Paradip: The participants in a public hearing have given their consent for the proposed nano fertiliser plant of IFFCO at Paradip in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district on Wednesday.
More than 300 persons including farmers, environmentalists and representatives of NGOs participated in the hearing held at Kalyan Mandap in the port town on Wednesday.
The Indian Farmers Fertliser Cooperative (IFFCO) will set up the plant that will produce DAP and urea. One of 7 plants in India, the Pradip unit is tipped to be the biggest fertiliser plant in Asia.
The IFFCO officials explained various aspects of the project including environment pollution, employment opportunities and peripheral development at the hearing. They said the proposed plant, to be set in 10 acre of land within IFFCO premises, will have the capacity to produce 33,000 kl nano DAP and nano urea per annum. It will be come up with a cost of Rs 225 crore, they added.
Stating that the plant will be of immense help to the farmers, they said its use will reduce their dependence on conventional fertiliser by upto 50%.
On effectiveness of the nano fertiliser, said Debasish Mohanty, manager (environment), IFFCO said, “It will benefit the local famers to a large extent. Around 500 ml of nano urea will replace a 45 kg bag of conventional urea. Besides, nano DAP will contribute to nutrient management of the produce, prevention in deterioration of ecosystem and improvement in soil health.”
Stating that there will be no shortage of fertiliser, he said it will bring down the cost of fertiliser as it will cut down the transportation charges. “The project will lead to employment generation in the locality. Nano fertilizer will reduce both subsidy burden on the Centre as well as the fertiliser import load of the country,” he added.
The participants extended their support to the project as it would benefit the benefit the farmers as well as the environment in the long run. On their demand for employment, the IFFCO officials assured of giving priority to local people in the plant.
