- Important initiatives towards climate-resilient farming, soil health enhancement and increasing farmers’ income through carbon credits
Dhamtari district has taken a significant step towards making agriculture more sustainable, profitable, and climate-resilient. A landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today between the Dhamtari District Administration and Prithu, a climate technology-based organization. This partnership aims to develop Dhamtari as Chhattisgarh’s first model carbon farming district. Under this initiative , a Soil Organic Carbon Enrichment (SOC
) project will be implemented in two phases across approximately 80,000 hectares and an Alternate Wetting and Drying ( AWD )-based rice production project will be implemented across 30,000 hectares in the district . These projects aim to increase agricultural productivity, improve soil quality, encourage water conservation, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Prabal Tomar, co-founder of Prithu, stated that the organization will invest approximately ₹5 crore (approximately ₹5 crore) over the next three years. This investment will be used for capacity building of farmers, skill upgradation of rural youth, employment generation, farmer exchange programs, and dissemination of modern agricultural and climate technologies. He informed that after successful implementation of the projects, farmers are expected to receive an additional income of approximately ₹250 crore through carbon credits over their entire lifecycle. This will strengthen farmers’ economic status, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and make the agricultural sector more resilient to the challenges of climate change. District Collector and District Magistrate Mr. Abinash Mishra described this initiative as having far-reaching significance for the district’s agricultural development, stating that Dhamtari has always been a leader in innovation-based development. This initiative of carbon farming and climate-resilient farming will not only connect farmers with new opportunities but will also significantly contribute to environmental protection and achieving sustainable development goals.
Deputy Director of Agriculture Mr. Monesh Sahu stated that through the project, farmers will be provided with information on emerging areas such as scientific farming, soil health management, water efficiency, and carbon finance. This will make agricultural production systems more sustainable and profitable. According to experts, increasing soil carbon improves soil fertility, water holding capacity, and crop productivity. Meanwhile, AWD technology helps maintain production while reducing water use in rice cultivation. This reduces costs for farmers and also provides environmental benefits. This partnership will provide new impetus to developing Dhamtari district as a role model in the areas of climate-resilient agriculture, carbon finance, natural resource conservation, and farmer prosperity. The district administration is confident that this initiative will serve as a role model for other districts in the state and country in the future. Prabal Tomar, Co-Founder, Prithu
) said, “Our aim is not only to generate carbon credits, but also to provide farmers with sustainable opportunities for improved soil health, water conservation, sustainable farming, and additional income. We are confident that Dhamtari will become one of the country’s leading model districts in the field of climate-friendly agriculture and carbon finance in the coming years.” Present on the occasion were Chief Executive Officer, District Panchayat, Mr. Gajendra Thakur, Additional Collector, Mrs. Indira Devhari, and district officials from various departments.
Number-130/445/Parashar