Gujarat farmer earns Rs 11 lakh from four acres by turning turmeric into powder, pickle
Digital Desk | Gandhinagar, Oct 7 (IANS) A 70-year-old farmer in Surendranagar district has turned turmeric cultivation on four acres into an annual income of around Rs 10-11 lakh by processing the crop into powder, pickle and other products instead of selling it as raw produce. Kalubhai Patel of Vadod village in Wadhwan taluka owns 10 acres of land and has been practising natural farming on four acres for the past 13-14 years. He was inspired to take up natural farming after seeing a farmer cultivate turmeric using natural methods at an agricultural fair in Kagvad. Patel initially cultivated turmeric on one acre of fallow land, gradually expanding it to four acres. He later established a home-based processing unit at a cost of around Rs 5 lakh, equipped with a steam boiler, polishing machine and pulveriser. The Horticulture Department provided him with assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh for the unit. Instead of boiling the turmeric in water, Patel steams it, saying this helps retain its beneficial and medicinal properties. The turmeric is then dried for about a month before being cleaned and ground into powder. He also prepares green turmeric pickle and turmeric mouth freshener. With the help of his family, the products are packed at home and sold under the brand name Shakti Organic. While raw turmeric fetches around Rs 150 per kg in the market, Patel sells his turmeric powder at Rs 350 per kg and green turmeric pickle at Rs 440 per kg. His GOPCA-certified organic products are sold largely through word-of-mouth rather than advertising. Through this value addition, Patel earns around Rs 10-11 lakh annually from turmeric grown on four acres. He also follows crop diversification, cultivating short-duration crops such as moong, sesame and pearl millet after the eight-month turmeric crop. On the remaining six acres, he grows cotton with pigeon pea as an intercrop. Pigeon pea helps add nitrogen to the soil, reducing the need for urea, while Patel uses a solution prepared from aak leaves as a source of potassium. He said these natural farming practices have helped increase the organic carbon content of his soil to 0.94 per cent. Natural farming is nature; nurturing soil with care is culture, Patel said, while highlighting natural farming, soil conservation and value addition as ways to strengthen farmers incomes. The state government has recognised Patel with Best Farmer Awards at the taluka, district and state levels. He has also received honours from Junagadh Agricultural University and Dantiwada Agricultural University. Recently, in the presence of Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, he received the state-level 'Best ATMA Farmer Award'. Patel has also developed an automatic sowing machine, combining traditional farming practices with innovation and scientific methods. The state government's encouragement, inspiration and support had doubled farmers enthusiasm to work towards sustainable and productive agriculture, officials said.
Gujarat govt rejigs Porbandar forest division as Asiatic lions return to Barda
Digital Desk | Gandhinagar, Sep 29 (IANS) The Gujarat government has reorganised the Porbandar Forest Division, including its range and beat structure, to strengthen field-level administration as Asiatic lions establish themselves in Barda forest, the Forest and Environment Department said on Tuesday. The reorganisation, approved under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, will bring changes in the administrative control of forest ranges, beats, officers, staff and resources, with the stated objective of improving forest management and facilitating the implementation of departmental schemes and resolution of forest and environment-related issues in Porbandar district. The move comes after Asiatic lions naturally returned to Barda after 143 years. The revised administrative structure will cover the Barda region as well as other forest areas under the Porbandar Forest Division and provide for clearer responsibilities at the range and beat levels. Under the new arrangement, the Porbandar Range will cover 6,840.84 hectares and 80 villages. It will be divided into beats including Porbandar City, Gosabara, Moker, Visavada, Kantela, Madhavpur and Satiya, with specific areas and villages assigned to each beat. The Ranavav Range will cover 13,051.25 hectares and 27 villages, with areas including Godana, Bileshwar, Savdivadar and Ranavav distributed among different beats. The restructuring also transfers 305.94 hectares from the RFW Bhatia Range of the Jamnagar Forest Division to the Bhanvad Range of the Porbandar Forest Division. The transferred area covers four villages Kandarda Jogna, Sajdiyala, Juna and Jambusar in Bhanvad taluka of Devbhumi Dwarka district. Its administrative functions will now come under the Porbandar Forest Division. The Kutiyana Range, Porbandar Social Forestry Range and Ranavav Social Forestry Range will also be brought under the Porbandar Forest Division. The division will consequently have seven ranges. To support the expanded structure, provision has been made for two Assistant Conservators of Forests. Assistant Conservator of Forests-1 will oversee the Porbandar, Porbandar Social Forestry and Ranavav Social Forestry ranges, while Assistant Conservator of Forests-2 will oversee the Ranavav, Bhanvad and Kutiyana ranges and the Mobile Squad (T.A.) Range. One vacant Assistant Conservator of Forests post from the two sanctioned posts at Kevadia will be transferred to the Porbandar Forest Division, in addition to the existing post. The Porbandar Forest Division will continue to function under the Junagadh Wildlife Circle, with the Deputy Conservator of Forests overseeing the division and the two Assistant Conservators supervising their respective ranges. The Range Forest Officer will also be responsible for the Porbandar Forest Division's Mobile Squad, bringing its operations within the reorganised administrative framework. The restructuring will involve the transfer or redistribution of staff and resources, including vehicles, weapons, walkie-talkies, wireless equipment, records, computers, furniture and other departmental assets. The government resolution said the changes are intended to provide clearer field-level responsibilities and strengthen administrative support for forest conservation, wildlife management and lion rehabilitation in Barda. The resolution came into effect immediately upon publication.
Mother Dairy sets up its first butter chiplet line in Gujarat, plans pan-India supply
The new line has been established at Mother Dairys existing milk processing facility in Junagadh and will supply butter chiplets to markets across the country
Railway minister to virtually launch various projects in Gujarat, dedicate to nation 4 GCTs
He will dedicate four Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCT), at Bhimasar (Kutch), Devaliya (Junagadh), Chandisar (Banaskantha) and Shivlakha (Kutch), to the nation and also lay the foundation stone for the GCT at Linch in Mehsana
Gujarat Chief Minister Approves
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel allocates 20 crore for the first phase of the Visavadar bypass road to ease traffic in Junagadh district. Gujarat Chief Minister Approves 20 Crore for Visavadar Bypass Road Project
Video: Sand-Laden Truck Swerves, Topples, Buries Car In Junagadh. 2 Men Narrowly Escape
A dumper truck swerved and fell next to a car, which was nearly buried under the sand the truck was carrying, on the Vanthali-Junagadh highway in Junagadh. A CCTV camera clip from earlier this week that has gone viral shows a motorcyclist taking a sudden right, forcing the truck driver to make a sudden move. That makes the truck swerve. It falls and skids on its side, colliding with a hatchback parked on the roadside. Two men can be seen standing next to the car, apparently having just left or about to enter, who manage to scamper away. The truck driver then gets out from the front as the windshield is shattered.
Nepal floods: Gujarat collects DNA samples of kin of 29 missing people
Digital Desk | Gandhinagar, Sep 10 (IANS) The Gujarat government has completed DNA sample collection from relatives of 29 of the 30 people from the state, including Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs), who remain missing or uncontactable following the August 26 flash floods in Nepal, particularly along the Nepal-Tibet border and Bhote Koshi River corridor. The samples are being processed for DNA profiling to help identify bodies and human remains recovered in the disaster. The process for the remaining missing person is also underway. The Gujarat State Non-Resident Gujaratis Foundation (NRGF), under the NRI Division of the General Administration Department, has been coordinating with the families and authorities in India and abroad to facilitate the DNA collection and identification process. The initiative is being carried out in accordance with guidelines issued by the Central government, under which designated forensic laboratories have been identified for DNA sample collection and profiling of first-degree relatives of missing persons. DNA profiling at laboratories designated for the purpose is being undertaken free of cost, as directed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Six designated laboratories in Gujarat are facilitating the process, with DNA profiling being undertaken in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Junagadh and Rajkot. The National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar, is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs on DNA profiling of samples collected in India and their linkage with the identification process in Nepal. A 10-member NFSU forensic team has also been involved in the identification efforts in Nepal. Nepal Police has separately initiated DNA profiling of recovered bodies and human remains following the incident. NRGF has been personally contacting relatives of each missing person and guiding them about the designated laboratories, available facilities and the procedure for DNA sample collection and profiling. It has also been coordinating with NRGs and relatives living abroad to ascertain the action taken by local authorities in their respective countries. In cases involving relatives in New Zealand, the United States, Canada and African countries, NRGF has obtained information about DNA samples collected by authorities in those countries and the status of the identification process. In several cases, samples of relatives living abroad have already been collected through the respective local authorities. The DNA profiling reports are being sent directly by the designated laboratories to Nepalese authorities through the official email addresses and contact numbers notified by the them for the identification exercise. Nepal Police has also requested first-degree relatives of missing people living abroad to undergo DNA profiling at authorised forensic laboratories in their respective countries. The Gujarat Government, through the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), district administrations and NRGF, has been coordinating efforts to trace people from the state and Gujaratis living abroad who were reported missing or remain uncontactable after the floods. A consolidated list of missing and untraceable persons prepared by SEOC and NRGF has also been shared with the Nepal government. So far, 30 people, including NRGs, remain untraceable from the flood-affected areas. Those reported missing or out of contact include people from Ahmedabad, Anand, Banaskantha, Kheda, Gandhinagar, Surat, Valsad, Rajkot and other parts of Gujarat. Several had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through different travel agencies and routes. The scale of the disaster has made conventional identification difficult in cases where bodies or human remains have been severely damaged or recovered in parts. Nepal has therefore begun a large-scale DNA identification exercise, with samples being collected from relatives and compared with DNA obtained from recovered remains. The DNA-based process is expected to help establish the identities of victims from Gujarat and other parts of India, as well as foreign nationals, and provide families with confirmation about the fate of relatives who remain missing.
Gujarat: 42 held in gambling raid, property worth Rs 16 lakh seized
Junagadh, Sep 6 (IANS) Forty-two people were arrested after the Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell (SMC) raided an alleged card gambling operation at Suthar Samaj Wadi near Chorwad Girls School in Chorwad of Junagadh district, seizing cash and other property collectively valued at Rs 16.02 lakh, police said on Sunday. The raid was conducted by a team led by Police Sub-Inspector K.D. Ravia following directions from Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik to take legal action against illegal liquor and gambling activities in the state. According to the State Monitoring Cell, the operation resulted in the seizure of Rs 3,72,200 in cash, one four-wheeler, 11 two-wheelers, 42 mobile phones and gambling-related materials. The total value of the seized property was assessed at Rs 16,02,900. A case was registered at Chorwad Police Station on September 5 under Sections 4 and 5 of the Gambling Act. Police said 44 people were named in the case, including 42 arrested accused and two wanted accused. Among those arrested were Manish Parmar and Haresh Chudasama, both identified by police as alleged organisers of the gambling activity. The arrested persons included residents of Chorwad and other parts of Junagadh district, as well as individuals from Gir Somnath, Morbi, Kutch and Rajkot. The two wanted accused have been identified as Viren Sevra, a resident of Ramvav Chowk in Chorwad and Lala of Chorwad. Police identified Lala as the person who allegedly rented out Sutharwadi for gambling. Further investigation into the case is being conducted by the police. The latest raid is part of a continuing enforcement drive by the SMC against illegal gambling and liquor networks. In August, the SMC arrested 16 people and seized cash, vehicles and mobile phones collectively valued at about Rs 39 lakh in a gambling raid in Mehsana. In another gambling operation in Gandhinagar in December last year, the SMC seized cash, 10 mobile phones and five vehicles worth a total of Rs 26.16 lakh and detained 11 people, while six others were declared wanted. The SMC has also carried out major prohibition-related seizures, including an operation in Navsari in which 14,016 bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor valued at Rs 37.62 lakh were seized in January, along with a vehicle and other items, taking the total value of the seizure to Rs 62.69 lakh.
CBI Files Case Against College Trustee and Faculty Member for Alleged Bribery
New Delhi, August 25: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case against Pratik Mori, a trustee of Nobel Ayurvedic College in Junagadh, Gujarat, and faculty member Dr. Abhay Nalavade. They are accused of attempting to bribe a member of the hearing committee of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) ... Read more CBI Files Case Against College Trustee and Faculty Member for Alleged Bribery
Two Arrested in Major Online Share Trading Fraud in Gujarat
Surat, August 12: The Cyber Crime Cell of Gujarat has arrested two individuals from Junagadh in connection with a significant online share trading fraud. The case involves a scam where a victim was defrauded of 42.98 lakh. During the investigation, authorities discovered links to three other cyber fraud cases across various states, with total losses ... Read more Two Arrested in Major Online Share Trading Fraud in Gujarat
Asiatic lion rescued after getting trapped in spiked gate in Gujarats Junagadh
In the early hours of the day, a lion, aged around one to two years, got trapped in an iron gate while attempting to jump over it in the Grofed area of the city, Deputy Conservator of Forests Akshay Joshi said
Tragic Road Accident in Gujarat Claims Four Lives from One Family
Ahmedabad, July 11: A tragic road accident in Gujarats Junagadh district on Saturday resulted in the deaths of four family members, while four others sustained injuries. The incident occurred near Majewadi village on the four-lane road when the familys Ertiga car collided with a truck parked by the roadside. Two of the injured individuals are ... Read more Tragic Road Accident in Gujarat Claims Four Lives from One Family
Video: Couple Suffers Horrific Bike Crash After Hitting Massive Pothole In Gujarat
A viral video from Gujarat's Junagadh shows a couple suffering a serious motorcycle accident after hitting a massive pothole on a rain-soaked road, triggering outrage over road safety and alleged inaction by a passing police vehicle.
Girnar Wrapped in Monsoon Clouds, Strong Winds Force Temporary Ropeway Shutdown
Girnar Ropeway services in Junagadh have been temporarily suspended due to strong winds as monsoon clouds blanket Girnar Hill. Authorities will resume operations once weather conditions become safe.
Lion cub found dead in Junagadh; probe points to possible human involvement
Forest department launches investigation after Asiatic lion cub found with severe injuries; suspect absconding
Gujarat Weather Report: The India Meteorological Department forecasts light to moderate rain and thundershowers across Gujarat for the next seven days. Initially, North, Central, and South Gujarat will see activity, shifting primarily to South Gujarat later in the week. Most other districts are expected to remain dry.
