 81° 27’ E to 87° 29’ E. The state has an area of 155,820 km² and extends for 800 km from North to South and 500 km from East to West. Its coastline is 480 km long with unique mangroves zone and famous Chilka Lake. The state experiences hot, humid climate with adequate monsoon rain (average rainfall is 1800 mm), moderate to cold winter and a prolonged summer. On the basis of homogeneity, continuity and physiographical characteristics, Odisha has been divided into five major regions, the coastal plains in the east known as hexadeltaic region, the middle mountainous and highlands region, the central plateaus, the western rolling uplands, and the major flood plains. The state is having Western hilly region traversed by Eastern Ghats hill ranges with rich forests and the eastern coastal belt drenched with Bay of Bengal. The dense forests in the Eastern Ghat hill ranges are rich in biodiversity and wildlife resources. The state claims to have a prominent position among the states and Union Territories of India for having the largest varieties of tribes (62 in number including 13 vulnerable tribal groups). It has the third highest tribal populations numbering over 8 millions, which is about 9.7 % of the country’s total population and 22.13 % of the state as per last census.  Eastern Ghat is endured with rich mineral resources, particularly coal, iron, bauxite, chromite, aluminum and many more. The coastal area of the state is agriculturally rich with fertile land and so thick in population.

                In spite of wide biodiversity and vast natural resources, Odisha is considered as one of the most backward and poor state in the country. Prevalence of natural calamities like frequent floods and cyclones in the coastal plane and hot summer and drought in the western Odisha, leading to crop failure and others losses are partly responsible for the economic backwardness of the state. Besides, during the last few years the state has suffered from overexploitation of natural resources like forest and minerals leading to extensive deforestation and formation of vast areas of barren and wastelands. These add to the economic backwardness of the state. The mushrooming of mineral based industries in the state have been the sources of serious environmental concern. There is extensive accumulation of heavy metals, toxic chemicals and ions in the soil and water and fly ash cover over the plants due to industrial & mine’s activities. In such dismal scenario of the state, biotechnology has a tremendous role to play. Biotechnology can be regarded as the use of biological agents including microbes, enzymes, animal and plant cells to produce goods and services of industries associated with food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, etc. It comprises of a number of fields of activities of which genetic engineering, cell culture, enzyme technology and fermentation technology are the most important ones. It is regarded as the key industry of the 21st Century. Many countries, mainly developed ones, have created attractive investments for it and the result has been a plethora of innovations producing new goods and services, all of which are beginning to affect global trade profoundly. While emphasizing on the scope of biotechnology for rural Odisha, some of the major problems of the state that can be handled by the application of this science are provision of food and medicine for people of rural Odisha, proper management of bio-resources, increase in crop productivity, restoration and reclamation of mines area waste lands, plantation of energy crops and above all, the mitigation of pollution problems arising out of rapid industrial growth. Sustainable development ensuring food, nutritional, health, environmental security and peaceful livelihood of the people by harnessing the powers of biotechnology is the present day dream of the scientific communities. Translating these dreams into reality would give a major impetus to the socio-economic progress of the state.

Food is the first among the hierarchical needs of human beings. It is needless to say that many people in rural Odisha fail to get full square meal a day. Baring cultivated lands, rural Odisha has rich biodiversity pertaining to horticulture and vegetable plants. Due to lack of knowledge of preservation and processing, farmers are often forced to sell the fruits and vegetables in a cheap rate to the middle man. With the implementation of simple fermentation technique those can be converted to value added food stuffs like jams, jelly, sauce etc. which can fetch them good income for their livelihood. This can only be achieved through transfer of techniques & trainings to the rural people. Even there is good prospect & possibility of production of quality alcohols and beverages from agro wastes for commercialization and export of the product. Training on mushroom cultivation can also be given to the rural people, which can be of great economic boost to them.

Coastal plains of Odisha are having highly fertile soils. People in these areas depend upon agriculture. Success of agricultural production for these people is being achieved through the facilitated use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Repeated use and overdoses of chemicals in the fields ultimately leads to soil pollution and loss of soil fertility. Use of microbial cultures and biofertilisers can substantially reduce the use of chemical fertilizers for crop improvement.  Farmers of rural Odisha can be trained for successful use of biofertilisers and organic farming. Many organizations are working in these lines in different states. BIRD (Biotechnology Innovations for Rural Development), an organization of Kerala is working for rural development in the state. Such organization can work in our state with appropriate plan and programme. 

Though rich in biodiversity, we are unable to explore, utilize and conserve our natural resources due to lack of appropriate training & sensitization. Important plants species are gradually being lost from their natural habitat. Many of the plant and their products are being used even today by the tribal and rural people as medicines for curing different diseases. But the full potential of these products and the bioactive compounds in them have not been explored. The proper medicinal use of the plants and plant products can be communicated to the rural mass after thorough studies and investigations.   There is urgent need to analyze the importantance of available bioresources in the rural areas. Appropriate awareness and sensitization programmes can be carried out by the technocrats to educate the rural mass on the importance of bioresources, their fruitful utilization and above all the conservation.

Agro wastes are a major concern in rural Odisha. Wastes like straw, hay, sawdust, leaves etc. are plently available in rural areas which has become an uninterrupted source of environmental pollution. Efficient means should be implemented for fruitful decomposition of these wastes by lingo-cellulolytic microbes. The wastes can also be used for production of biogas through the process of methanogenesis by methanogenic microbes. Alcohol can be produced from waste materials by fermentation. These low cost wastes can act as substrate for industrial production of high value products. Such industries in rural areas can fetch a good income to the entrepreneurs through microbial industries and can supply a regular income to the rural people.

The mines area and waste land soils can be converted to fertile one by using various phosphorous, sulphur and mineral solubilizing microbes. Subsequent use of biofertilisers and other nitrogen fixing bacteria in these soils can increase the fertility of these waste lands. People in these areas can be trained accordingly. The problems of air, water & soil pollutions in these areas can also be handled by utilizing suitable microbes and biotechniques.

               

  All these analyses indicate that biotechnology has not really taken off in rural Odisha. But rural Odisha provides a good platform to the biotechnologists to implement their projects. There are enough scopes of biotechnology to be implemented in these areas for the socio-economic up-liftment of the rural and tribal people. However the goal can be achieved by sensitizing the rural people about the importances of bioresources and by imparting proper training to them for proper utilizations and conservation of these resources for their economic development.